Science + Tech
Advances that redefine reality. Welcome to the future.
Writers of the Future Volume 33 and Beyond
Last week I had the privilege of attending the 33rd Writers of The Future Awards Gala at the Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. Prior to Gala #32 last year, I grappled to determine whether attending would be worthwhile. This year, my attendance was a no-brainer. Why? Because last year's event changed the course of my writing career.
Joshua SkyPublished 7 years ago in FuturismSci-Fi Frenemies You Love to Hate
Science fiction is full of rivalries, of enemies, of villains, but frenemies--the sort of characters who are at once friend and foe--are less common. It is hard to find two characters who are at once locked in combat and embroiled in passionate friendship.
Anthony GramugliaPublished 7 years ago in FuturismMove Your Body
We’ve all heard stories or seen movies or TV shows about the government making super-soldiers with the use of genetic splicing or enhancement drugs or exoskeletons. It’s a subject both troubling—ethical and moral implications aside—and mesmerizing. Who wouldn’t want to be super-strong or super-fast or have enhanced senses? Well, guess what? No, not that. Probably not that, either. Goddamnit, Dave, you’ll only ever be able to do half a cock pushup. Come on. I’m sure the rest of you are getting pretty close, so I’ll help you along.
The Twilight Zone's Effect on Sci-Fi, Anthologies, and Modern Storytelling
"Next stop, the Twilight Zone..." For over five decades, the moment that people heard Rod Serling's classic opening narration, everyone knew that all bets for normalcy were off. Even today, anyone who's ever watched television has heard references to the classic TV show.
Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago in FuturismThe Emirates Wants to Build the First City on Mars by 2117
If there’s a federation used to harsh climate on Earth it’s the United Arab Emirates (UAE). If there’s a region who has monetary resources in abundance, it’s also the UAE.
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones - Part 1
Saturday 8 April 1967 This one gets off to a cracking start with the TARDIS materialising on an airport runway just as a plane is taking off. There's lots of airport-related hustle and bustle, a grumpy Commandant, uniformed staff, police motorcyclists... This is so unusual for Doctor Who - really 'urban'! The Commandant has received a report about the obstruction on the runway, which has left him less than delighted, and he's sceptical when told it's a police box. I'm not sure if the Doctor and friends legging it across the runway to avoid the plane was the best idea. Wouldn't it have been better to get back inside the TARDIS and dematerialise again? Still, I'm glad they didn't as this is shaping up to be an exciting episode.
Nick BrownPublished 7 years ago in FuturismExcerpt 2 From The Burning Years
While we had international environmental agreements, as the impending cataclysm approached, countries panicked. That’s how the “Weather Wars” started. In 2045, because we were all trying to save ourselves from the effects of climate change, treaties and agreements between countries became obsolete as conventional weapons were now useless. Carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases had risen to such an extent into the atmosphere around the globe that they had formed a thick blanket holding in heat. As these heat-trapping gas concentrations increased, the blanket’s thickness also increased and trapped even more heat in our lower atmosphere. Heat that had been designed by nature to escape through the stratosphere was now no longer able to do so, and resulted in it being much cooler than it should have been. This abnormal coolness then contributed to ozone loss, which effectively cancelled out any progress we had made in the past, by reducing CFC’s.
Felicity HarleyPublished 7 years ago in FuturismAlex The Inventor-Chapter 10 (Pt.1)
Read Chapters 1 - 9 at: Deep Sky Stories No Tears Wasted... The cavern opened up before Alex immediately upon stepping inside it. It wasn't a naturally made cavern or cave though, rather a huge, domed structure overhead with deep blue gemstone lights which shone sharply down over everything. Although they were underground and still on Earth, the effect of being on another world was complete and quite striking to behold.The most obvious difference was the deeper blue "sky" that the glittering dome simulated. The plain white of Alex's spacesuit stood out in sharp contrast to the reddish-colored dry sand and pebbles he quietly walked upon. The next thing that became very noticeable was that the thinner atmosphere brought a sharper clarity to everything around him, such as the keen, black shadows they cast as they proceeded farther inside. All was silent, save for the sound of his own footfalls coming up through the spacesuit and his breathing inside the helmet. The quiet rhythm of atmospheric controls within the suit reassured Alex that all was well. The artificial biosphere he found himself in was really quite a beautiful place though a desolate and other-worldly one under the cold, clear sky.Looking over at Rainah, Alex smiled through his bubble and playfully reached over to brush his hand through her softly thrashing hair-quills. But the hairs parted before his hand as if they were sensitive undersea coral creatures. Rainah shied away and sent a teasing laugh into his puzzled mind.After they had walked a little further inside, Alex paused to look down at the pebbly soil at his feet. To his surprise, he began to notice small patches here and there of greenish brown moss-like vegetation, clinging to the rocks and peeking out of the arid soil. So, this place wasn't all just dry, empty sand after all. They did look like rather scruffy and pathetic little things though. Rainah came silently up by his side and looked down at the small, sand-dusted plants.
G.F. BrynnPublished 7 years ago in Futurism