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midnighttraindemo · 10 months

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astounding science fiction (british edition) issues from 1955

from my grandfather's sci fi collection :)

#astounding science fiction #analog science fiction #sci fi #50s #retro sci fi #sci fi novels #vintage sci fi #pulp novels #sci fi art #vintage books

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minutiaewriter · 1 month

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Available now! Hera Part II: To Touch the Heavens

available here as either a paperback or an ebook

reblog and spread the word!

Rynn Hera’s journey to reunite with the stars continues in this sweeping second installment of the HERA trilogy. Having just found High Priestess Velle Deka and learned how to reach the celestial spring, Rynn, Kilderan, Yojackson, and Aome set off on the second leg of their journey guided by nothing but their hope, fighting for their lives to ensure Rynn’s safety within the spring, or so they believe. But secrets and hidden desires hang over everyone’s heads, causing trust to be tested and the truth to eventually unravel.

💙 Thank you to everyone who has supported the HERA journey so far, I couldn't have done it without you cheering me on and words are never an adequate means of expressing the gratitude I feel for my writing community.

HERA taglist:

@andromeda-grace @toribookworm22 @tzipor-feather-blog @chickensarentcheap @elijahrichardwrites @little-mouse-gardens @sarcasticjuiceboxes @royal1asset-if @aquil-writes @elizaellwrites @once-upon-a-springtime @whumpy-writings @mrbexwrites @aninkwellofnectar @ishipgenfics @creatrackers @eccaiia @primroseprime2019 @words-after-midnight @carrioncircus

please let me know if you would like to be added to the official taglist!

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arconinternet · 4 months

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The Ware Trilogy: Software, Wetware, Freeware & Realware (Books, Rudy Rucker, 1982/1988/1997/2000)

Rudy Rucker's biopunk novel series. You can digitally borrow it all here.

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chromaticramblings · 10 months

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book review - ecotopia by ernest callenbach

Ecotopia, written by ernest callenbach in the 1970s, describes a world in which the land regions previously known as northern california, washington, and oregon secede from the rest of the united states and create their own nation, the nation of Ecotopia. the principles of sustainability and circular economy are central to this new nation.

here are my thoughts on some things covered in the book, i hope that this reaches someone else who's read it and we can share thoughts!

(this will include spoilers. however, the nature of the book is not a narrative, and is rather a presentation of ideas. therefore reading this post will not ruin the book for you if you choose to read it)

one of the greatest thought experiments Ecotopia undertakes is that of ideal urban planning. in that respect, the book is pretty cool! they hypothetical nation of Ecotopia describes San Francisco as a central city hub, from which spokes of public transport emerge and run to smaller city towns. these towns take the place of suburbs, which were razed during the country’s Independence / reconstruction era. (wooooo!!) public transport abounds and runs at a high speed of 30 mph, which is all you really need since the urban centers are so densely built and multi use. Between city towns are managed forests (actual forests! not monocultures) as well as natural land which has been allowed to restore itself.

people live in flexible communes that typically work together to produce something, whether that be a farming commune, fishing commune, artist communes, or business / science communes that invent things. everyone has a universal base income that is just minimal enough to reasonably get by, allowing people to pursue art or a risky startup without fear of dying. which i think is really cool! necessity breeds innovation yes but you need security too. work culture in Ecotopia is also vastly different, as the boundary between work and leisure and personal time is eroded, which may seem like a bad thing but the consequence of the UBI system means that most Ecotopians actually Like their work and choose to do it of their own free will. crazy huh.

houses are typically made of wood, which to me raised a suspicion flag, cause this is the Bay Area we’re talking about, which is Humid as Shit, and the Ecotopians have phased out paint due to it containing heavy metals. which good for them i guess but those houses are gonna rot lmfao. i took the liberty of imagining they are proofed with sealant made from the biodegradable, non petroleum based plastic the Ecotopians had developed and manufactured. while wood is the building material of choice, houses are also built from large tubes of insulated bioplastic, which are joined at the whim of the family or commune creating the house. (there are no architects, everyone builds their own houses themselves to suit their needs.) these houses are cheap and accessible, and zoning laws seem to be nonexistent, making homelessness a nonissue.

in terms of materials, everything in Ecotopia is renewable and has a full zero waste lifecycle. wood is the material of choice. the only metal Ecotopians use comes from scavenged cars and machinery of the pre seccession era. Ecotopians still manufacture plastic, but most kinds of it are fully biodegradable in a few days. when a lasting material is needed, a different type of plastic is used; this kind will not degrade until it is in full contact with soil. given how important disposable plastic is for applications such as research, i'm glad this was considered and accounted for in this book instead of throwing it off as a "we don't need plastic anymore kumbaya" kinda vibe.

culture wise, there is a lack of emotional restraint which the book’s narrator, a visitor from NYC, frequently comments on. hugs and physical affection between all relationships and genders are normalized. there also seems to be an insistence on small talk as a way to humanize those working “lesser skilled” jobs. honestly i found this a bit annoying, as i don’t think small talk is necessarily indicative of human connection, and that a truly emotionally attuned people would be okay with giving space when necessary. but i thought it was nice to acknowledge that all people are people, even while working “subservient” jobs.

ok so those were the things i liked.

criticism #1.

WILLIAM WESTON STOP BEING A FUCKING MISOGYNIST CHALLENGE

alternatively:

ERNEST CALLENBACH WRITE ONE (1) WOMAN WHO ISN’T A SEX OBJECT CHALLENGE

NO, THE WOMAN WHO YOU DESCRIBED AS UNATTRACTIVE WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE IN A POSITION OF POWER DOES NOT COUNT

god jesus christ

over the course of his adventures, journalist William Weston encounters many fellows (men) and new friends whom he talks around the fire with (men). he also encounters Marissa, a beautiful wild woman, exotic and mysterious who runs through the forest, cares deeply for trees, stares into his soul with her plain face and round dark eyes, and has sex with him twenty four hours three hundred sixty five days a year.

he also encounters Linda, an attractively sarcastic yet caring nurse, who nurses his injuries, jacks him off, and consumes him with thoughts of when he “will be healed enough to fuck her properly”. (direct quote)

in addition to the misogyny, there appears to be a fair amount of gender essentialism in Ecotopian society, something I found disappointing. Ecotopian clothes are sharply gendered. (from my understanding of Ecotopian values, i’d expect everyone to be wearing skirts due to the ease of manufacture and resulting ease of movement.) women are described to have an “air of fertility” (yes, actually). the governing party is made up of women, due to womens’ “natural competency regarding cooperation and diplomacy rather than competition”. the only sport in the country, the ritual war games, is barred to women. (it’s actually remarked later in the book that in Ecotopian psychology offices, it is often women who come in with issues of untamed aggression, and attributes it to their exclusion from the games. i wonder what a solution could be 🤔) thankfully work is not gendered, but it appears the social spheres of men and women rarely intersect, as Weston socializes and discusses ideas with a fair amount of men, and no women. perhaps for the better, as he’d be too distracted trying to fuck them to have a discussion of any substance.

queer pairings are also mentioned offhand, but they serve the purpose of emphasizing the Ecotopian's open attitudes towards sex and intimacy. queerness is treated as a sexual quirk rather than as an orientation.

in addition to the disappointing sexism / heterosexism, there's a good amount of racism. different races live segregated. although this is a conscious choice by the inhabitants, it still strikes as somewhat odd that there wouldn't be a way for humans to maintain their culture while living in an integrated society. many of the barriers to race equality in our current system are abolished in Ecotopia; the cheapness of the bioplastic houses makes it accessible for anyone to own a house anywhere, and the ease with which people can start their own enterprises reduces employment barriers significantly. therefore i'd expect integration between races to be a significant achievement of the Ecotopians. the writing itself is also racist. callenbach makes distinctions while describing the cultures of the nonwhite populations that make it clear that white is the default of Ecotopia, and all other cultures are side notes. also, callenbach makes no mention of an Ecotopian prison system (an aspect of society that no doubt merits analysis) until he mentions the Black community. sir what is up with that 🤨

there's also a lot to be said of callenbach's treatment of Indigenous ideas. the Ecotopians take a lot of inspiration from classic Indigenous principles, such as living in balance with the earth's natural resources and respecting nonhuman life, and Indigenous clothing styles. however, this feels rather appropriative rather than appreciative, and there are no actual Indigenous characters in the book. i would expect that such an empathetic society which takes direct principles from Indigenous culture would appreciate and honor the Indigenous people within that society rather than just shamelessly taking their culture, especially given the context that Ecotopians are ex citizens of the united states, the country which caused the Indigenous communities in that area so much harm.

overall, i think this book's strengths lie in its rethinking of what society could be like without work as its central focus. i love the UBI system, the reduced work week, and the attitude of work as something to enjoy rather than something to get over with. i also love that the nation's economic fall wasn't skipped over. i think its important to realize that many policies which would improve human health and quality of life would also lower our GDP, and that maybe that's perfectly fine. maybe human lives matter more than how rich a nation is. despite all these strengths, however, the sexism and racism cannot be overlooked; they made me almost put the book down several times. this book is clearly a product of its time, written by a white man. in keeping with good critical thinking practices, its important to recognize what ideas are good to keep and what needs to be thrown out.

tldr: great ideas about an alternative structure for society, unfortunately sexist and racist as well. 6/10

#gonna spam tags in hopes that it finds someone who's read it •_•#ecotopia #ecopunk #solarpunk #urban planning #utopia #sustainability #ecology #sci fi novels #sci fi #environmentalism #currently reading #books #bookblr #politics #public transportation #ernest callenbach #UBI #book review

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jannaed · 10 months

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stumbled across this PKD quote about drug use and. fuck.

#a scanner darkly #phillip k dick #safe supply #harm reduction #drugs #bpd feels #od #overdose #sci fi novels #addict #addiction

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theconformist · 1 month

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My well thumbed copy of ‘Dune’. Retail price £2.50!!

#dune #frank herbert #sci fi novels #david lynch #book cover #vintage paperbacks

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solitarelee · 9 months

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Okay internet which book should I get this month: Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell or The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers?

#solitaretalk #sci fi novels #fight to the death

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p-antufa · 4 months

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The main character of a novel I’m planning, Yemasteq’i “Yema” Nassif! Also one of my dnd characters. Read below for some info on the novel🫶

The Suncatcher. A science fantasy action novel with some elements of solarpunk, taking place in the world of Tjãrná, where everything, living or non-living, has a soul attached to it, an Almin. The world's environment relies on certain Elemental Energy based on Almin to continue running smoothly. Some people are given the ability by Elemental Gods to take Almin, or Soul Energy, from certain Elements (such as the sun, animals, water, plants, and shadows), and put their own Almin into it, making it stronger and giving it back to the environment, earning them the name, Element Collectors, or Alminé. While some Almin doesn’t do much on its own, we explore how all of it must rely on each other.

Yema Nassif is a Suncatcher, dedicated to bringing handfuls of warmth to her people during the War of Dying Suns, but she’s also being hunted by those she wants to save. As the Kingdom of Nauston seeks to selfishly use her power for their country’s survival during the “Cold Years”, leaving the rest of the world to fend for itself, Yema must figure out how to heal their suns as the last Suncatcher in her country and possibly the world.

#original art #character design #oc #my art #dnd character #dungeons and dragons #novel writing #sci fi and fantasy #sci fi novels #fantasy #ya fantasy #nanowrimo

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midnighttraindemo · 10 months

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astounding science fiction (mostly british edition) issues from 1958 & 59

the double up of march 1959 is due to the second one being the american edition.

from my grandfather's scifi collection :)

#sci fi #retro sci fi #sci fi novels #vintage sci fi #pulp novels #sci fi art #vintage books #50s #astounding science fiction #analog science fiction #poul anderson

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thedepartmentofdiscoveries · 1 year

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Sirius (Penguin 1999) 1973, AUTHOR: Olaf Stapledon, ARTIST: David Pelham.

#sci fi #science fiction #sirius #dog #canine #technology #book cover art #book covers #penguin books #david pelham #olaf stapledon #1970s #1973 #70s sci fi #penguin 1999 #sci fi novels

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rotten-whispers · 2 years

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Tales from a Mall Masterpost

Status: Available for purchase on Amazon!

Online Sneak Peek

Redbubble Stickers

Full Tags/Navigation

Are you tired of living in the 21st century? Come explore the Fresh Malls, an establishment in a sci-fi 22nd century world, where ferrets have mechanical attachments, people have tails, and there is a squad of approaching zombies that annoyingly blocks our ability to buy the newest summer fashions!

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latveriansnailmail · 4 months

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I am trying to remember the author and title of a science fiction book I read prior to 1996 about a planet with two species of bird people. The two species are hostile to each other and both are being poached because neither yet fits the criteria for sentience as set by the dominant intergalactic government. A human ambassador is sent to live among one group of lake-dwelling people (let's call them motherduckers) and look for the qualifying hallmarks of sentience so that they can gain protection from the poachers. The human is a female of American First Peoples descent and is deaf, which is useful here because the motherduckers' distress call can deafen or kill a human. The other species is called Aquila and are more hawk-like as the name would indicate. Some of the characters are named Flies-Too-Fast, Kills-The-Ripper, and the child of the hosting family, Sailor. The human ambassador confirms the motherduckers' sentience by examining the wall decorations they're always on about with filtered light since birds see different sections of the spectrum. She discovers the decor to be artistic murals that cinch their bid for personhood. At one point late in the book the human goes to camp by herself and greet the sun in accordance with the traditions of her people only to discover that her tent was facing the wrong way, the sun rising in the west on this planet. She comes to understand herself as being a heyoka/ backwards person/ contrary. This is about all I remember.

#science fiction novels #sci fi novels #disabled characters #deaf characters #bird people

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minutiaewriter · 1 year

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Hello there~ and welcome to my Writerblr!

🌸🫧🍵

I’m a fantasy/fiction author who has published 2 books in the HERA Trilogy. Here’s a bit about me!

actual footage of me ^

• You can call me Min/Minnie

•I was placed on this earth for two purposes: to write & to read (always down to share recommendations of the books I love)

•I am a writer/published author because I was a reader first (and still am).

•Some of my favorite words include: minutiae, hiatus, myriad, clandestine, tête-à-tête

•Studying too many languages

•Not a minor

•I love tea & coffee

•I am a combination of an early bird & a night owl

•I have 3 cats

•I adore books, plants, music, and art

•My hobbies outside of writing novels include: reading, studying languages, growing my (already overflowing) indoor plant garden, riding my bicycle, and consuming frightening amounts of tea

•Regarding business inquiries, DM me for my professional email.

Works:

🌟🩸 The HERA Trilogy 🩸🌟

AVAILABLE NOW the first installment in the science fantasy trilogy HERA: To Catch a Star

The first book in my fantasy/sci-fi trilogy Hera, To Catch a Star, is available now on Amazon. Description follows:

The result of a forbidden romance between a goddess and a mortal, young Rynn has been kept safely hidden his entire life, though he does not know why. One day, the truth is made clear to him after he is rescued by a reserved stranger who makes it his mission to protect Rynn and the honor of the goddesses. But slowly Rynn begins to realize that there is more to this stranger than he first thought, and that merely because of his blood, the danger he is in is far greater than he could ever imagine.

Available as a paperback and an ebook PURCHASE HERA: TO CATCH A STAR HERE Hera: To Catch a Star on Goodreads

HERA Trilogy Official Merchandise mugs, pins, notebooks & more!