Internet Idea Ideation – Science Fiction vs Fantasy

I read science journals for fun. I love the internet because it’s easy to browse fields I would not normally consider. Sometimes, I don’t even realize they exist.

Usually, science journals provide good leads for sf, for obvious reasons.

Occassionally, however, my mind goes in a different direction.

Consider maternal exposure to death of a first degree relative during first trimester of pregnancy increases risk of schizophrenia in offspring.

This immediately made me think, No wonder earlier civilizations feared the newly dead might become ghosts to curse vulnerable pregant relatives.

And then I thought — what if it were true? What if a close relative of your mother — her father or her sister — died while you were in the womb and it created a psychic bond between you? What if you were able to see and speak with the ghost for the rest of your life? What if others thought you were crazy?

Spacebat Flies for the Last Time *Snif*

“Spacebat Tribute” Video Will Make You Cry Like “We Are the World”

Future Post Ideas

This is Your Brain On Fiction – Stories are a way of hacking your own brain

Thanks to Capitalism, We Can All Get Hit On Like Hot Babes – We are all hit on all the time by people who want our investment

Super-normal, Part I – Superheroes are what we admire, only more so

Super-normal, Part II – 

limen – a threshold beneath which stimulus is not perceived or distinguished from another

Cambridge professor Alan Macfarlane is studying the lives of 100 modern scientists, historians, and explorers to try to find out what conditions created their “Eureka!” breakthrough moments. The study won’t come out until next year but for now he says that creativity is often found in “people who live on the margins or the border between different cultures.”

Sf vs Fantasy – sf inspired by physics (what could prove true), fantasy by superstitions (what feels true but we know isn’t)

Using Science in Fantasy – not to make the magic scientific 

I Cannot Pass the Turing Test – I’m sure a story has covered this already, but how long until humans must pass the Turing Test and manage to convince other humans we are human too?

Sale Figure for the Bible Don’t Count – I don’t care how many books you sell compared to the Bible. The Bible, the Qu’ran, these are not books. They are PR for God. Please do not tell me people buy the Bible, “because I’d seen the movie and had to find out if the book was better” or because “you won’t believe how it ends.” C’mon, people. And I don’t mean this post to be insulting to the Bible. My real point was this. If you found out no one one wanted to buy a book it would and should change your  opinion of the contents of the book. If you found out no  one wanted to read the Bible, it shouldn’t change your opinion of contents of the Bible.

Which SF Writer Are You?

I am: Cordwainer Smith (Paul M.A. Linebarger) This inimitably unique storyteller created a future with so many deep layers of history that all the world we know is practically lost in it.

Levels of Conflict

There are many different kinds of conflict. Not all of them involve badass kung fu mojo or fleeing in terror from monsters. (Though I try to include some of that in my books.)

http://io9.com/5171435/alien-versus-predator-game-night

enthalpy

The Muse Online Writers Conference

Despite my vow to never link to sites with squiggling balloons, the Muse Online Writers Conference is cool. I’m not just saying that ’cause it’s run by friends of mine. That just makes me cool.