Every Christmas Eve it crosses my mind: the Christmas truce of 1914, the last, best hope for stopping the First World War; the last, best hope for saving Western, and by extension human, civilization from the Crisis of the 20th Century. What if the war … Continue readingThe Christmas Truce in my Alternate History
I know I sounded all ready to make a story based on my ice dragon world concept outlined in a recent blog post, but it just doesn’t feel right no matter how much I tinker with it or what I combine it with; I’ve learned … Continue readingGiving “Garden City” a Whole New Meaning
Hot off the presses just in time for Christmas Day: my new science-fiction romance novel “Heart of Proxima” is out! You can buy it in Kindle ebook or paperback form now! For the better part of this year I’ve been working on this story (see … Continue readingHeart of Proxima: New Sci-Fi Romance Novel Out!
“What about winter?” “You’ve already had it!” “We’ve had one, yes. What about second winter?”. On a planet with high axial tilt and/or an eccentric orbit, a short temperate summer can be envisaged, coupled with long cold winters beyond the ken of anywhere on Earth. … Continue readingArgon Snows on an Ice Dragon Planet
Teenage pregnancy is so bad. Yeah? Says who? What’s wrong with a young woman having a baby? The uncritical adoption of this creed left, right, and center is one of my (many!) pet peeves about today’s society and social discourse. My honest opinion is that … Continue readingThe Boon of Young Motherhood?
My previous post on Rules of Succession What-Ifs (which was really fun to write) focused on alternatives to the system of primogeniture, but at no point did I touch on more exotic systems beyond patrilineal or at best bilateral descent. I’d like to take some … Continue readingFun with Matrilineal Patriarchies
Lately I’ve been giving some thought to the ever-lovely story of “The Flying Dutchman”. The original legend of the ghost ship, doomed to sail the seas forever, is already cool enough, but the best version by far is Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” opera, which … Continue readingA Flying-Dutchman Christmas Tree Ship?
What’s this? New “Star Wars” that I actually like? It’s been far too long. Not since “Revenge of the Sith” have I experienced a new Star Wars project as good as the new series “Star Wars: Andor”, a spy thriller covering the saga of those … Continue readingStar Wars: Andor — It’s Actually Really Good!
In my posts “Ready for Amaranth?” and “Tangling Up a Family Tree for Fun and Worldbuilding” I’ve detailed some of the brainstorming I’ve been doing for a family-saga-cum-romance-tale in outer space. But something felt kinda missing. Then the other day I wondered if livening it … Continue readingA Pirate Story For Me, Savvy?
I’ve been devoting some thought to my concept for a story set in the mid to late 2040s detailing that chapter of the Reinhardt family saga, how I might make it new, different, and interesting. Why not have the romance take place amid a visit … Continue readingReady for Amaranth?