I've had intergalactic shipping on the brain lately, mostly because of Firefly and the blu-ray Star Wars sets I just purchased. Per the suggestion of a starjockey friend, I had purchased several of the Star Wars Essential guidebooks. As I flip through the pages of planets, trade routes, and ship cross sections my mind wanders. And as is my wont, I gravitate (yes a space pun, deal with it) toward online generators to whip up a setting.
It's either new to Donjon, or I just haven't noticed it amidst the array of star system gennies, but I came across this:
Star Wars Freight Jobs
I like the basic premise, but I figure it must be applicable to more than just Star Wars. It will take some tinkering, but I'm going to try to come up with a similar dice-based job generator. I will also attempt to create a Traveller cargo generator to determine just what is going in the hold for the journey. It's going to be a long weekend and I may get just bored enough to do something about it.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
Ship Class 1-6
I had this idea for ships ranked by numeric class 1-6.
Anything over a class 3 ship in civilian hands is quite suspicious and likely to invite bothersome inspections by (name of cliche authoritarian space government). Many a speedy smuggler, aka "Hoppers", piloting a class 4 have been nabbed and had their ship and cargo seized. Therefore, most regular space jockeys stick to a class 3 or below. Average transports rarely exceed a class 2 and class 3s are reserved for freighters making intergalactic supply runs. These heavy haulers often dock at spaceports to swap cargo and carry on or return the way they came. It's not uncommon for a freighter crew to simply go where the work and fuel cells carry them, staying on the move and "shooting the stars" for as long as they can.
Regardless of a ship's class, all jump drives, aka "hel-cores", are powered by intense bursts of BBN. The regular engines all run on hydrogen fuel.
Hydrogen fuel is ideal for it's abundance and recycle-ability into water and algae, both of which can sustain the crew for months in the event of a jump drive breakdown. However, prolonged exposure combined with infrequent and/or shoddy maintenance can make metal quite brittle. Every pilot can tell you stories of a ship whose fuel cells shattered, released hydrogen into the ship's artificial atmo, and blew the whole crew to kingdom come. "Only a fool neglects his fuel" is an adage commonly heard in every corner of the galaxy.
Some larger ships can be modified to siphon hydrogen fuel from gas planets, but with the high cost of custom "H scoops" also comes the risk that the ships could be destroyed by the dangerous skimming. Skimming planets involves buzzing their atmosphere and pulling hydrogen into condensers, but doing so exposes the ships to other harmful effects, not the least of which being simple icing of the vents, thrusters, and other such mechanics. If a ship freezes up while skimming a large gas giant, it can easily be pulled into the core depths and crushed by the immense pressure.
Regardless of a ship's class, all jump drives, aka "hel-cores", are powered by intense bursts of BBN. The regular engines all run on hydrogen fuel.
Hydrogen fuel is ideal for it's abundance and recycle-ability into water and algae, both of which can sustain the crew for months in the event of a jump drive breakdown. However, prolonged exposure combined with infrequent and/or shoddy maintenance can make metal quite brittle. Every pilot can tell you stories of a ship whose fuel cells shattered, released hydrogen into the ship's artificial atmo, and blew the whole crew to kingdom come. "Only a fool neglects his fuel" is an adage commonly heard in every corner of the galaxy.
Some larger ships can be modified to siphon hydrogen fuel from gas planets, but with the high cost of custom "H scoops" also comes the risk that the ships could be destroyed by the dangerous skimming. Skimming planets involves buzzing their atmosphere and pulling hydrogen into condensers, but doing so exposes the ships to other harmful effects, not the least of which being simple icing of the vents, thrusters, and other such mechanics. If a ship freezes up while skimming a large gas giant, it can easily be pulled into the core depths and crushed by the immense pressure.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Chronicles of Man
For me, sci-fi is all about the ships and lives lived upon them. I especially liked the military order of BSG and the once military association of Mal and Zoe on Firefly. It is with that interest in mind that I discovered Chronicles of Man.
Chronicles of Man.com
Chronicles of Man Wiki
From the mind of Josh Samuelson with a good deal of art by Adam Kop and many others.
And what's more, you can read how it all began here and continued here. How cool is it that it began oh so long ago and Josh has actually served on nuclear submarines?! He's got a lot more relating to CoM scattered throughout his journal. Now go check it out. That's an order!
Chronicles of Man.com
Chronicles of Man Wiki
From the mind of Josh Samuelson with a good deal of art by Adam Kop and many others.
And what's more, you can read how it all began here and continued here. How cool is it that it began oh so long ago and Josh has actually served on nuclear submarines?! He's got a lot more relating to CoM scattered throughout his journal. Now go check it out. That's an order!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
"New World" Space Fantasy
I am mixing a bit of sci-fi into the (somewhat cliche) discovery/founding of a fantasy
world, but I can't decide on where exactly it should be in relation to
us.
I'm tinkering with the idea of placing it "locally" in either the Perseus or Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy.
Or perhaps making it much more far flung and positioning it in the Andromeda Galaxy
The premise is that in a not-so-far future we have found other habitable areas, aka "Goldilocks zones", which aren't too far speculatively from where we are now. But geographically they are a long shot in that we know they are there and have Earth-like planets, but that's the extent of our knowledge. So we decide to fire massive colonization ships to each of these areas in an attempt to settle more space and form a cliche federation or empire of worlds. But something goes terribly wrong.
A ship named the Adventus - derived from Latin meaning "arrival, or coming to" - is sent through a wormhole/jump gate on a mission to colonize the zone. Upon coming out of the jump, the ship is struck by a wandering comet that was impossible to detect on previous scans. If I go with the jump gate arrival, the gate is destroyed with the ship. If I go with the wormhole idea, I would have to assume the too-convenient, spontaneous collapse of the naturally occurring wormhole. Or I might combine the two ideas and say that the technology is available for the ships to create the wormholes (essentially hyperspace jumping) but when the ship is lost, so is the "beacon" or black box that would indicate what the hell happened, thus failing to signal for rescue from other colony ships.
Another idea is that no beacons are expected to be sent until a world is colonized, meaning that no one is going to come looking for any "lost colonies" that don't report back. That seems like a stretch in that given the amount of planning and resources and sheer number of committed lives, I would think someone would be keeping tabs on a blinking radar screen.
However I settle the conundrum, the ship is lost and no one is riding to the rescue. No John Rolfs in space, I suppose.
Because it was designed as a colonization ship, all of the materials and foodstuffs needed to begin a new life were already loaded. All of the colonists were in cryo-sleep in various pods of 40-50. The skeleton crew of the ship were all killed and the black box that recorded the impact/wreck was lost. The emergency evacuation override of the ship was to target the nearest habitable planet and launch as many cryo-pods and cargo containers as possible to maximize the likelihood of survival.
Coming out of cryo-sleep is disorienting even in idea conditions. Given the emergency launch and the fact that no crew or records survived, all the passengers can recall is that they were sent "from the stars" to live on a new world. Other than a handful of supply containers, all else is lost.
The only surviving pods land thousands of miles apart on 2 of 5 continents because they were the ones facing the ship at the time. They don't even know if any other pods made the landing. These pockets of humanity have no idea that anyone else is on the world with them. But on this planet, the "standard" fantasy races of elves, dwarves, and gnomes (along with monstrous races) already exist.
Elves call the world Epheria or Epherius (from ephemeral - dream like)
Dwarves call the world Khorden (core den) or Khoruden - the runes are called Khoru (runes of the core)
Humans call the world Aventus, because that's as close as they can recall the name of the ship that jettisoned the pods to the planet.
The monstrous, savage races hail from a continent that is named Velusum (from lusus naturae "freak of nature")
**Several other mythology based names I like for other ships (or possible jump gates) are:
Hyperion - which may end up being a name of a world
Icarus - another doomed ship that crashed into a sun/star.
Prometheus - one of the first successful colony ships
Delos or Delphos - derived from Delphi
Atheum - derived from Athens
Sparatus - derived from Sparta and Spartacus
Hermeus or Hermean - a Mercury-like "dead world" named after Hermes (aka Mercury)
Aquilon - vaguely Latin for "north"
Meridium - vaguely Latin for "south"
Atlas - this would be a great classification for a heavy, carrier ship. Perhaps it's not a warship, but a resupply/support ship that brings additional cargo to established worlds.
I'm tinkering with the idea of placing it "locally" in either the Perseus or Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy.
Or perhaps making it much more far flung and positioning it in the Andromeda Galaxy
The premise is that in a not-so-far future we have found other habitable areas, aka "Goldilocks zones", which aren't too far speculatively from where we are now. But geographically they are a long shot in that we know they are there and have Earth-like planets, but that's the extent of our knowledge. So we decide to fire massive colonization ships to each of these areas in an attempt to settle more space and form a cliche federation or empire of worlds. But something goes terribly wrong.
A ship named the Adventus - derived from Latin meaning "arrival, or coming to" - is sent through a wormhole/jump gate on a mission to colonize the zone. Upon coming out of the jump, the ship is struck by a wandering comet that was impossible to detect on previous scans. If I go with the jump gate arrival, the gate is destroyed with the ship. If I go with the wormhole idea, I would have to assume the too-convenient, spontaneous collapse of the naturally occurring wormhole. Or I might combine the two ideas and say that the technology is available for the ships to create the wormholes (essentially hyperspace jumping) but when the ship is lost, so is the "beacon" or black box that would indicate what the hell happened, thus failing to signal for rescue from other colony ships.
Another idea is that no beacons are expected to be sent until a world is colonized, meaning that no one is going to come looking for any "lost colonies" that don't report back. That seems like a stretch in that given the amount of planning and resources and sheer number of committed lives, I would think someone would be keeping tabs on a blinking radar screen.
However I settle the conundrum, the ship is lost and no one is riding to the rescue. No John Rolfs in space, I suppose.
Because it was designed as a colonization ship, all of the materials and foodstuffs needed to begin a new life were already loaded. All of the colonists were in cryo-sleep in various pods of 40-50. The skeleton crew of the ship were all killed and the black box that recorded the impact/wreck was lost. The emergency evacuation override of the ship was to target the nearest habitable planet and launch as many cryo-pods and cargo containers as possible to maximize the likelihood of survival.
Coming out of cryo-sleep is disorienting even in idea conditions. Given the emergency launch and the fact that no crew or records survived, all the passengers can recall is that they were sent "from the stars" to live on a new world. Other than a handful of supply containers, all else is lost.
The only surviving pods land thousands of miles apart on 2 of 5 continents because they were the ones facing the ship at the time. They don't even know if any other pods made the landing. These pockets of humanity have no idea that anyone else is on the world with them. But on this planet, the "standard" fantasy races of elves, dwarves, and gnomes (along with monstrous races) already exist.
Elves call the world Epheria or Epherius (from ephemeral - dream like)
Dwarves call the world Khorden (core den) or Khoruden - the runes are called Khoru (runes of the core)
Humans call the world Aventus, because that's as close as they can recall the name of the ship that jettisoned the pods to the planet.
The monstrous, savage races hail from a continent that is named Velusum (from lusus naturae "freak of nature")
**Several other mythology based names I like for other ships (or possible jump gates) are:
Hyperion - which may end up being a name of a world
Icarus - another doomed ship that crashed into a sun/star.
Prometheus - one of the first successful colony ships
Delos or Delphos - derived from Delphi
Atheum - derived from Athens
Sparatus - derived from Sparta and Spartacus
Hermeus or Hermean - a Mercury-like "dead world" named after Hermes (aka Mercury)
Aquilon - vaguely Latin for "north"
Meridium - vaguely Latin for "south"
Atlas - this would be a great classification for a heavy, carrier ship. Perhaps it's not a warship, but a resupply/support ship that brings additional cargo to established worlds.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Even More Sci-Fi Ships
Just yesterday I found this amazing gallery on DeviantArt by one I.L. Jackson. Total it is 35 pages of awesome sci-fi art, but the ships in particular are what caught my eye...all 10 pages of them. And best yet is the fact that most of the ship designs are his very own.
The artist (who is also one hell of a writer) and I exchanged a few notes and he notified me that he'll soon have a web series coming out called Ascension Chronicles. Be watching for that!
In the meantime, be sure to check out his art. Do yourself a favor and read every word of his descriptions too. They give nearly every pic the oomph of an FTL jump.
The artist (who is also one hell of a writer) and I exchanged a few notes and he notified me that he'll soon have a web series coming out called Ascension Chronicles. Be watching for that!
In the meantime, be sure to check out his art. Do yourself a favor and read every word of his descriptions too. They give nearly every pic the oomph of an FTL jump.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
A Better Tomorrow?
Perhaps I'm a fatalist. Maybe I lack faith in the basic goodness of humanity. It could be I'm more influenced by dark-future sci fi than I realize.
A dystopian future isn't an uncommon idea in science fiction. With films like Elysium, Demolition Man, and Minority Report contrasting the gritty versus glossy tomorrow, I can't help but imagine a twisted underbelly to the literal green-peace of Venus City.
I'm not exactly a Luddite. I run a few blogs, relish wiki pages, and mostly because I have never smashed an automated stocking machine. However, I also swear against iphones, kindles, and Google glasses. It's not that I believe them to be bad ideas or products, I simply can't work anything with a touch screen. That, and I believe that herds of people could use much fewer shiny objects to distract them. Nothing irks me more than the thought a pedestrian with their head down over their tablet and white ear-buds dangling as they shuffle into oncoming traffic because they simply couldn't be bothered to pay fucking attention!
Also, think of how much we share, completely oblivious to the fact that we are sharing entirely too much. What isn't plugged into something else these days? Google knows which adds to show you based on your browser history and preferences before you even turn on your computer. And that assumes you ever turn it off. From the moment you open your eyes, you're bombarded with products you don't really need to live a life you don't actually live. Is fulfillment really about purchasing stuff? Shopping online to get the exact same thing (well perhaps in a different color, or a newer, better model) that everyone else got from the same virtual big box store.
Personally I find it terrifying to think of this as the City of 2050. Sure, farmtowers and smart buildings sound like a great idea. White-washed smartscrapers standing next to eco-dome parks carve a sparkling, sterile skyline. Bioluminescent trees act as organic streetlights and everyone lives every day to the fullest because machines to all the work. The power can't go out. Crimes are stopped before they occur. Diseases are cured. The air and water as as pure as Eden. All because everything from public utilities to government facilities, schools, hospitals, and transportation hum smoothly on one intertwining, nanotube nerve center. Nothing ever goes wrong because everything is alright...until it's not. Saskia Sassen asks the well-stated question "When does sensored become censored?" in this article.
Have books and movies not shown us over and over what happens when you take control away from us and give it to "them"? I, Robot for example. Terminator for another. Gamer.
If people are free to do as they !@#$%^&* well digitally please, what's to keep them from stirring up mischief? If we live longer and pursue intellectual education instead of material accumulation, who pays the bills? Who raises the children? Is breeding even a physical connection between people, or is Gattaca-esque where optimal genes are selected and children are grown in test tubes? Maybe gladiatorial humans like Jango Fett are bred because they fulfill some sick, entertaining purpose. Or perhaps only a limited number of the most desirable population are allowed to reproduce.
What if resources aren't as sustainable and space so abundant? Are whole families, neighborhoods, populations deemed expendable and systematically exterminated? Of course no one is aware of it because it's not that overt. The throw-aways are offered "something better" elsewhere. They board a glimmering train to nowhere, smile and wave to their used-to-neighbors and friends, and then lean back in plush seats as they're whisked away...never to be seen again. This could happen every 5-7 years as new data is correlated and tabulated and the herd must be thinned for the continuation of the future. This all takes place openly under the grinning guise of "betterment for all." I can see the holographic billboards now. "Board a train to a brighter life. Bring the whole family. The light at the end of the tunnel."
*Character ideas: Heaven Gates, I.M. "Mac" MacCool (from immaculate), June (mom) and daughters April, May, and Summer Ward, (sisters) Hope and Faith Cross, Warden White.
Ultimately, are we truly in control of our own destiny and well being? Or are we gladly handing over the reins/reigns of responsibility to Rosie the Robot because we're eager to be clean, "happy", healthy, spoiled children frolicking in the sterile sunshine? If government, corporations, we are not in control of our lives...who or what is?
A dystopian future isn't an uncommon idea in science fiction. With films like Elysium, Demolition Man, and Minority Report contrasting the gritty versus glossy tomorrow, I can't help but imagine a twisted underbelly to the literal green-peace of Venus City.
I'm not exactly a Luddite. I run a few blogs, relish wiki pages, and mostly because I have never smashed an automated stocking machine. However, I also swear against iphones, kindles, and Google glasses. It's not that I believe them to be bad ideas or products, I simply can't work anything with a touch screen. That, and I believe that herds of people could use much fewer shiny objects to distract them. Nothing irks me more than the thought a pedestrian with their head down over their tablet and white ear-buds dangling as they shuffle into oncoming traffic because they simply couldn't be bothered to pay fucking attention!
Also, think of how much we share, completely oblivious to the fact that we are sharing entirely too much. What isn't plugged into something else these days? Google knows which adds to show you based on your browser history and preferences before you even turn on your computer. And that assumes you ever turn it off. From the moment you open your eyes, you're bombarded with products you don't really need to live a life you don't actually live. Is fulfillment really about purchasing stuff? Shopping online to get the exact same thing (well perhaps in a different color, or a newer, better model) that everyone else got from the same virtual big box store.
Personally I find it terrifying to think of this as the City of 2050. Sure, farmtowers and smart buildings sound like a great idea. White-washed smartscrapers standing next to eco-dome parks carve a sparkling, sterile skyline. Bioluminescent trees act as organic streetlights and everyone lives every day to the fullest because machines to all the work. The power can't go out. Crimes are stopped before they occur. Diseases are cured. The air and water as as pure as Eden. All because everything from public utilities to government facilities, schools, hospitals, and transportation hum smoothly on one intertwining, nanotube nerve center. Nothing ever goes wrong because everything is alright...until it's not. Saskia Sassen asks the well-stated question "When does sensored become censored?" in this article.
Have books and movies not shown us over and over what happens when you take control away from us and give it to "them"? I, Robot for example. Terminator for another. Gamer.
If people are free to do as they !@#$%^&* well digitally please, what's to keep them from stirring up mischief? If we live longer and pursue intellectual education instead of material accumulation, who pays the bills? Who raises the children? Is breeding even a physical connection between people, or is Gattaca-esque where optimal genes are selected and children are grown in test tubes? Maybe gladiatorial humans like Jango Fett are bred because they fulfill some sick, entertaining purpose. Or perhaps only a limited number of the most desirable population are allowed to reproduce.
What if resources aren't as sustainable and space so abundant? Are whole families, neighborhoods, populations deemed expendable and systematically exterminated? Of course no one is aware of it because it's not that overt. The throw-aways are offered "something better" elsewhere. They board a glimmering train to nowhere, smile and wave to their used-to-neighbors and friends, and then lean back in plush seats as they're whisked away...never to be seen again. This could happen every 5-7 years as new data is correlated and tabulated and the herd must be thinned for the continuation of the future. This all takes place openly under the grinning guise of "betterment for all." I can see the holographic billboards now. "Board a train to a brighter life. Bring the whole family. The light at the end of the tunnel."
*Character ideas: Heaven Gates, I.M. "Mac" MacCool (from immaculate), June (mom) and daughters April, May, and Summer Ward, (sisters) Hope and Faith Cross, Warden White.
Ultimately, are we truly in control of our own destiny and well being? Or are we gladly handing over the reins/reigns of responsibility to Rosie the Robot because we're eager to be clean, "happy", healthy, spoiled children frolicking in the sterile sunshine? If government, corporations, we are not in control of our lives...who or what is?
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Mission to Mars
100,000 colonists flock to Mars - well, ok, so not really. But just think of what this could mean for humanity. Let us suppose it is a solid "go." What follows is a loose use of history, numbers, and supposition.
Thousands of years ago, stargazers of the ancient world looked up to a "wandering" red star. Later scholars devised it was in fact a planet. Later still, through use of the telescope, it was determined that their were mountains and canals on this now barren world. And what began as pulp fiction in 1912 with Edgar Rice Burroughs is now a reality.
After nearly a decade of isolated, rigorous training, the first in a long line of humans from Earth will launch for the Red Planet in September 2022. ETA roughly 200 days later. Spring 2023 marks a momentous achievement of mankind...extraterranial (yes I know it's not a word) colonization. Another, not-so-small step for man, and a gigantic leap for mankind. Not too shabby for a species that first walked on the moon only a half century earlier.
The first colonists, 2 men and 2 women, will be "alone" on Mars with 5,500 lbs of supplies for approximately 2 years. Trained in everything from farming and medicine to engineering and exploration, these brave souls are the first of what will be countless others to abandon Earth for a one way trip to an alien world. Within the decade that follows another 40 will make the trek with a total load of near 25 tons of everything needed to pave the way for another 30,000 neighbors. The exodus numbers continue to swell to 100,000 and beyond.
Just as John Rolfe is remembered as a hero of the New World, and Neil Armstrong is remembered as a hero of the Space Race, these intrepid explorers will share the mantle of heroship (yeah, another not-a-real-word) for whole of humanity. Who's to say what will be said of them 100, 200, 500 years from their first bouncing step into the red dust? What is to say that, even with the technology of tomorrow "lighting the dark", that these settlers will fair better than the dismal 12% survival rate of the Jamestown Colony? Let us hope the have sense enough to name the colony something like Neoterra instead of Roanoke II.
Taking a much more optimistic view of life on Mars is the Generation One: Children of Mars Kickstarter.
Yes, the goal has already been met. But with 25 days left to go, there's still time to give - every little bit helps. As much as I'd like to see myself in comicbook form, I can't afford the $500 to be drawn in.
Thousands of years ago, stargazers of the ancient world looked up to a "wandering" red star. Later scholars devised it was in fact a planet. Later still, through use of the telescope, it was determined that their were mountains and canals on this now barren world. And what began as pulp fiction in 1912 with Edgar Rice Burroughs is now a reality.
After nearly a decade of isolated, rigorous training, the first in a long line of humans from Earth will launch for the Red Planet in September 2022. ETA roughly 200 days later. Spring 2023 marks a momentous achievement of mankind...extraterranial (yes I know it's not a word) colonization. Another, not-so-small step for man, and a gigantic leap for mankind. Not too shabby for a species that first walked on the moon only a half century earlier.
The first colonists, 2 men and 2 women, will be "alone" on Mars with 5,500 lbs of supplies for approximately 2 years. Trained in everything from farming and medicine to engineering and exploration, these brave souls are the first of what will be countless others to abandon Earth for a one way trip to an alien world. Within the decade that follows another 40 will make the trek with a total load of near 25 tons of everything needed to pave the way for another 30,000 neighbors. The exodus numbers continue to swell to 100,000 and beyond.
Just as John Rolfe is remembered as a hero of the New World, and Neil Armstrong is remembered as a hero of the Space Race, these intrepid explorers will share the mantle of heroship (yeah, another not-a-real-word) for whole of humanity. Who's to say what will be said of them 100, 200, 500 years from their first bouncing step into the red dust? What is to say that, even with the technology of tomorrow "lighting the dark", that these settlers will fair better than the dismal 12% survival rate of the Jamestown Colony? Let us hope the have sense enough to name the colony something like Neoterra instead of Roanoke II.
Taking a much more optimistic view of life on Mars is the Generation One: Children of Mars Kickstarter.
Yes, the goal has already been met. But with 25 days left to go, there's still time to give - every little bit helps. As much as I'd like to see myself in comicbook form, I can't afford the $500 to be drawn in.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Looking Back
You must study the past to understand the future.
Whether you're doing a lot of "soft science" hand-waving, or you're obsessed with consistent "hard science" numbers, you need to know what you're doing. You need to have a plan in mind for what lies ahead. A good way to begin is to look backward. Where did you come from? How? Why?
These are incredibly daunting questions. Whether you hold multiple degrees in biophysics, engineering, and predictive political science, or if you're just a kid with a keyboard and a big imagination, you can't possible keep everything straight in your head. That's where I find this site very helpful.
http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/ and detailed timeline.
I know it covers a lot of ground, so take it a bit at a time. Read one chapter every few days and mull it over between readings. I promise, you won't get bored.
Let's say you don't want to build in the aspect of creationism versus evolution. Fine, skip that. If it's not essential to the story you want to tell, don't stress about it. Maybe the clash of science versus religion is your bread and butter, the cornerstone of what drives your tale. Or maybe science and religion live in complete harmony. Either way, you need to know what you're talking about. Study up.
But if you're not so concerned with what came before and you just want a basic breakdown of where we are now, well then, the last few chapters are enough to get you going.
Whether you're doing a lot of "soft science" hand-waving, or you're obsessed with consistent "hard science" numbers, you need to know what you're doing. You need to have a plan in mind for what lies ahead. A good way to begin is to look backward. Where did you come from? How? Why?
These are incredibly daunting questions. Whether you hold multiple degrees in biophysics, engineering, and predictive political science, or if you're just a kid with a keyboard and a big imagination, you can't possible keep everything straight in your head. That's where I find this site very helpful.
http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/ and detailed timeline.
I know it covers a lot of ground, so take it a bit at a time. Read one chapter every few days and mull it over between readings. I promise, you won't get bored.
Let's say you don't want to build in the aspect of creationism versus evolution. Fine, skip that. If it's not essential to the story you want to tell, don't stress about it. Maybe the clash of science versus religion is your bread and butter, the cornerstone of what drives your tale. Or maybe science and religion live in complete harmony. Either way, you need to know what you're talking about. Study up.
But if you're not so concerned with what came before and you just want a basic breakdown of where we are now, well then, the last few chapters are enough to get you going.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Cosmos...Again
Make it so, Number One!!
Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts COSMOS
This leaves me wondering when Michio Kaku is going to get his own show. I love that guy!
Bill Nye, Newton's Apple, and 3 2 1 Contact weren't slouches by a long shot, but if I'd had science teachers like Sagan, deGrasse Tyson, and Kaku who knows...maybe I'd have volunteered to be among the first to colonize Mars.
Instead I chose to study history, anthropology, archaeology, and sociology which lead me to look down/backwards/inwards instead of up/forward/outward. But comparing those fields is astounding when you realize the same species that did cave paintings and persecuted scientific "heretics" also launched the Hubble telescope and now wear Google glasses.
PS My chosen fields of study and many a movie teach us that the first colonists always have a terrible time of it!
Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts COSMOS
This leaves me wondering when Michio Kaku is going to get his own show. I love that guy!
Bill Nye, Newton's Apple, and 3 2 1 Contact weren't slouches by a long shot, but if I'd had science teachers like Sagan, deGrasse Tyson, and Kaku who knows...maybe I'd have volunteered to be among the first to colonize Mars.
Instead I chose to study history, anthropology, archaeology, and sociology which lead me to look down/backwards/inwards instead of up/forward/outward. But comparing those fields is astounding when you realize the same species that did cave paintings and persecuted scientific "heretics" also launched the Hubble telescope and now wear Google glasses.
PS My chosen fields of study and many a movie teach us that the first colonists always have a terrible time of it!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Sci-Fi Vehicles Collections
All of the following, and much much more, can be found at 3drt.com
If you have the money to put down, why not use it to support art?
Naval Vessels
Mech Robots Megapack
Hover Tanks
Sci-Fi Tanks
Sci-Fi Forces Megapack
Alien Invasion
Alien Motherships
Sci-Fi Gunships
Sci-Fi Fighters
Fighters Fleet Megapack
Sci-Fi Dropships
Sci-Fi Airspace
Space Stations
If you have the money to put down, why not use it to support art?
Naval Vessels
Mech Robots Megapack
Hover Tanks
Sci-Fi Tanks
Sci-Fi Forces Megapack
Alien Invasion
Alien Motherships
Sci-Fi Gunships
Sci-Fi Fighters
Fighters Fleet Megapack
Sci-Fi Dropships
Sci-Fi Airspace
Space Stations
Thursday, July 4, 2013
1 hour Eve Online Ship Gallery
I'm always looking to get my geek on with some cool ships to drool over. Found some.
Eve Ships Video
It's a phenomenal video, set to great music, all put together using 3 workstations. Most impressive.
Update: Because so many people had commented on the above video asking for better scale comparisons, the videographer went and made this one.
The Minmatar are still by far my favorites, followed closely by the Gallente.
Eve Ships Video
It's a phenomenal video, set to great music, all put together using 3 workstations. Most impressive.
Update: Because so many people had commented on the above video asking for better scale comparisons, the videographer went and made this one.
The Minmatar are still by far my favorites, followed closely by the Gallente.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Sci-Fi Ships to Scale
I love these! I've seen a few like it before, I think I even posted them a while ago, but nothing as cool as this one.
Sci-Fi Ships to Scale
I think my favorite is the Minmatar Ragnarok. Yours?
Sci-Fi Ships to Scale
I think my favorite is the Minmatar Ragnarok. Yours?
Monday, June 10, 2013
Prophets of Science Fiction
I recently found the Ridley Scott hosted documentary on Netflix. It profiles the sci-fi giants of Robert Heinlein, George Lucas, Jules Verne, and several other. I'm only watching 1 episode a week to really give my brain time to steep in their genius juices. So far I have covered Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov. I don't know which I'll choose next.
Definitely give it a watch.
Prophets of Science Fiction
Definitely give it a watch.
Prophets of Science Fiction
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Where to Begin?
Tonight I was sitting out on my patio enjoying the gradually improving weather and just letting my mind wander.
Rather than going over already established worlds I've built or stories/characters I've woven, my imagination was just loose on the breeze. I surprised my own self by thinking of sci-fi instead of the usual fantasy bent. Not swords and sorcery at all, but star dates and space travel!
I came inside to Google "Star Trek star dates" and wasn't shocked to find out that like many things in the ongoing series, the dates were inconsistent. I can't have that, no sir.
So now I'm sitting here racking my brain about how to do it, what to call it, and what will be the beginning point....
A lot depends on how far in the future this is, and what got us (the run-of-the-mill, bald monkeys known as 'humans') there. I'm wondering if I should go with things that have actually happened regarding space exploration, such as the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the first manned spaceflight in 1961, or the moon landing in 1969. Another idea would be based off the Voyager 1 probe launched September 5, 1977 that to date is the longest running NASA program and the farthest reaching man-made object in space.
If using Sputnik, I could call it FLD (First Launch Date) aka "field date".
The Moon landing could be 1GL (One Giant Leap) which occurred 2:56 UTC July 21, 1969.
If I go kinda Trekkie with it I could add years, months, and days since the Voyager 1 launch. Today's date of 6/2/2013 is 35 years, 8 months, and 28 days (since Voyager 1 launch) would be written as 35/8.23 and read as three five eight point two three - the / is not read, it's only marked to differentiate the year from the month. Or it could be written 35-6.23 where it is read with the "dash".
Since the years would get to be a mouthful, 894-5.12 would sound like "eight hundred ninety four dash five point one two".
It could be VL (Voyager Launch) SV1 (Since Voyager 1) or a combination SVL (Since Voyager Launch).
If I go with the Voyager idea, I could springboard it into a first contact scenario in which it finds aliens or they find it close to its termination period of 2025-2030. The golden record aboard would lead them to contact Earth. This leaves it open for the classic Earth vs aliens kind of story, or I could ride past that and say our interaction with them is what got us the advanced technology needed to vastly improve space travel....maybe even enable intergalactic travel. This would greatly simplify a need to explain in every detail the hard science of how the tech works. Date and time could be measured from launch date, or the first contact date.
Perhaps more significant than when we as a species reached out with Voyager, is when we put us in space. The very first manned spaceflight was April 12, 1961. Using that as the marker for when man literally entered the cosmos, today's date would be stardate 52/1.21. The abbreviation could be FMS (first manned spaceflight).
Or I could just use UTC (coordinated universal time) which began UTC instant 1 January 1961 00:00:00.000000 exactly. This results in really long numbers though because it counts fractions of seconds.
Rather than going over already established worlds I've built or stories/characters I've woven, my imagination was just loose on the breeze. I surprised my own self by thinking of sci-fi instead of the usual fantasy bent. Not swords and sorcery at all, but star dates and space travel!
I came inside to Google "Star Trek star dates" and wasn't shocked to find out that like many things in the ongoing series, the dates were inconsistent. I can't have that, no sir.
So now I'm sitting here racking my brain about how to do it, what to call it, and what will be the beginning point....
A lot depends on how far in the future this is, and what got us (the run-of-the-mill, bald monkeys known as 'humans') there. I'm wondering if I should go with things that have actually happened regarding space exploration, such as the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the first manned spaceflight in 1961, or the moon landing in 1969. Another idea would be based off the Voyager 1 probe launched September 5, 1977 that to date is the longest running NASA program and the farthest reaching man-made object in space.
If using Sputnik, I could call it FLD (First Launch Date) aka "field date".
The Moon landing could be 1GL (One Giant Leap) which occurred 2:56 UTC July 21, 1969.
If I go kinda Trekkie with it I could add years, months, and days since the Voyager 1 launch. Today's date of 6/2/2013 is 35 years, 8 months, and 28 days (since Voyager 1 launch) would be written as 35/8.23 and read as three five eight point two three - the / is not read, it's only marked to differentiate the year from the month. Or it could be written 35-6.23 where it is read with the "dash".
Since the years would get to be a mouthful, 894-5.12 would sound like "eight hundred ninety four dash five point one two".
It could be VL (Voyager Launch) SV1 (Since Voyager 1) or a combination SVL (Since Voyager Launch).
If I go with the Voyager idea, I could springboard it into a first contact scenario in which it finds aliens or they find it close to its termination period of 2025-2030. The golden record aboard would lead them to contact Earth. This leaves it open for the classic Earth vs aliens kind of story, or I could ride past that and say our interaction with them is what got us the advanced technology needed to vastly improve space travel....maybe even enable intergalactic travel. This would greatly simplify a need to explain in every detail the hard science of how the tech works. Date and time could be measured from launch date, or the first contact date.
Perhaps more significant than when we as a species reached out with Voyager, is when we put us in space. The very first manned spaceflight was April 12, 1961. Using that as the marker for when man literally entered the cosmos, today's date would be stardate 52/1.21. The abbreviation could be FMS (first manned spaceflight).
Or I could just use UTC (coordinated universal time) which began UTC instant 1 January 1961 00:00:00.000000 exactly. This results in really long numbers though because it counts fractions of seconds.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Get While the Getting is Good
Imagine stepping into a gigantic elevator reaching to the stars. A voice comes over the PA speaker "Ground floor, the extinction of humanity. Going up." As you ascend the outlook becomes much less...cataclysmic. That's the great thing about looking up from rock bottom; you are as low as you can get, but you can see where you could be. The only thing left to do is start putting one had over the other and climb.
Do yourself a favor and read this timeline about the continued rise of humanity.
Do yourself a favor and read this timeline about the continued rise of humanity.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Nuclear Crisis story idea
There is easily a story here. A good officer over a lackadaisical crew who could end the world with their ineptitude.
In the story I think it would be hard to paint the lead officer as good at his job if all this ho-hum garbage is happening under his command. The easy fix to that is say that he has recently transferred and this is his first assessment of the station. Maybe he has actually seen first hand what these nukes can do. He was in another sector on a ship in a holding pattern that was charged with a massive nuclear strike on a planet. They were always on alert, yet inactive, just waiting for the call they knew would eventually come.
After the strike, he's planetside, or in atmo, cruising surveillance of the damage. He speaks out against the decision to hit what turned out to be a mostly civilian population. He realizes that the scorched-earth policy claimed millions of lives to take out 1 military facility that wasn't even weaponized - it was just a plant/factory where parts of powerful weapons were manufactured. The civilians didn't even know what they were making because they only saw the piece that was immediately in front of them. It was just a job for them.
I would call the officer J.T. Ford. His CO that ordered the strike and later sends Ford off to this crap-tastic new position is G. (George) Harold "Harry" Sherman.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Obligatory Firefly Post
I think Alan Tudyk has a great idea about how to bring it back. The BIG question is how far forward is it set? Say 10-12 years? 15 or more? I think that might be pushing it. What is the thing that sent Mal "into hiding?" Was it Alliance attention as backlash to the Miranda reveal in Serenity? What would Mal look like - is he still soldierly and clean shaven? What kind of jobs still have him aiming to misbehave, but really small time compared to the earlier episodes? A good joke would be to have him being known as the guy to go to if you love wobblie headed geisha dolls. And since it's been established that Jayne is a superb tracker, he could be the grizzly and super shaggy dog that finds Mal. I like to think that the Miranda experience, or seeing Book die, really serves as his Han Solo-like hero awakening and he's now all in.
Inara is off doing her thing. Is she even still alive? I don't think fans would take too kindly to yet another character dying. Kaylee and Simon could have a whole passel of critters underfoot. Is Zoe living relatively nearby to Mal? Maybe she's the only one that has any kind of clandestine contact with him - they have to tread very carefully because the Alliance is after them both. I don't know about River. It's really hard to wrap my head around her being not crazy anymore. Maybe she's stuck around with Simon and Kaylee. Sadly Wash and Book are (obviously) still dead. That brings me to....
What's Adam Baldwin's one worry about bringing back Firefly
I have read some of the comics - shamefully I've probably missed a few - and I don't recall Zoe being pregnant. But as I was reading this article that very thought occurred to me. Why couldn't you introduce a Wash Jr in the future? Why couldn't you have Alan Tudyk cameo in some flashbacks? I think I read somewhere about there being a competition between Wash and Mr Universe....something about Mr Universe getting the highest scores in flight school by cheating and Wash actually being the better, nay the best, pilot. I'd like to see more of that. I think a great gag would be to have Wash just starting to grow his mustache.
Joss Whedon explains how to (unrealistically) bring Firefly back
I'll admit I've scribbled more than a few pages of fan fic. And all the constant chatter of "what ifs" and "how would theys" really get the imagination going.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Superium
I had this idea a while ago, but it was just sitting unused in the back of my mind.
Supreme + imperium = Superium or Supreme + dominion = Superion
Not just an empire. It's comprised of several empires. The Imperator is the supreme ruler of the Superium, with "lesser" emperors governing each domain.
I didn't know where else to take this draft.....until Astrographer posted about Galactic Empires. And that is just the first link in a spectacular post loaded with useful information.
Mind blowing stuff, all of it!
It got me to thinking 'if the reach of the intergalactic government is too broad to be more than marginally effective, how do you get around that and rein it in?' Easy - reign it in. The Imperator chooses not successors, but co-rulers. The Roman Caesars didn't necessarily pass their title onto family members, as would a monarch or feudal lord, they would select who was to reign when they were gone. That is of course an over-simplification. Politicians are known for scheming more than doing any actual good for the empire.
My idea is that the Imperator's "chosen ones" are given whole sectors of the galaxy to run as they see fit. They are more powerful that the emperors, but just below the power of the one who chose them. They must still answer to him. Therefore, they must do what they can to maintain their area, or else be stripped of their title and holdings. But there's nothing saying they wouldn't try to forge an inheritance that names them the new Imperator once the current is.... removed. The lingering question is "how many?" That depends on how much I, or you, choose to devote to the politics of it all. 2 or 3 under the Imperator would improve efficacy, while more than say 5 or 6 wouldn't give them much more power than the regional emperors. You decide how many based on how large the Superium is.
Supreme + imperium = Superium or Supreme + dominion = Superion
Not just an empire. It's comprised of several empires. The Imperator is the supreme ruler of the Superium, with "lesser" emperors governing each domain.
I didn't know where else to take this draft.....until Astrographer posted about Galactic Empires. And that is just the first link in a spectacular post loaded with useful information.
Mind blowing stuff, all of it!
It got me to thinking 'if the reach of the intergalactic government is too broad to be more than marginally effective, how do you get around that and rein it in?' Easy - reign it in. The Imperator chooses not successors, but co-rulers. The Roman Caesars didn't necessarily pass their title onto family members, as would a monarch or feudal lord, they would select who was to reign when they were gone. That is of course an over-simplification. Politicians are known for scheming more than doing any actual good for the empire.
My idea is that the Imperator's "chosen ones" are given whole sectors of the galaxy to run as they see fit. They are more powerful that the emperors, but just below the power of the one who chose them. They must still answer to him. Therefore, they must do what they can to maintain their area, or else be stripped of their title and holdings. But there's nothing saying they wouldn't try to forge an inheritance that names them the new Imperator once the current is.... removed. The lingering question is "how many?" That depends on how much I, or you, choose to devote to the politics of it all. 2 or 3 under the Imperator would improve efficacy, while more than say 5 or 6 wouldn't give them much more power than the regional emperors. You decide how many based on how large the Superium is.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
N.O.A.H.
I had an idea dawn on me while studying for finals. It wasn't even inspired by Earth Science. Oddly it was whilst I reviewed Cold War America for my American History class. Maybe my subconscious was really interested in Sputnik and the Space Race.
Anyway, here's what I came up with:
N.O.A.H. which stands for New Earth (or maybe Neo-geo) Outreach for the Advancement of Humanity.
Basically it's a massive "generation" craft that acts as a flying farm, laboratory, smelter, and factory. It has a large crew of flight personnel, scientists, and "givers". They are called givers because they knew when they signed up they were giving their lives to care for those in cryo-stasis and maintain the ship/project while aware of the fact that they will never see the destination. Many of the givers are scientists and doctors that oversee the precious cargo of live samples to be used once landfall is made. The "cargo" in hibernation will be reactivated to see to the routine jobs once they're within 1-2 years of the destination. Once they arrive the ship itself will act as shelter and a base of operations to establish the colony. The living quarters will all be within the ship that is prepped for defense should their be any sentient threats on the planet. Exploration probes and discovery parties will be launched from the ship to better understand the planet before the farm domes (greenhouses and stables) are put in place.
A limited number of children is allowed on the ship and within the colony until it is established enough to harvest its own supplies. All personnel are kept sterile via an antibiotic drug in their foodstuffs. This also keeps them from contracting any life-threatening illness en route. They must lay out a plan and calculate whether a child can be raised and properly supported. They then submit an appeal, which is either approved or denied. If denied, they must wait 12-18 months at which time they can try again. If approved, they are given a fertility drug that cancels the antibiotic. They remain on this treatment and are "quarantined" for no less than 90 days. They are quarantined to be kept safe from disease or injury which could threaten their ability to produce offspring. The quarantine is not a plastic bubble or tiny cell, instead it is a portion of the ship which they must reside in. Failure to remain within this area demonstrates lack of cooperation/compliance with policy. If they are found to be lacking mental fortitude deemed necessary to commit to raising a child, they are given a strong dose of abortive drugs that chemically sterilize them. Any future participation in breeding to produce life is essentially voided.
If they pass quarantine, samples are taken from both parents, tested rigorously to validate fertility, and to predict/prevent any defects. The new humans of the new population must be completely without "setbacks". Another control the ship places on breeding is that part of the appeal process is to determine what purpose or role the child is being bred for. They are not simply to use up air and resources, they must contribute something to the colony. Therefore, they are genetically engineered for a specific role, such as intellect for a heady job like science and medicine, or greater physicality for work and exploration. Yes, much "grunt" work will be done with various droids, bots, and machines but physical strength is still preferred for certain jobs.
Anyway, here's what I came up with:
N.O.A.H. which stands for New Earth (or maybe Neo-geo) Outreach for the Advancement of Humanity.
Basically it's a massive "generation" craft that acts as a flying farm, laboratory, smelter, and factory. It has a large crew of flight personnel, scientists, and "givers". They are called givers because they knew when they signed up they were giving their lives to care for those in cryo-stasis and maintain the ship/project while aware of the fact that they will never see the destination. Many of the givers are scientists and doctors that oversee the precious cargo of live samples to be used once landfall is made. The "cargo" in hibernation will be reactivated to see to the routine jobs once they're within 1-2 years of the destination. Once they arrive the ship itself will act as shelter and a base of operations to establish the colony. The living quarters will all be within the ship that is prepped for defense should their be any sentient threats on the planet. Exploration probes and discovery parties will be launched from the ship to better understand the planet before the farm domes (greenhouses and stables) are put in place.
A limited number of children is allowed on the ship and within the colony until it is established enough to harvest its own supplies. All personnel are kept sterile via an antibiotic drug in their foodstuffs. This also keeps them from contracting any life-threatening illness en route. They must lay out a plan and calculate whether a child can be raised and properly supported. They then submit an appeal, which is either approved or denied. If denied, they must wait 12-18 months at which time they can try again. If approved, they are given a fertility drug that cancels the antibiotic. They remain on this treatment and are "quarantined" for no less than 90 days. They are quarantined to be kept safe from disease or injury which could threaten their ability to produce offspring. The quarantine is not a plastic bubble or tiny cell, instead it is a portion of the ship which they must reside in. Failure to remain within this area demonstrates lack of cooperation/compliance with policy. If they are found to be lacking mental fortitude deemed necessary to commit to raising a child, they are given a strong dose of abortive drugs that chemically sterilize them. Any future participation in breeding to produce life is essentially voided.
If they pass quarantine, samples are taken from both parents, tested rigorously to validate fertility, and to predict/prevent any defects. The new humans of the new population must be completely without "setbacks". Another control the ship places on breeding is that part of the appeal process is to determine what purpose or role the child is being bred for. They are not simply to use up air and resources, they must contribute something to the colony. Therefore, they are genetically engineered for a specific role, such as intellect for a heady job like science and medicine, or greater physicality for work and exploration. Yes, much "grunt" work will be done with various droids, bots, and machines but physical strength is still preferred for certain jobs.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Just For Fun Space Map
Image used with permission from Stratomunchkin
I was cruising DeviantArt and came across this awesomely inspiring pic. Next thing I knew I was fiddling with names and a backstory. It's nothing major (all I did was add some letters) and vaguely Latin names. I can't put my finger on what exactly made me favorite this piece...I just like the spread of it.
White = suns. Blue = named constellations. Yellow = worlds, some are inhabited, others not so much.
I was cruising DeviantArt and came across this awesomely inspiring pic. Next thing I knew I was fiddling with names and a backstory. It's nothing major (all I did was add some letters) and vaguely Latin names. I can't put my finger on what exactly made me favorite this piece...I just like the spread of it.
White = suns. Blue = named constellations. Yellow = worlds, some are inhabited, others not so much.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Greats
Talk about having some catching up to do. In the past couple weeks I have decided to read the great science fiction authors: Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Orson Scott Card, and H.G. Wells.
I'm sure there are others that folks would recommend, and I'd love to hear the suggestions. Whether you're sorting by top 5, top 10, or whatever the above names are bound to be on that list somewhere. I am not ruling out, nor mean no offense/disrespect to other greats like: Robert Heinlein, Douglas Adams, Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, or even the late great Jules Verne. From what little exposure I have had to reading sci-fi in school my taste simply leans more towards the former list.
I think it was in 8th grade that we read Harrison Bergeron and it just stuck with me. I have some recollection of All Summer in a Day and Farenheit 451 as well. I know some would call it blasphemous to say I loved the movie "I, Robot" although I know it's not the original script for the screenplay. As for Orson Scott Card I have not read any of his stories, but I do have a sci-fi and fantasy writing guide of his and it gives me hope that he writes with much the same thought, voice, and style that I do...that is, on the rare instances that I do anything more than jot notes/ideas on notebook paper.
I'm sure there are others that folks would recommend, and I'd love to hear the suggestions. Whether you're sorting by top 5, top 10, or whatever the above names are bound to be on that list somewhere. I am not ruling out, nor mean no offense/disrespect to other greats like: Robert Heinlein, Douglas Adams, Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, or even the late great Jules Verne. From what little exposure I have had to reading sci-fi in school my taste simply leans more towards the former list.
I think it was in 8th grade that we read Harrison Bergeron and it just stuck with me. I have some recollection of All Summer in a Day and Farenheit 451 as well. I know some would call it blasphemous to say I loved the movie "I, Robot" although I know it's not the original script for the screenplay. As for Orson Scott Card I have not read any of his stories, but I do have a sci-fi and fantasy writing guide of his and it gives me hope that he writes with much the same thought, voice, and style that I do...that is, on the rare instances that I do anything more than jot notes/ideas on notebook paper.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Mind Blowing Future
Nils from Enderra.com provided several links, one of which was to BBC Future. I have just read several of the articles, watched the videos, and liked them on Facebook.
I had a headache brewing before I read them, and now it is a cemented reality based on the mind blowing possibilities for an ever increasing technological future.
BBC Future: Will Men and Machines Merge?
This one alone is incredibly plain in its statement of how far we've come and how quickly we'll get to where we're going. Watch the video. Be amazed at how simply and calmly Ray Kurzweil explains how computers are leaps and bounds cheaper and more powerful now than they were a couple decades ago. Think of the tablets and iphones that even ten years ago seemed like Gene Roddenberry fiction. And look how mundane and commonplace they are today.
Ray Kurzweil implies that the future will be a peaceful place of free information at the speed of thought. I think the idea of self aware AI and a singularity with humanity is terrifying. But maybe I've just seen I, Robot and Terminator 2 a few too many times.
I had a headache brewing before I read them, and now it is a cemented reality based on the mind blowing possibilities for an ever increasing technological future.
BBC Future: Will Men and Machines Merge?
This one alone is incredibly plain in its statement of how far we've come and how quickly we'll get to where we're going. Watch the video. Be amazed at how simply and calmly Ray Kurzweil explains how computers are leaps and bounds cheaper and more powerful now than they were a couple decades ago. Think of the tablets and iphones that even ten years ago seemed like Gene Roddenberry fiction. And look how mundane and commonplace they are today.
Ray Kurzweil implies that the future will be a peaceful place of free information at the speed of thought. I think the idea of self aware AI and a singularity with humanity is terrifying. But maybe I've just seen I, Robot and Terminator 2 a few too many times.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Destination Exploration
After my last post I figured "Why not just join DeviantART?" So I did. And since I was already browsing sci-fi concepts it only made sense to tag angelitoon's gallery as the first of many favorites to come.
With his permission, I thought I'd give you a taste of what's in store
These are a few pieces I put together in Illustrator because, to me, they felt very relative to one another.
The building concepts (lower left) totally remind me of the Mega City One super towers from the remake of Judge Dredd. I especially like 2, 4, 8, 12, and 13 - I think it's the balconies that intrigue me. As for the upper left concepts, some look like buildings and others looks like huge cruiser ships. D in particular looks like a monstrous battleship that would patrol the skies of the upper atmosphere, hence why I included the color pic. This is almost exactly what I had pictured in my head before I even flipped to that image in his gallery.
The black and white landscape thumbnails help to tie everything together. Imagine which buildings fit in which environment and what crafts occupy the airspace. Is there only one terrestrial planet in the system, or are many worlds inhabited? Based on the landforms, imagine what the atmospheric composition is. Have at it.
Many thanks to angelitoon for graciously sharing!
With his permission, I thought I'd give you a taste of what's in store
These are a few pieces I put together in Illustrator because, to me, they felt very relative to one another.
The building concepts (lower left) totally remind me of the Mega City One super towers from the remake of Judge Dredd. I especially like 2, 4, 8, 12, and 13 - I think it's the balconies that intrigue me. As for the upper left concepts, some look like buildings and others looks like huge cruiser ships. D in particular looks like a monstrous battleship that would patrol the skies of the upper atmosphere, hence why I included the color pic. This is almost exactly what I had pictured in my head before I even flipped to that image in his gallery.
The black and white landscape thumbnails help to tie everything together. Imagine which buildings fit in which environment and what crafts occupy the airspace. Is there only one terrestrial planet in the system, or are many worlds inhabited? Based on the landforms, imagine what the atmospheric composition is. Have at it.
Many thanks to angelitoon for graciously sharing!
Techsmechs
Back in December I linked to conceptships.com
Well here's more from deviantart.com
Deviant Art browse of ships
I love design concepts like this. You just can't help but wonder about the crew and cargo, or the manufacture and missions. For whatever reason I'm drawn more toward the utilitarian ships like cargo transports or refuelers, rather than the cruisers or heavy gunners.
Well here's more from deviantart.com
Deviant Art browse of ships
I love design concepts like this. You just can't help but wonder about the crew and cargo, or the manufacture and missions. For whatever reason I'm drawn more toward the utilitarian ships like cargo transports or refuelers, rather than the cruisers or heavy gunners.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Star Gate(s)
I'm faltering on viewings of Star Trek because I've become spoiled with (for lack of a better word) better sci-fi shows. Series like Star Gate. At present I've only seen the original movie from 1994, and the first several episodes of Star Gate Universe. Why is it that sci-fi shows I love always get cancelled? WHY?!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
"Alien" World(s)?
I've mentioned on my primary blog, Realmwright, that the real world is full of amazing inspiration. If you're ever stuck and need a wealth of ideas spoon-fed to you, just step outside. Sometimes you have to take several steps outside, putting one foot in front of the other, until you wander into a local library.
This particular post Alien Landscapes on Science in my Fiction makes a great point of pointing out how fantastic our own world can be. If you don't see it at first, look closer. Closer. Closer. Sometimes the images from an electron microscope can be quite awe inspiring, but I warn you, don't ever look at your own skin. It will keep you up at night scratching and scrubbing at the thought of all the little nasties that call your epidermis home.
This particular post Alien Landscapes on Science in my Fiction makes a great point of pointing out how fantastic our own world can be. If you don't see it at first, look closer. Closer. Closer. Sometimes the images from an electron microscope can be quite awe inspiring, but I warn you, don't ever look at your own skin. It will keep you up at night scratching and scrubbing at the thought of all the little nasties that call your epidermis home.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Traveller Maps
I've only just begun throwing dice in a fantasy setting, meaning that if I follow a chronological timeline advancing steadily towards space, I'll get there in roughly....1,500+ years.
In the meantime, as I stand on a foreign "earth" and gaze up at the stars trying to read portends from the gods, all you other sci-fi future folks might enjoy these:
Traveller Map
Traveller Hexmap Generator
In the meantime, as I stand on a foreign "earth" and gaze up at the stars trying to read portends from the gods, all you other sci-fi future folks might enjoy these:
Traveller Map
Traveller Hexmap Generator
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