Some Thoughts on the 2020 Election and the Future – Part the First

Some Thoughts on the 2020 Election and the Future – Part the First

Wow. It came (and went) at last! The 2020 Presidential Election and the ouster of Donald Trump. Like most people in United States, here in Canada, and everywhere else in the world, I was pretty much in a state of full-body tension waiting to see how it all turned out. The polls were favorable going in, but we all knew from experience to take that with a grain of salt.

Naturally, I was happy and relieved by the outcome. After four years of wondering when the madness and sheer chaos of the Trump administration would end, the people spoke and the results were crushing to Trump and his cadre. And while this is far from over (they still have lawsuits to file and votes they’re trying to suppress), it’s good to know that people all over the world can enjoy some peace and calm for a little while at least.

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Fermi and the Great Filter. Or, Some Thoughts on Why We Haven’t Heard from Aliens (Yet!)

Fermi and the Great Filter. Or, Some Thoughts on Why We Haven’t Heard from Aliens (Yet!)

In recent weeks, I’ve been writing a lot about Fermi’s Paradox (“Where is everybody?” aka. where are all the aliens?) As you can imagine, this has involved a lot of research! So much has been said and so much ink has been spilled on the potential reasons why humanity has not found evidence of cosmic counterparts, despite seventy years of looking and the sheer vastness of the Universe.

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Beyond Fermi’s Paradox Series!

Beyond Fermi’s Paradox Series!

A few weeks ago at Universe Today, I started a series that takes a look at the Fermi Paradox. For those who are not familiar, this refers to the contradiction that was observed by famed Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi. This contradiction can be summarized as “if life is statistically so likely in the Universe, why haven’t we found any evidence of it yet?”

Or, if you prefer the short version, it can be summarized as:

“Where the hell are all the aliens?”
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The Colonizing Mars Series Over at Stardom!

The Colonizing Mars Series Over at Stardom!

Hey all! As I mentioned in a previous post, I recent joined the good folks at Explore Mars and began making regular contributions to their affiliated website – Stardom! In addition to doing a series on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), I also completed a series on the colonization of Mars.

It’s called “Making the First Martians,” and deals with the different aspects and challenges of creating a permanent human presence on the Red Planet. Here’s the full list:

Coming soon, a series on colonizing the entire Solar System!

The SETI Series Over at Stardom!

The SETI Series Over at Stardom!

Hey folks! Recently, I joined the Explore Mars organization, which is dedicated to advocacy, science education, and promoting the exploration of Mars by the 2030s. And as a perk, I also get to write for Stardom, a space news site that is an affiliate.

Recently, I completed a series on the subject of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) that I wanted to share. It comes in seven parts, which starts with the conceptual stuff, moves into the speculative realm, and then takes a look at the history of our efforts and what we’ve been found.

If you’re interested, head over to Stardomspace.com and have a gander:

This series is one of many that I’ve done or am in the process of doing. More on that soon!

This is My Must-Read List. There are Many Like it, But This One is Mine!

This is My Must-Read List. There are Many Like it, But This One is Mine!

Recently, some friends and I were talking about books that made a significant impact on our lives. These included all the books that changed the way we saw the world, taught us something about ourselves, and/or inspired us to action! I really liked this exercise because it made me think of the literature that has stuck with me over the years.

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Berserker Hunter-Killer Robots!

Berserker Hunter-Killer Robots!

Good day, all! Today, I wanted to share some thoughts on a subject that is not only a staple of science fiction but is also in danger of becoming a reality! I am talking, of course, of killer robots! Machines that are capable of fighting, killing, thinking for themselves, and maybe even reproducing!

As concepts go, it’s a pretty time-honored and thoroughly explored one. But as with most tropes and/or things that we might consider to be cliche, there’s a reason for it. The idea that the very machines we create to make our lives easier will someday turn on us, that’s more than just your garden-variety technophobia and sci-fi pulp.

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Tenth Review for The Cronian Incident’s Audiobook!

Tenth Review for The Cronian Incident’s Audiobook!

Good news! The Cronian Incident (the audiobook version on Audible) just got its tenth review. And as you can probably tell, this person is real’ positive! I wish I could reach out to them and let them know that the series is no complete, so all the cliffhangers and threads get resolved.

“This book is so good!! I enjoyed it immensely. I loved the world, I felt for the main characters. The tech was impressive. The mystery was complete and total. And then that blasted ending. AURGH!!

Politics reign supreme in the new world and them’s that’s got, keeps. The story was incredible! I was so engrossed in the story that I did not see the ending coming. It broke my heart. Thank goodness there is a book two!!

The narration was excellent, in every sense of the word. The main character, Jeremiah Ward, was an ex-intelligence officer, turned con, then private investigator. There was some gruffness and wide-eyed exasperation to Ward learning his new role and figuring out what was going on. The narrator nailed it. There were Russians (natch) and incredibly powerful female characters amongst a host of other voices. The narration made this story real.

I’m glad there is a second book in this series. I need some vindication!”

Writing About the Near-Future

Writing About the Near-Future

Hey again, fellow writers and readers! How is everybody doing? As for me, I’ve spent the past few weeks picking up my life in one place and depositing it in another. Translation: the wife and I recently moved. Yes, we bought our first house and now we’re living in our dream neighborhood. It only took five years!

But now that we’re settled (more or less), I can get back to work on my next two novels. If you recall, I recently finished writing my third novel – the Frost Line Fracture – which is the final installment in the Formist Series. The manuscript is now off to the publisher for edits and revisions!

With that project all but complete, I began wondering what to write next. I was torn between two options, but on the advice of my publisher, I decided to work on both simultaneously. Not long ago, I described one of them (Transverse) in some detail. But it’s been a while since I said anything about the other one – Reciprocity.

So I thought that’s what I would do today. And I thought it would be fun to discuss the social, political and economic context in which the story takes place. It’s the late 2030s in this story, after all. Stuff will be happening!

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Advise for Aspiring Writers

Advise for Aspiring Writers

Good morning! There’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now but never got around to it. And that is, share some tidbits of wisdom that I have learned over the years about writing. Most of these tidbits are things I learned from people who really knew what they were talking about, so I was sure to listen! Some others are just things I concluded along the way.

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