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The Weather...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on February 1, 2015 at 8:30am
Source: International Business Times

This winter has been quite amusing lately.

I've watched the armchair meteorologists inveigh that politicians have seen their "Napoleonic Waterloo" with regards to how they respond (or, don't respond) to storms predicted to be dangerous to the public.

Also dangerous to the public is the sensationalism storms have taken for the Neanderthal Nielsen Ratings - created when we only had ABC, CBS, NBC and a few UHF channels, not Amazon, Netflix and Hulu. We are all taking in information - some of it, vital to our survival - in myriad ways via the Internet and the aforementioned technologies it empowers, plus the thousand of distracting channels, many of which you can listen to music exclusively.

Case in point: last week's Blizzard Juno, that turned out thankfully to be a bust. Comparisons to Katrina were abundant prior to the nor'easter landfall. It was also amusing that the very pundits that suggested under-reaction to the storm would be disastrous were disappointed when the storm bypassed New York, but did considerable damage to Connecticut and Massachusetts. The streets across the state of New York were sufficiently empty enough for the snow plows to do their work, and we were back up and traveling fine in about a day. I for one, was very happy with the overreaction.  It's really bad when it comes down to this: on.msnbc.com/1Lj4zgy

Here's the career page of the American Meteorological Society as well as National Geographic's Education Page on Meteorology. That is related to, but completely different from climate science. It seems antithetical that you'd have devastating storms with a warming globe. The key to understanding is what would our weather be if this moisture was instead of being in the warming air, it was where it originated at the poles (Arctic and Antarctic in this case).

Science is always trying to make itself accessible to the general public. Carl Sagan opined it is imperative to the whole enterprise of a democratic republic. The reboot of COSMOS was another modern attempt and many other popular shows attempt to "crack this nut." However, the US is increasingly hostile to all science, not just climate science, but the very kind that makes us a superpower in a global society that is dependent on quickly assessing information and acting on it accordingly, decisively and correctly. Our very future could be balanced on this narrow precipice between prosperity and poverty.

We may sadly find ourselves behind in twenty to fifty years in a technological "race to the bottom" - back to the dark ages of authoritarianism, crack pots, pixie dust, rabbits' feet, snake oil salesmen,  voodoo and root workers.

"We The People": it was a good idea while it lasted.
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400 Years Headstart and Advantages

Posted by Greg Denmark on January 30, 2015 at 2:02pm

The fact that this is a Sci Fi site means that I limit my very strong and very radical African-centered ideologies to within the scope of Sci Fi and Fantasy, which is rightly so.

This video is an exception to that.

I see a lot of Black folks supporting a narrative that we are all the same as humans and that hard work and quality will trump discrimination and a host of other false opinions. Today is one of those days where it supremely annoys me to hear it, hence this video.

Ironically, I see far too many posts on Facebook that strays away from Sci Fi and I, on occasion, support those who ask the question, "What does this have to do with SciFi?"

Also, of great irony is the person in the video. But, I put this up here because these same "we are the world" folks will write it off if it does not come from a White person. Many will STILL write it off, but, oh well.

I guess I'm just complex and weird like that.

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The Lost Legend of Xamaica

Posted by O_mega on January 29, 2015 at 11:28pm

Hey Everyone,

I completed my first novella which is available on Amazon Kindle Here. Please check it out and tell me what you think. This is volume 1 of a series I plan on writing, so throughout the action there's hints at other stories and characters to explore later on.  Don't forget to check out the website at www.xamaica.net

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The Politics of Character

Posted by Moorsgate Media on January 29, 2015 at 11:30am

While reading a work, be it short or long form, one character attribute that should become immediately apparent is the political stance of that character. 

Whoa, you say, politics? I am not writing some political work, I am just telling the tale of a simple space marine who battles hyper-intelligent alien bees trying to invade our dimensions (Ed: Yes, please, tell me more...). 

 

Authors, especially the new or under-read, have a tendency to argue the studious un-political nature of their work. The reasons may vary. Perhaps they do not want to upset potential readers and customers. And why not, Orson Scott Card went from beloved author to homophobic bigot in a lot of minds based on religious beliefs that informed his political position. (even this criticism pales in comparison to the amount of real and digital ink spent on the fascist nature of Ender's Game itself.) 

Alternatively, perhaps an author has a general uncomfortableness about speaking on political issues or a genuine desire to write tales having an apolitical affect. 

However, it is impossible to write good, character driven, para-fiction without having those same characters take a political position. It is impossible to build a successful world for your characters to inhabit without having a political position.

Situating a character into the world you have built requires more than just placing motivation in her head and obstacles at his feet. You have to ground your characters within the philosophical framework of the world they live and the options they have available.  In the same way that it is impossible to ignore the economic standing of your character (try reading Jane Austen and not come away with a useful understanding of the rentier economy of Georgian England), it is impossible to untangle the politics of a character from their motivation.  

Politics includes more than where one (the author or the character stand) stands on the hot button social issue of they day. Politics means a political outlook. A particular view of the world as it is seen through the character's eyes (if it is a first person narrative) or multiple character's experiences. The political view of the character does not need to be endorsed by the author, but the author does need to explain the political position of the characters. 

Is your hero battling a dystopian government? Why is the government horrible? Is it the fault of the government, or some outside agent that is causing grey skies and sad people. If it is the government, why is it doing this? Sometimes in the rush to have people battle on post-apocalyptic roof-tops, authors forget to do the hard work of building the foundations of conflict. If only America has fallen into ruin, Why? What was it about the politics of America that caused this downfall? What policies does the government implement that make it evil, or good? Unelected dictator? So your hero is a pro-democracy advocate? Elected counsel of evil Corporations?  Complete Anarchy and Individualism and ultra-property rights? Collective action, Forced Community? It is impossible to have your characters stand against something without also standing for something else. 

To build great characters, you need to build a political dossier along with a physical and economic dossier. Once you character has a stance on the issues, not of your day, but of her day, then the conflict from those stances becomes easier to envision and capture. 

Reprinted from: www.moorsgatemedia.blogspot.com

Twitter: Moorsgate

Moorsgate ((c)2015)

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My Art has been featured in an Octavia E. Butler Book Discussion!

Posted by Brandon Hill on January 24, 2015 at 12:46am

I am a happy human today, folks!  About a week ago, I got a notification on DA (DeviantArt) that one of my pics was used in a discussion in the CR Literature Book Club.  They choose a different work by a different author each month, and this month, they chose none other than Octavia E. Butler's "Dawn," the first book in her masterpiece Xenogenesis trilogy. I will be providing a link if you want to participate in the discussion (you will have to be a DA member in order to do so, though).  Best of all, there is a section in the discussion that showcases DA members' art of this particular work, and she chose my pic of Nikanj, the alien companion/mate to Lilith Iyapo, the story's main protagonist.  I drew this picture, because I saw very few artists' renderings of any of Ms. Butler's amazing characters, and especially her astounding alien species from her books.  The Oankali from this series is one of the most fascinating species I had ever read about, and so I decided to draw my own idea of what they looked like -chiefly an ooloi, their third gender.  So please go and check out this entry, here: CR Literature Book Club - Dawn and give your thoughts on her questions, and check out my drawing.  Or you can just see it here:  Nikanj, by Brandon Hill.  Until next time, happy reading!  

-Brandon Hill


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Little Miss Strange 2 - Curse of The Chameleon God

Posted by Winston Blakely on January 23, 2015 at 1:01pm

        Its been a while since I last posted but here's something interesting...

              Coming next month is The Return of Little Miss Strange in Curse

               of The Chameleon God.

               Take a peak at the cover...

                

                  February 1st the official release date for Curse of the Chameleon God.

                 

                  

                     

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MEET THE NEW CAST OF XMEN:AOP STORM MAY SURPRISE YOU

Posted by Da'Shen on January 22, 2015 at 9:00pm

http://www.superherohype.com/news/327599-alexandra-shipp-sophie-turner-and-tye-sheridan-join-x-men-apocalypse

I find it crazy that in 2015 there still seems to be a problem with casting dark skinned woman in major roles.what's even crazier is that we're having this problem when it comes to casting Africans, especially with all the emerging talent of African descent.  I mean isn't Storm an African? I get it, social engineering and  euro-standard of beauty being the default, but aren't Black People sick of this ish yet? it's like we just get happy they didn't cast a white woman. I'm going to stop here before Jarvis bans me. One thing I know is I'll catch this one on bootleg. Let me know how yall feel about it.

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Why the modern world is bad for your brain

Posted by William Hayashi on January 19, 2015 at 2:28pm

Our brains are busier than ever before. We’re assaulted with facts, pseudo facts, jibber-jabber, and rumour, all posing as information. Trying to figure out what you need to know and what you can ignore is exhausting. At the same time, we are all doing more. Thirty years ago, travel agents made our airline and rail reservations, salespeople helped us find what we were looking for in shops, and professional typists or secretaries helped busy people with their correspondence. Now we do most of those things ourselves. We are doing the jobs of 10 different people while still trying to keep up with our lives, our children and parents, our friends, our careers, our hobbies, and our favourite TV shows.

Click here for the full story

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The Price...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on January 19, 2015 at 7:30am


Topics: Civil Rights, Day of Service, Four Little Girls, Martin Luther King, The Price

President Obama has signed a bill that awards the Congressional Medal of Honor to the four little girls killed in the 1963 KKK bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.


The girls – Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair – were killed on Sunday morning when members of the Klan planted dynamite in the Church’s basement.

Their deaths shocked the nation and the world, and stands as one of the most violent, horrific events of the Civil Rights Movement. Info and Image Source: Black Youth Project

By 1963, homemade bombs set off in Birmingham's black homes and churches were such common occurrences that the city had earned the nickname "Bombingham."

In the spirit of a "Day of Service," I served meals to the homeless at Beulah Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie, NY with my brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi this past Saturday. We fed over 200 persons (estimated) in assembly line fashion: chicken, rice, green beans, bread and a dessert. It was a multi-ethnic group, and included many families. For the most part, they went for the meals only. It was personally rewarding (though tiring), as I will be working through the morning and evening on the official holiday today.

This occurred September 16, 1963, a day after my mother's 38th birthday. I would have been a year and a month old; a month from the missiles of October's anniversary (we had teetered on the precipice of Armageddon - that was almost 10 months shy of my ONLY year); President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas the very next month. The times probably worried her, I'm sure.

We tend to forget the price paid by those who in an instance found themselves on the front lines of a battle for fairness over supremacy; freedom over de facto slavery via Jim Crow.

We tend to forget that soldiers aren't muscled, mighty men. Sometimes, they can be four beautiful little girls in the safest place they could possibly think to be - in their house of worship.

We also tend to forget that icons like Dr. Martin Luther King we admire now was vilified by some of his own - culture and clergy - and the extreme right of the time wore white sheets instead of (now) Armani, pin stripes and Prada.

We also forget in living rooms of complacency, flat screens, MMORPGs and comfortable backsides, only interrupted by the occasional level of violence that used to be so...commonplace, that sadly perhaps is becoming so again. It need not be someone you know to act on the behalf of others. Being human, compassionate and common decency should be more than enough.

May today be a Day of Service for you as you see fit to express it.

I will resume posting 1 Feb 2015.
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Justifying...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on January 18, 2015 at 7:55am
[Original] Image Source: Rain dance - famous actors who've never won Oscars

Topics: Apathy, Diversity, History, Oscars 2015, Selma, Voting Rights

I spent Friday watching "Selma" in tears from the haunting images, graphic displays of violence that was (is?) a part of our country on quite a regular basis in the 1960's. During the time of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965), I was 2 and 3-years-old respectively, too young to be of any good to the movement and merely a worry for my activist big sister.


I think a lot about my big sister in movies like this. She would have been one of the young people that got on "freedom ride" buses and put her life on the line for equality, or as she says now, everyone's equality, women, immigrants, LGBT. I remember her arguments with our parents about her safety. I remember praying I'd see her again. I remember crying a lot.

As I said (without giving away spoilers), my wife and I spent most of the movie in tears. I doubt if either my sister, mother-in-law or a lot of seniors in my family will want to see this movie. For them, it brings back painful memories.

If "demographics is destiny" - the mantra for the year 2042 - then, at 6,028 voters of which 94% are so-called "white"; 76% male and the average age 63 years, it's a pretty forgone conclusion that our stories were not going to get a mention above "best picture" and song; our actors were not going to get an Oscar nod. Also of note in that demographic, their sentiments of the time would have been shaped by their environments. Since we don't know where they lived before residing in "liberal" Hollywood, their view of Selma's value in lieu of #BlackLivesMatter and the recent, gut-wrenching atrocities of Boko Haram is an interesting contrast compared to how they all jumped on the #JeSuisCharlie bandwagon so quickly...and easily. A group of 5,666 and male gender of 4,581 pushing into senior citizenry don't likely have heroic memories of the 1960's since there was clearly two sides of the debate - depending on their families' politics at the time - they could have found themselves on. That makes for an academy clearly lacking diversity, either ashamed or indifferent.

What exactly is an "Oscar," and why does it matter? This is a self-contrived public pat-on-the-back by the industry itself. Whether you look at it or not, it is a vast infomercial on the movies you could have seen and didn't. You'll pay the $11.50 per person (New York prices) and the equally outrageous price for popcorn; you'll order it on pay-per-view; download it on bootleg: win-win-win-kinda-sorta (not).

These are OUR stories, and all of humanity's stories: it is not for us to make some privileged, self-mythologized group of "others love us" - it is for us to love ourselves, they are validated in the telling of them; everyone else is along for the ride and welcome. Our campfires required no feedback from the tribe other than applause; they are now clearly in the electromagnetic spectrum. We can read; we can write; we can act and direct; we can upload videos and audio; we can distribute on DVD and via Netflix. If Selma is anything more than an ironic juxtaposition regarding Civil Rights and Voting Rights fought for by young people and fifty years later, their millennial grandchildren being too apathetic to decide their own hard-fought destinies in the voting booth (but, up front in line on Black Friday), they deserve whatever bizarre legislation that is likely to come of this 114th congress. Opinions are fine, but action is far better, and revolutions have never been won in living rooms on backsides, nor freedoms for "consent of the governed" maintained without constant vigilance and participation. Voting, as Selma did, and the midterms' aftermath will show: matters.

Offical Site: Selma Movie

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OTHER SCI FI MAGAZINE: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE 2-1-15

Posted by Penelope on January 17, 2015 at 5:04pm

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS… DEADLINE! FEBRUARY 1st, 2015 (for FEBRUARY 20, 2015 publication date)

“O.T.H.E.R.” SCI FI WINTER 2015

Over The Horizon Empires Rise OTHER Sci Fi is a Magazine/Journal is dedicated to the creation and promotion of SciFi, Speculative Fiction, Horror and Fantasy works of Epic proportion focusing on and featuring diverse characters, civilizations, subcultures, worlds and universes in alternate and crafted realities.

SUBMISSIONS We are looking for works to be included in the 2015 Winter magazine with publication scheduled for February 20th, 2015. There is no "specific" theme but Valentine and Winter themes are not discouraged. Please hit the link to view the particulars.

http://otherscifi.ning.com/forum/topics/call-for-submissions-winter-ii

Thank you and contact me here or at penelope@penelopeflynn.com if you have any questions.

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Star Stuff...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on January 17, 2015 at 2:53pm
Image Source: Brain Pickings

Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Carl Sagan, Sociology, Urban Planning

"We are made by the atoms and the stars… our matter and our form are determined by the cosmos of which we are a part."


"We are made of star stuff." Carl Sagan

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW: Urban sociologists have long known that a set of remarkable laws govern the large-scale interaction between individuals such as the probability that one person will befriend another and the size of the cities they live in.

The latter is an example of the Zipf’s law. If cities are listed according to size, then the rank of a city is inversely proportional to the number of people who live in it. For example, if the biggest city in the US has a population of 8 million people, the second-biggest city will have a population of 8 million divided by 2, the third biggest will have a population of 8 million divided by 3 and so on.

This simple relationship is known as a scaling law and turns out to fit the observed distribution of city sizes extremely well.

Another interesting example is the probability that one person will be friends with another. This turns out to be inversely proportional to the number of people who live closer to the first person than the second.

What’s curious about these laws is that although they are widely accepted, nobody knows why they are true. There is no deeper theoretical model from which these laws emerge. Instead, they come simply from the measured properties of cities and friendships.

Today, all that changes thanks to the work of Henry Lin and Abraham Loeb at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge. These guys have discovered a single unifying principle that explains the origin of these laws.

And here’s the thing: their approach is mathematically equivalent to the way that cosmologists describe the growth of galaxies in space. In other words, cities form out of variations in population density in exactly the same way that galaxies formed from variations in matter density in the early universe.

Physics arXiv: A Unifying Theory for Scaling Laws of Human Populations
Henry W. Lin, Abraham Loeb

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Avoid Tidal Locking...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on January 17, 2015 at 2:50pm
An artist's impression of Kepler-62f, a planet that is in the habitable zone of a star smaller and cooler than the Sun, located about 1200 light-years from Earth. (Courtesy: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech)

Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Exoplanets, Space Exploration

Even a thin atmosphere can keep a planet spinning freely, giving it a day-and-night cycle like Earth's, say astronomers in Canada and France. The result implies that many of the planets lying within the habitable zones of "dim suns" – the most common type of star – could have terrestrial-type climates.


"It was a surprise," says Jérémy Leconte, an astronomer at the University of Toronto. "We didn't expect that there would be such a strong effect."

Astronomers have so far discovered more than 1000 exoplanets – planets orbiting stars other than the Sun – and it is becoming clear that our tiny portion of the universe could contain vast numbers of such planets. What is not yet clear is how many of these planets could actually harbour life.

Most stars, known as orange and red dwarfs, are cooler, fainter and smaller than the Sun; so to stay warm, a habitable planet must huddle close to the star. But the closer a planet is to its sun, the stronger are the tidal forces that the star exerts on the planet. These tides can affect how fast the planet spins. In extreme cases, these tides are so strong that they produce "tidal locking", forcing the planet to spin as slowly as it revolves. This means that one side of the planet forever faces the star, while the other side forever faces away, creating a world with a permanent day side and a permanent night side. The night side may get so cold that air freezes there, robbing the planet of an atmosphere.

Physics World: Exoplanets could avoid 'tidal locking' if they have atmospheres
Ken Croswell

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futurehood

Posted by Arnold L. Johnson on January 17, 2015 at 11:28am

Sunny, a slight breeze, I had to meet with a guy about converting my garage into a tiny house/man cave.

The street was lined with older large homes, average city lots, all spiffied and immaculate like storefronts. Like storefronts because the sides were weathered and beaten. I pulled into the driveway, small sign said come to the back.

Beyond the end of the house sat a shed attached to a quonset greenhouse and another shed on a trailer docked to the end of the greenhouse. Strangely patterned quilts hung in a clothesline and a solar bar-BQ grill I never seen in real life. I was expecting a Martian to appear in my presents as I gazed disconnected from reality.

"The quilts are a matrix of piezo crystals and solar cells to capture sun, sound and wind energy." I didn't even spin to see whom was speaking. "The front house facade is for show, I mostly live back here now."  Yoda, you must be Yoda! I blurted out. There was silence then we burst out laughing. "I've been called that. Who is that anyway?"

"We are all joined by the hip to the grid. I just thought I sip through a straw instead of gulping like it's my last day on earth." "How much of anything do I need anyway." "Besides, it's fun to do what I do with my own time and dime and not spending most on grid fees." "They give incentives to use less energy, then raise the rates because you aren't paying your share, endless game." "I am constructing a smaller house within the big house so in the winter time I won't have to heat all of it."

"In the summer I come out here, it's a minimalist paradise, I'm an urban techno native." "The stationary shed sleeps two, has everything needed for a simple decluttered life." "We live mostly in our mind so once you clean your head of others thinking, demanding, approving, and influencing, you can get on with unobstructed living."

"The greenhouse has a fish unit, veggies, herbs, I can really go shopping once a month." "The mobile shed is my travel house, I haven't seen the inside of a motel in years." "On a good sunny day, I can grill whatever, even steaks. It also has a thermo/electrical converter that makes electricity." "I charge batteries of all kinds for the whole neighborhood with my extra energy." "Too bad the hood isn't all as I but some get it and some never get anything."

I took it all in. Sitting here at home reliving that experience and complaining. Damn, I just let that man redefine my values and I've got to do something about it. I'm drawing plans for an inner house, mobile shed and greenhouse. I wonder where he keeps his light-saber?

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Ethnic issues in Movies: my response to a facebook friend

Posted by Brandon Hill on January 17, 2015 at 1:32am

So, I have a friend on Facebook who is a moviemaker and martial artist, who has been quite verbose about the recent casting of Scarlett Johansen in the adaptation of the anime classic, "Ghost in the Shell" slated for a 2017 release.  This decision has sparked something of a controversy about ethnicity and movies among internet bloggers, and my friend was no exception to the rule, here.

Now, I don't completely disagree with all his views, but there are some things that have concerned me.  And since this has become a very involved discussion, I felt the best way to do it was to make a video in response to his article, which can be found here.  I recommend you all go and read it, and then take a look at my video response.  I want to see what you think, as writers and aspiring filmmakers, about this issue of ethnic diversity.  

-Brandon

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Mythology Week

Posted by Lauren Phantoms on January 16, 2015 at 5:46pm
http://www.quazoo.com/

The Ramayana www.quazoo.com

Mythology week is coming up on the @afrophantoms Twitter account. Before I go further into detail about mythology week, let me first say that I love myths, legends and all things from the ancient world. Mythology is the reason I wanted to become an archaeologist as a kid. Eventually, I studied anthropology in college with a focus on folklore.

Growing up, myths and lore from the western world was readily available for the picking. I cannot stress how many times I’ve read Homer or the Arthurian legends. In a previous post I talked about how I took a Harry Potter class in college because J.K. Rowling makes direct references to these giant works of literature. You can read it here.

Sadly, I couldn’t help but feel lonely. These epics and myths are not my history. I can talk all day about how multicultural and ethnically diverse the ancient Mediterranean area was, but for the sake of this post I’m going to say that most of the heroes we read about had white faces.

In high school I took a world mythology class where I was introduced to the Ramayana and the love story of Osiris and Isis and Osiris’s evil, jealous brother Seth. Interestingly, we never talked about sub-Saharan African or Chinese mythology.

http://drakinan.weebly.com/

Osiris and Isis drakinan.weebly.com

My thirst for knowledge is the inspiration for mythology week. This is a learning opportunity for all of us. During these seven days of greatness, Asian, African, Australian, Native American and Caribbean mythology will be explored. If anyone has any myths they want talked about email me at afrophantoms14@gmail.com and like us on Facebook.

Mythology Week is January 25th-31st, 2015.

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