You know, I really like plotting out alternate histories of spaceflight (like I did last summer), and I’m having the pleasure again the turn of this new year 2023: for my next story (see my posts here, here, and here). Instead of a manned Moon … Continue readingWorldbuilding the First Manned Spaceflight
I know I just made a blog post about a story concept of mine (plus an earlier one!), to the extent my posts on the subject might be longer than the actual story! Though we’ll see about that. I’ve been doing some more thinking, and … Continue readingChristmas in Americasia?
I’ve been doing some more brainstorming for the story concept I outlined in my post “A Slice of Life at the Dawn of the Space Age”. I had a bit of an inspiration: why can’t the reclusive landlord (who will have a pale ghostly pallor … Continue readingChristmas Night, Rocket Night, Magic Night
With regards to colonization in science-fictional alternate histories such as the one I primarily write in, my mind has been wandering lately to Antarctica, ruminating over what sort of colony would be best: an ice cave a la Project Iceworm, a giant vehicle or road … Continue readingCloud Cities of Antarctica
I’ve been devoting some thought to my concept for a story set in the mid to late 2040s detailing that chapter of the Reinhardt family saga, how I might make it new, different, and interesting. Why not have the romance take place amid a visit … Continue readingReady for Amaranth?
There are few better nights than Halloween for memento mori, and I’ve been fascinated by the concept of the “doomsday shroud” for much of this year, and now I’ve got an idea for a post-apocalyptic yet heartwarmingly romantic universe. Picture this: at the end of … Continue readingA Romantic Apocalypse: Beyond the Doomsday Shroud
I know just my last post was “A Beloved from the Stars”, covering my brainstorming for my next story, which I’ve decided I might title “Heart of Proxima”, but I’ve been doing some more work on it, enough to want to share it with all … Continue readingReturn from Thalassa: More Thoughts
Hmm. It doesn’t seem like so long since I wrote my thoughts on “After Thalassa: Squid Brains of Enceladus”, but it’s been almost four months! In the interim I’ve been focusing on other stories, but recently I’ve seen fit to flesh out the concept into … Continue readingA Beloved from the Stars
I’ve previously written about survival strategies for nations and mankind “after the doomsday shroud”, the worst conceivable nuclear war. Which got me thinking about a fascinating piece of Cold War history: the “Deep Underground Command Center”, or “DUCC”. If civilian command and control of the … Continue readingDeep Underground Launch Center
Fundamentally there are three schools of thought for spacecraft that enter and exit planetary atmospheres (spacecraft that stay in space have their own design considerations, and in any case can get much wilder): capsules, spaceplanes, and lifting bodies. Anybody who’s even passingly familiar with spaceflight … Continue readingCatching a Lift