{ Musings }
Musings
mus·ing (myzng)
"There's no real objection to escapism, in the right places... We all want to escape occasionally. But science fiction is often very far from escapism, in fact you might say that science fiction is escape into reality... It's a fiction which does concern itself with real issues: the origin of man; our future. In fact I can't think of any form of literature which is more concerned with real issues, reality." - Arthur C Clarke
This is a spot for some of my thoughts, a place where you can glimpse a small part of my soul.
Values
What do you suppose a small group of say 100 people might need to survive into the next 100 years? What skills, values, talents and personality types are necessary in a small community?
I would like to think we could measure success in life by these words from Emerson:
"To laugh often and much. To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thoughts on Teaching
Study after study shows the single most important factor determining the quality of the education a child receives is the quality of his teacher. Truly there is no measure that can establish what it takes to make a great teacher. Teachers are worked very hard, and paid very little and given the responsibility to "raise" the next generation.
"Speculative literature is a catch-all term meant to inclusively span the breadth of fantastic literature, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy to ghost stories to horror to folk and fairy tales to slipstream to magical realism to modern myth-making -- and more."
Speculative Literature Foundation
Science Fiction and Fantasy in Anime
Science Fiction and Fantasy in Anime
It frustrates me to talk to people who don't realize the connections between Anime and SF/F. I wrote this a number of years ago to help explain just what that connection is:
The Science Fiction and Fantasy of Anime: Robots, Aliens, Talking Animals, Oh My!
What If?
Science Fiction explores and extrapolates from what is currently Science Fact. Science Fiction asks the question "What if..." Most of what we will explore here will be speculative and futuristic. We will explore the societies and morals of the future as they relate to advances in those societies and their discoveries. We hope to provide stimulus that will make the reader say "Yeah, What if..."
- We could live to be 200, 500 or more?
- We terraform Mars?
- We answer the question about life after death?
- You were asked to be on a "generation" ship?
- We really learn the secrets of the genome?
- We have screwed up the biology of the planet by changeing DNA?
- We don't fix the global warming problem?
- We find life somewhere other than on the Earth?
- We build a hotel resort complex in Earth orbit?
- Kids keep taking longer to mature?
- The percentage being born with autism gets even higher?
- You could only have a baby based on it's genetic makeup?
- You could travel back in time?
- Mind reading were common place and you couldn't read anyone?
- Artifical body parts were common better than the originals?
- A plague struck and all food was gone?
So, what if...
What are your favorite "What If's?"