There are some books in science fiction that never seem to fade. Dune. Foundation. The Left Hand of Darkness. Decades later, we’re still reading them, studying them, arguing about them. They’ve carved out a permanent space on the shelf—and not just for their fans, but for the genre itself.
So what is it that makes a book a “classic”?
What Makes a Book a “Classic” in Science Fiction? Read More »
Out in the deep, where the stars burn cold and distant, and many years from now, old space dogs who miss the silence and loneliness of deep space race their solar yachts, harnessing the silent power of starlight to propel them through the void. No combustion, no fuel—just the delicate physics of light pressure on vast, shimmering sails. It’s a vision of the future, one where humanity reaches beyond, moving not with brute force, but with elegance and efficiency.
The Return of the Sail—On Earth and Among the Stars Read More »
The Doomsday Clock just moved forward again. We’re now at 89 seconds to midnight—the closest humanity has ever been to self-inflicted oblivion.
89 Seconds to Midnight: How Close Are We to the End? Read More »
Welcome to the first post of 2025! January always seems to bring a heightened awareness of time and its relentless march forward. As we flip to a fresh calendar, it’s hard not to reflect on where we’ve been, where we’re headed, and the infinite possibilities time holds—whether measured in the ticking of a clock or
TANSTAAFL, Time Travel, and the Price of Progress Read More »
This week, my faithful desktop computer decided it had had enough. After years of service, it spectacularly fried itself, leaving me scrambling to replace my primary workstation. Various revival attempts were futile, so I pivoted to what I’ve done for over a decade now: building a custom desktop computer tailored to my needs as a
From Fried Circuits to Quantum Futures Read More »
The Weight of the World These days, it feels like the world’s challenges are mounting. From economic uncertainty and environmental crises to the polarization of beliefs and values, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We’re bombarded daily by grim news, leaving many of us searching for a reprieve—a way to escape the harsh realities of life
Space Opera: The Genre Dreamers Need Right Now Read More »
In a recent conversation with Bill Gates, filmmaker James Cameron revealed a growing challenge for science fiction creators: staying ahead of real-world technological advancements. He noted that rapid innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence, is outpacing the speculative futures traditionally envisioned by writers. For creators of speculative fiction, this raises a profound question: How do you imagine a future that hasn’t already arrived?
The Future Outpacing Fiction: Can Sci-Fi Writers Keep Up? Read More »
Two years ago, I wrote a post, “I Think AI Covers Have A Way To Go…”, that marvelled at the world’s first AI generated magazine cover, while at the same time suggesting that as “art,” it was lacking. Back then, faces and hands generated by AI were weird.
A year later, I wrote a follow-up post: “When I Said AI Art Wouldn’t Be On Book Covers Soon….,” that pointed out how badly I had underestimated the pace at which AI art generation would develop.
And here I am again, almost exactly a year later, shaking my head over the leaps and bound of AI image generation.
Two Years On: The Rapid Rise of AI Image Generation Read More »
In the last few days The Economist ran a story reporting that wind turbines keep getting bigger, which causes all sorts of interesting transport issues. Even if you’re not subscribed to The Economist, you should click through to the story using the link above, just to check out the image of the huge turbine blade
Giving Worldbuilding a Human Touch Read More »
The first really effective dystopian setting I saw in movies was Ridley Scott’s 1982 Bladerunner, which both made me a fan of anything Ridley Scott made (and I am still a diehard fan), and made me aware that there was no guarantee that humanity’s actual future would be rosy, the way the Star Trek franchise
The Quiet Acts of Small Individuals Read More »