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Posts Tagged ‘writing’

This interesting article discusses space exploration as an extension of the frontier mentality, how humanity’s complications underly a lot of science fiction, and asks, “Are the stars better off without us?”

Expanding Horizons | Atmos

A few years ago, in an attempt to lose myself in something other than winter lethargy, I became enthralled with The Expanse, a space drama that asks: what if humanity became a multiplanetary species? What would happen next?

“So much of the show is about resources and scarcity and the connection between economics and history”

It’s easy to write off The Expanse as “just” science fiction, but the ideas that the show wrestles with are important. Science fiction both holds a mirror to culture and acts as a source of inspiration. 

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Photo by David Gavi on Unsplash

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Fun free fiction for folks. Because Monday. And because you can’t have enough dragons.

The Dragon Project by Naomi Kritzer : Clarkesworld Magazine

“We’ve now created dragons for you twice, you’ve had the opportunity to inspect our work at every step of the way, and both times you’ve refused to take delivery. Timothy is a very good dragon, and you don’t deserve him anyway. You’re fired.”

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Photo by Tarik Haiga on Unsplash

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For fun today we have a short bit of free fiction from Nature‘s Futures column.

Star Corps Crew Manual Section 15-A37: On Mental Dislocation

If your parallel-universe self seems to be planning some kind of invasion, remain calm…

Good advice.

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Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

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On this day, eons ago, the brave Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee fulfilled their quest to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. And so it was decreed that March 25th would ever after be known as Tolkien Reading Day!

What does that mean?

Today is Tolkien Reading Day! – The Tolkien Society

And as an extra bonus, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Estate Releases Treasure Trove Of Drawings And Maps.

See those maps and more here: Maps – The Tolkien Estate.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

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Photo by Martin Jernberg on Unsplash

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Tap into your inner Hemingway* with this (very) short story contest:

Enter the Incredible Six Word Wonder Contest 2022 – Doug Weller Writer

This is the place for you to enter your absolute best six word stories, memoirs, poems, and jokes, with the chance of winning $100, getting published, and being named the Six Word Wonder!

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* Ok, Hemingway probably didn’t write that classic six-word story, but the example (and its supposed author) occupy an established place in the heart of flash fiction.

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Photo by David Moum on Unsplash

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The Nebula Award finalists for 2021 have been announced! (Actually, they were announced over a week ago but I missed it because there’s a lot going on in the world right now, you know? It’s still nice to take a little time for new fiction.)

What’s on the list? Is Uncanny still killing it? (They are.) Are the good folks at Diabolical Plots represented? (They are.) How much of it is free to read right this very? (Links below!) And what do you mean, no Murderbot? Read on!

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Nebula Award for Novel

The Unbroken, C.L. Clark (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
A Master of Djinn, P. Djèlí Clark (Tordotcom; Orbit UK)
Machinehood, S.B. Divya (Saga)
A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
Plague Birds, Jason Sanford (Apex)

Nebula Award for Novella

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers (Tordotcom)
Fireheart Tiger, Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
And What Can We Offer You Tonight, Premee Mohamed (Neon Hemlock)
Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters, Aimee Ogden (Tordotcom)
Flowers for the Sea, Zin E. Rocklyn (Tordotcom)
The Necessity of Stars, E. Catherine Tobler (Neon Hemlock)
The Giants of the Violet Sea”, Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny 9–10/21)

Nebula Award for Novelette

O2 Arena”, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Galaxy’s Edge 11/21)
Just Enough Rain”, PH Lee (Giganotosaurus 5/21)
(emet)”, Lauren Ring (F&SF 7–8/21) [available free for a limited time]
That Story Isn’t the Story”, John Wiswell (Uncanny 11–12/21)
Colors of the Immortal Palette”, Caroline M. Yoachim (Uncanny 3–4/21)

Nebula Award for Short Story

Mr. Death”, Alix E. Harrow (Apex 2/21)
Proof by Induction”, José Pablo Iriarte (Uncanny 5–6/21)
Let All the Children Boogie”, Sam J. Miller (Tor.com 1/6/21)
Laughter Among the Trees”, Suzan Palumbo (The Dark 2/21)
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3–4/21)
For Lack of a Bed”, John Wiswell (Diabolical Plots 4/21) 

Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction

Victories Greater Than Death, Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Teen; Titan)
Thornwood, Leah Cypess (Delacorte)
Redemptor, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet; Hot Key)
A Snake Falls to Earth, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)
Root Magic, Eden Royce (Walden Pond)
Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao (Penguin Teen; Rock the Boat)

Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

Encanto, Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures)
The Green Knight
, David Lowery (Sailor Bear, BRON Studios, A24)
Loki: Season 1
, Bisha K. Ali, Elissa Karasik, Eric Martin, Michael Waldron, Tom Kauffman, Jess Dweck (Marvel Studios)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
, Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham (Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios)
Space Sweepers,
Jo Sung-hee 조성희 (Bidangil Pictures)
WandaVision: Season 1
, Peter Cameron, Mackenzie Dohr, Laura Donney, Bobak Esfarjani, Megan McDonnell, Jac Schaeffer, Cameron Squires, Gretchen Enders, Chuck Hayward (Marvel Studios)
What We Do in the Shadows: Season 3,
Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Stefani Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Lauren Wells (FX Productions, Two Canoes Pictures, 343 Incorporated, FX Network)

Nebula Award for Game Writing

Coyote & Crow, Connor Alexander, William McKay, Weyodi Oldbear, Derek Pounds, Nico Albert, Riana Elliott, Diogo Nogueira, William Thompson (Coyote & Crow, LLC.)
Granma’s Hand, Balogun Ojetade (Balogun Ojetade, Roaring Lion Productions)
Thirsty Sword Lesbians, April Kit Walsh, Whitney Delagio, Dominique Dickey, Jonaya Kemper, Alexis Sara, Rae Nedjadi (Evil Hat Games)
Wanderhome, Jay Dragon (Possum Creek Games)
Wildermyth, Nate Austin, Anne Austin, Douglas Austin (Worldwalker Games, LLC)

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So seriously, you may be asking, no Murderbot? No, but it’s a good thing.

Author Martha Wells graciously declined her nomination as a novella finalist this year for Fugitive Telemetry: Murderbot Diaries, Book 6, published by Tordotcom. Wells felt that the Murderbot Diaries series has already received incredible praise from her industry peers and wanted to open the floor to highlight other works within the community.

— SFWA Announces Nebula Award Finalists – The Nebula Awards®

And that’s that. Go forth and read!

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Photo by Stormseeker on Unsplash

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“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt

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Photo by Vincent Ledvina on Unsplash

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The world remains a challenging place in many ways but today I’m lucky to be able to carve a bit of calm out of the quagmire, mostly by avoiding the news. I’m working on a cookbook update, paying taxes, continuing yesterday’s fun design project, and helped* disconnect the old dishwasher. I also heard back on one of my favorite stories and was very happy to get an acceptance. It’s always nice to share what you love.

Not too bad for a Sunday. Now, where’s my book?

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Photo by Ajda ATZ on Unsplash

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* A very little. Mr Man is good enough not to need much help.

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To my family: I must apologize. Today I meant to work on a new version of the family cookbook. I spent the first moments of the day noodling over the updates to be made, recipes to adjust, what to leave in and what to add.

Then I got up and found myself immersed in a fun custom design project for Mr Man.

Ah well! At least I’m getting something done.

And when it comes to getting lucky with creativity, it doesn’t hurt to strike while the iron is hot.

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Photo by Jonathan Bean on Unsplash

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If you have ever needed to write a ransom-style note* but the decline of printed news has you at a loss, worry no more!

Polona Typo has come to the rescue!

Like many libraries, the National Library of Poland has digitized many of its holdings. They also have an interface that allows you to convert text into images based on scanned letters from their collection.

Sure, there are lots of ransom note generators out there (maybe too many; what are people up to?) but I like mine with a bit of history.

The Polona Typo project, based on the new Polona API, makes it possible to type, share and print your own sentences using thousands of letters from the books, posters and maps created over more than six centuries. Enjoy!

Test it out, reload to get a whole new look or click on individual letters to re-roll one at a time. Download and enjoy (responsibly, of course!).

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Courtesy Polona Typo.

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* Not an actual ransom note, of course. That would be wrong.

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