Monthly Archives: July 2014

No Culture But Our Own

“[I]n the history of the world no culture but our own–and then only very recently–has chosen the path of pursuing the ideology of an infinite space-time that frames colossal cataclysmic events, with humanity relegated to the role of insignificant bystander.” … Continue reading

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Advice

“Advice like: ‘Follow your heart!’ and “Be true to your vision!’ is fine if you’re in therapy.  Me?  I really want to improve my odds.” — Blake Snyder, Save the Cat!

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Space Balrogs!

So I’m one of the founders of a semi-interactive speculative fiction live performance troupe, the Space Balrogs.  What does that mean?  It means Zombie Rock Opera, it means Choose Your Own Apocalypse, it means Supervillain Idol — you know, science … Continue reading

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Unicorns

“Why did they go away, do you think? If there ever were such things.” “Who knows? Times change. Would you call this age a good one for unicorns?” “No, but I wonder if any man before us ever thought his … Continue reading

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Bookshelf: Hamlet’s Mill

I’ve just finished re-reading Hamlet’s Mill, for the fourth time.  That makes it the third-most-reread book in my library, I think, and the most-reread work of scholarly nonfiction. Hamlet’s Mill is about mythology.  The authors argue that myth, and its … Continue reading

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Bookshelf: Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings

Here’s another one for you worldbuilders out there. I just re-read Charles Hapgood’s Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings.  Depending on your perspective, this is either a persistent bit of quackery or a classic of alternate history.  Me, I’m not … Continue reading

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Science fiction, when it is good

“Science fiction, when it is good, is a wholly valid attempt at restoring a mythical element, with its adventures and tragedies, its meditations on man’s errors and man’s fate.  For true tragedy is an essential component or outcome of myth.” … Continue reading

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Ancient Earth & Sky

My friend John Lundwall has a couple of animated lectures posted on-line that deal with the astronomy and cosmology encoded in the mythology of oral societies.  The lectures cover some of the same ground as John’s forthcoming book on the … Continue reading

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Westercon 67 (FantasyCon I)

Every con starts like this. Every con ends like this, too.  In between, the rooms fill up with people, stories, and performances. My performances started on Thursday with a brilliant and ambitious but ill-starred presentation on steampunk and audiobooks with … Continue reading

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Westercon and Fantasycon ~ Thursday

Team Look for me today at 1:00 in Deer Valley I and II at Westercon, talking with Deren Hansen about Orrin Porter Rockwell, Steampunk, and the making of audiobooks. Then I shuffle across the street to Fantasycon.  At 3:00 I’ll … Continue reading

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