Hugh B. Long's Blog, page 14

Falling Skies Season Two

Another summer show I'm looking forward to is Season Two of "Falling Skies" which Premiers June 17'th on TNT.

Falling Skies tells the story of the aftermath of a global invasion by extraterrestrials (including the insectoid multi-legged beings known as "skitters," a race of humanoid gray-skinned beings that seem to be their commanders, and mechanical attack drones called "mechs") that neutralizes the world's power grid and technology, destroys the combined militaries of all the world's countries, and apparently kills over 90% of the human population, all within a few days. The invasion and the aliens' objectives are not explained, though the aliens try to round up children between the ages of 8 and 18 and attach a biomechanical obedience device onto (and into) their spines, referred to as a "harness." The harness controls the child's mind, and forcibly removing it instantly kills the child. The story picks up six months after the invasion and follows a group of survivors who band together to fight back. The group, known as the Second Massachusetts (an allusion to a historical regiment from the Continental Army), is led by retired Captain Weaver and Boston University history professor Tom Mason who, while in search of his son Ben, must put his extensive knowledge of military history into practice as one of the leaders of the resistance movement.

Upcoming Short Stories

Here are teasers for short stories I'll be publishing in the coming weeks.

Crime & Punishment

For thousands of years society has imposed various punishments for what they define as crime. Laws and their enforcement are the foundations of a stable civilization.

So what constitutes a crime? And for the most heinous crimes, what's an appropriate punishment?

In the short story "Crime & Punishment", the lives of two individuals collide: The first, a devious criminal called Vargr, and the second, an ordinary man named Charles Wilson.

I'll buy you the Moon

Most people would agree that there are limits to what you can own; owning other people is forbidden, at least in the modern world. But what about everything else? We can own the land, the minerals underground, as well as the sea (within a set number of miles of sovereign territory). But what about the sky? Or even the moon? 

In a dystopian future, Mega Corp has covered the globe in shell, blocking the entire view of the sky. In this world, two sisters share a simple dream - to see the moon in the night sky.

Continuum - My Favourite Show of 2012

I haven't been this excited about a tv show since Fringe, and this is shaping up to be as good - if not better.

Let me highlight its many facets of awesomeness: time travel, bio-electrically enhanced cops, evil  mega corporate domination, hot female & male leads, great acting, and a gripping storyline.

Check it out Sunday at 9:00pm on Showcase.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1954347/

Weapons of the Future rooted in History?

I was doing some reading and research on energy based weapons for a short story, and I came across this interesting article on Wikipedia:

"According to legend, the concept of the "burning mirror" or death ray began with Archimedes who created a mirror with an adjustable focal length (or more likely, a series of mirrors focused on a common point) to focus sunlight on ships of the Roman fleet as they invaded Syracuse, setting them on fire. Historians point out that the earliest accounts of the battle did not mention a "burning mirror", but merely stated that Archimedes's ingenuity combined with a way to hurl fire were relevant to the victory. Some attempts to replicate this feat have had some success (though not on any of three attempts by the MythBusters television program). In particular, an experiment by students at MIT showed that a mirror-based weapon was at least possible, if not necessarily practical."

I remember using magnifying glasses to start fires when I was a kid, and often wondered if you could make a weapon out of one. Apparently the ancients wondered the same thing!

The Yggdrasil Codex

Thanks for stopping by! I've been writing for many years, but mostly non-fiction. I've even won two literary awards! I have to toot my own horn...I'm my own publicist ;)

My interests in fiction are varied. I started off as a young fellow reading Fantasy, such as Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit. I later went on to read science fiction and general genre fiction.

I have to be honest, I've never been a fan of literary fiction. I've heard Genre Fiction described as "Ordinary people doing extraordinary things" and Literary fiction described as "Extraordinary people doing ordinary things".

I like a good plot and action. I don't have anything against good characterization, but I don't want that to be the core of books I read or write.

Over the next few months I'll be working on short stories as well as grinding away at a full length novel. I'm done with all my non-fiction commitments for the year ( just finished Northern Plant Lore), so for at least the next 6 months I'll be focused on my fiction full time.

I have a really cool short story on Amazon right now for Kindle, it's called the Yggdrasil Codex, and is only .99¢

In this life there are a great many profound questions that have yet to be answered: Are we the first intelligent life in the universe? Why are we here?

Man continues to ask these questions, apparently to deaf heavens. But what if someone, or something, did answer?

In the short story The Yggdrasil Codex, two University researchers stumble upon an incredible secret encoded on ancient Scandinavian runestones. Their discovery leads them into the world of modern code-breakers and ultimately leads to a revelation with galactic consequences!

Eoghan Odinsson

Who is this Eoghan Odinsson guy? Well, many years ago I began writing under that pen name for my non-fiction books, which focused on the Lore of Northern Europe. I have 4 books in print at the moment, as well as digital versions. 

I have a very loyal fan base, and am grateful for the support they've shown me over the years. Their loyalty has allowed me to start writing full time.

One of the things I did recently was to collaborate with my fans and friends on a book - allowing them to help shape it. Northern Wisdom was the result. I plan to do the same with some of my fiction. So chat with me on Facebook, comment on my BLOG, I'm listening!

 

Check out my non-fiction books at: www.eoghanodinsson.com

Upcoming Science Fiction Short Stories

Here are a couple of teasers for short stories I'll be publishing in the coming weeks.

Crime & Punishment
For thousands of years society has imposed various punishments for what they define as crime. Laws and their enforcement are the foundations of a stable civilization.

So what constitutes a crime? And for the most heinous crimes, what's an appropriate punishment?

In the short story "Crime & Punishment", the lives of two individuals collide: The first, a devious criminal called Vargr, and the second, an ordinary man named Charles Wilson.

I'll buy you the Moon
Most people would agree that there are limits to what you can own; owning other people is forbidden, at least in the modern world. But what about everything else? We can own the land, the minerals underground, as well as the sea (within a set number of miles of sovereign territory). But what about the sky? Or even the moon?

In a dystopian future, Mega Corp has covered the globe in shell, blocking the entire view of the sky. In this world, two sisters share a simple dream - to see the moon in the night sky.


Stay connected with me so you don't miss a thing!

Website - www.hughlong.ca
Facebook - www.facebook.com/hughblong.author/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/@hughblong

Weapons of the Future rooted in History?

I was doing some reading and research on energy based weapons for a short story, and I came across this interesting article on Wikipedia:

"According to legend, the concept of the "burning mirror" or death ray began with Archimedes who created a mirror with an adjustable focal length (or more likely, a series of mirrors focused on a common point) to focus sunlight on ships of the Roman fleet as they invaded Syracuse, setting them on fire. Historians point out that the earliest accounts of the battle did not mention a "burning mirror", but merely stated that Archimedes's ingenuity combined with a way to hurl fire were relevant to the victory. Some attempts to replicate this feat have had some success (though not on any of three attempts by the MythBusters television program). In particular, an experiment by students at MIT showed that a mirror-based weapon was at least possible, if not necessarily practical."

I remember using magnifying glasses to start fires when I was a kid, and often wondered if you could make a weapon out of one. Apparently the ancients wondered the same thing!