2 techs I want to mash up
For me, the "present" is sort of permanently frozen in my mind as the mid-to-late nineties. As we drift ever onward into the future, we rob old sci-fi stories of their futuristic tropes. Today, we stand on the verge of one that gets little attention but stands in the...
Your DIY magic portal
One of my favorite seeds for story ideas is the notion of the crossover concepts. They've been big in comics since forever and huge in fan-fic. But I like them just for the "what if" scenarios and the interesting fallout that comes from exploring them. I work hard to...
Labyrinth: Two Kinds of Magic
Rumors have circulated (as rumors are wont to do) about a potential remake of the fantasy classic The Labyrinth. This is, of course, blasphemy. Not every old movie needs to be remade/retold/repackaged. If a new generation needs to experience it, they'll enjoy the...
NASA TV
Not sure what my Author Scrapheap is? I introduce the idea on the Author Scrapheap archive page. With SpaceX making news recently, I thought it was a good time to bring up a scrapheap story idea about NASA. NASA TV With budget cuts finally about to break NASA’s back,...
Seasons: more than just awesome dice
Today I want to talk about a wonderfully whimsical game called Seasons. It is high fantasy in a vacuum. It is a myth without context, or any attempt to explain itself. Instead, it gives you wonderful artwork and ominous objects that center on a magical battle between...
Arguing with Alexa
I don't know exactly when the future got here; probably around the time smartphones became ubiquitous—definitely after widespread internet became normal. But if you want proof positive that we are now living in the active era of science fiction, look no farther than...
Poll: Long-term fate of humanity
Today, I want to gaze into a quantum crystal ball and predict possible futures for mankind, all of which remain possible until the probability wave collapses into out reality. I'm not talking about next week, next month, next year, or even next century (I hope). This...
Deep Space Mine
When Matt Larkin and I were first brainstorming ideas for Black Ocean: Astral Prime, one of our first sticking points was what to call the series. I don't recall the various interim titles tossed around during that debate, but I do remember my first suggestion: Deep...
An idea that conquered itself
Not sure what my Author Scrapheap is? I introduce the idea on the Author Scrapheap archive page. Idea: A Conqueror's Tale (2 Books) Premise: Both books tell essentially the same story, from opposite sides. A war of conquest where an upstart overthrows a series of...
Race for the Galaxy: the game I’ll never get sick of
I play a lot of board games. I love sci-fi. Where the two of these passions best overlap is a board game called Race for the Galaxy. This is my favorite game. It's not hard to play, with simple buying and phase choice mechanics. It's quick to set up, doesn't take up a...