Let’s Talk About Monsters
Monsters are everywhere! In fiction, at least. Fantasy and horror have a particular affinity for monsters, and I'm not really a horror writer (although a few of my characters might beg to differ). From faeries to hellhounds, fantasy monsters run the gamut of...
Science gave us a cool Black Hole photo this week…now what?
So, scientists have now taken pictures of a black hole (or, to be precise, everything BUT the black hole). Dr. Katie Bouman and her team have given Earth its first glimpse of the center of a neighboring galaxy. But what do we do with them? First off, we share the...
Game of Predicting Thrones
As a longtime fan of Game of Thrones (in book form, no less!), I'm excited at the prospect of the final season of the TV version wrapping up, even if George R.R. Martin claims it won't have the same ending as the books. Who cares? The series has been building toward...
Build Your Own Starship
I want a spaceship. YOU want a spaceship. I'm pretty sure, given the chance, nearly anyone on Earth would want a working, interstellar spaceship all their own. But what KIND do you want? Are you looking for the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy? A force to be...
So You Want to Be a Wizard…
I think anyone who's read books or watched movies has, at some point, contemplated being a wizard. Whether it's a simple wish to levitate traffic out of your way or childhood fantasies of knights and dragons, facing down monsters with a toilet brush (to your mother's...
Are any shows “appointment television” for you?
"Appointment television" hasn't died, but Netflix sure is trying to strangle it. And while I'm certainly one to binge whole seasons or series in a stretch, I still take time to selectively keep up with a few special shows. Via DVR, of course. I barely keep track of...
I’m battling cyborgs, building Dyson spheres, and corrupting primitive societies with advanced tech…
I can't be the only gamer around here, can I? My wife and I just got back from a publishing conference, and I'm still recovering. Between shoveling the driveway at 3:00 a.m. before our flight out, and a week of stuffing my brain with new ideas, I'm just now easing...
Year 6 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
Well, here I am, yet again. It’s time for Firehurler’s 6th birthday, marking the end of Year 6 of my 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan. I’ve made a minor improvement over last year in getting this done in January rather than June (doh!). Hopefully, I can turn...
Poet Fleet Night Before Xmas
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the sector,Not a starship was inbound on any known vector. The cargo was stacked by the freight loading gear,In the hopes that the rendezvous soon would be here. The crewmates were nestled, all snug in their...
Year 5 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
Well, one of the hallmarks of my annual plan update seems to be posting it later and later every year. This year I’ve somehow made it to June with a combination of being busy/forgetful/procrastinating. In part, that’s a good thing because I’ve reached a point in my...