Jacob Foxx's Blog, page 64

World-Building

When I began writing sci-fi I was overwhelmed at the amount of research necessary just to put together a plausible story. Unlike other areas of speculative fiction, the universe needs to resemble the one we know today. For someone with a less than optimal knowledge of the hard sciences, this was daunting.

My educational background is in political science, history, government, philosophy, economics, and law. I took some courses in the physical and life sciences but didn’t do particularly well. This left me in a tough position when it came to writing about the 22nd century, space travel, theoretical physics, molecular biology, terraforming, and hydroponic farming. For The Fifth World, I had to research all these subjects.

For the sequel, several more topics came up. Along with everything above, I had to go a step further with vehicle propulsion, communications, ecology, climatology, and geology. It was necessary to build a more complete picture of Gaia. All of these areas are important when engaging in world-building.

I found three books that were extremely helpful. The first was Terraforming: The Creating of Habitable Worlds by Martin Beech. It gives the basics of planets, their formation, their attributes, and what is necessary for them to spawn life. Later he goes into detailed proposals on how to terraform planets like Mars and Venus. Some of it is tough reading but it was extremely helpful.

Some of it is ideas based on current technology and other methods are based on what might be possible in the future. Some of it was really interesting, other ideas were just crazy.

Another good aid was World-Building by Stephen L. Gillett. It was for more sophisticated readers (those with at least a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or physics) so it wasn’t as accessible. Still it provided a lot of good information.

The big challenge for me in understanding planets is the influence of gravity. Not only its own gravity but the influence of other celestial bodies such as moons, other planets in the star system, and of course the star itself. I try to imagine it like a blanket with each planet or star laying on top and weighing down on it. The funnel-like depression it forms from the weight pulling on the blanket is its gravity well. It’s not perfect but that’s been the best way I’ve figured out to imagine its impact.

Another challenge is the dynamics of a planet’s mass, geological activity, albedo, orbital eccentricity, obliquity, distance from the sun, and atmospheric composition. All of these influence a planet’s climate and potential for life. It is one big interconnected system that is difficult to keep straight in your head.

Finally, when trying to create alien life forms, Aliens and Alien Societies by Stanley Schmidt is fascinating. It lays out some basics of planetary conditions and attributes but then goes into the specifics of biology. For someone with a limited background in life sciences, this was extremely helpful. Of the three, this book is the most accessible for a layperson.

Overall I learned that there a more rules or physical laws that limit what is possible on an alien world. You can’t just throw five or six random planetary attributes together and hope it is plausible. This is largely what Star Trek and other early sci-fi works did. I am not criticizing. After all, much of what we know about the universe has come in the last forty to fifty years. At the same time, theory doesn’t really stifle the imagination too much. There are still countless possibilities for alien worlds. I guess a good way to say it is, instead of “everything is possible” it is more like “many things are possible.”

We should also be cautious about the information in these books. Much of it is based on theory and mathematical equations. In other words we think the universe behaves like this.

For other sci-fi writers, I highly recommend these three books. For regular readers, I recommend the Aliens and Alien Societies.

Jacob

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Preview of next Game of Thrones Episode

The series continued its steady acceleration from a slow start. Things are unfolding in King’s Landing, Riverrun, the north, and for little Arya.

Tywin Lannister is an intelligent and shrewd leader. He recognizes the lack of intellect in his daughter Cersei and the young king Joffrey. It is his job to clean up their mess. When he learns of the potential marriage of Loras and Sansa, he immediately recognizes it as a problem (unlike Tyrion). Tywin wants to arrange a marriage between Sansa and Tyrion, as well as between Cersei and Loras. GENIUS!

A Sansa-Tyrion marriage puts a Lannister as the heir of the North if Robb Stark is killed. This plan makes clear Tywin’s intent. He doesn’t plan on making peace but destroying Robb Stark, thereby having Winterfell fall to Sansa as the next oldest, making Tyrion Lord and Warden of the north.

The Loras-Cersei marriage further locks up the alliance between Tyrell and Lannister. This gets Cersei out of Tywin’s hair and makes the new queen the only significant Tyrell remaining.

Tyrion is appalled at the move, and should be. However, he revealed too much to his family. A truly shrewd, self-interested dwarf would jump at this opportunity. Instead, he doesn’t want it and his family now has reason to be even more suspicious of him. It is possible that he sees a possible end to the war if Sansa were alive and unharmed. Being wed against her will and deflowered by a dwarf isn’t really the way to go.

I don’t see the Tyrells going for this. Cersei is damaged goods and Loras likes men. How does Olenna get her family out of this??? We will see. It is problematic to defy the Hand of the King or the King in these matters.

Jaime is barely alive and shares a moment with Brienne. This is becoming weird. He tells a story of how he killed the mad king, claiming he saved the city from being burned to the ground. The problem is Jaime lies… a lot. At the same time their seems to be a respect between the two. How could someone that tried to kill a kid, killed his own people to escape from capture could have any selfless motives? I don’t buy it. He might respect Brienne but he is no hero, at least not any more.

Arya is one step closer to being reunited with her family. The Dog won the battle and the Lord of Light saw fit to resurrect the one-eyed leader of the Brotherhood without Banners. The show likes to mix in a tiny bit of magic here and there.

Robb Stark seems to think he has a solution to his problem. He executed Rickard Karstark for killing the two Lannister boys. It was an imprudent move, shrinking is force by half. A king can’t have his lords taking matters into their own hands, plus there’s the whole justice thing I suppose. To replace them, he thinks he can get Walder Frey to go all in on this war. This after he married Talisa instead of a Frey girl. He better have a really good explanation and offer for the old man. Otherwise this is a wasted trip and he’s pretty screwed.

If he gets Frey’s men, he continues on to Castlerock. He can’t attack King’s Landing and the Lannister forces won’t engage him in the open fields. So, he will strike their home. A pretty clever move. I could see Tywin, the Mountain that Rides, and Joffrey all acting brashly and wanting to go after Robb for this. I think it works.

Oh and John Snow got laid. Good for him. So much for the oath.

Jacob

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Asimov’s Foundation Series, A Masterpiece of Science Fiction

For me one of the most influential science fiction works has been Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series. I read the original Foundation a little over a year back and loved it. However, I was introduced to the series years before that. My friend summarized it for me and explained some of the intricate details of the story. I never forgot them. It is astonishing that an author was able to assemble a vast universe with countless new technologies, a unique political system, and an epic history spanning centuries all of which was done before space travel or the personal computer.

Foundation is about scientific knowledge not as an innovator of gadgets but as a predictor of the future of humanity. Hari Seldon is able to predict the future of the empire and its end, and discovers only one solution to the eventual anarchy that will end its reign.

To apply science to political and social forces as a means of diagnosing history must’ve been a first. The Foundation and its adherents couldn’t predict the future of any specific individual, it could only predict the fate of nations. The science was called psychohistory, combining a “soft” science and a social science. I can think of no other examples of this kind of interdisciplinary blending.

It is also about the power of history. In contrast, the traditional American story is that of the underdog overcoming impossible odds to change the world. It is fiercely individualistic and insists that one person can change history. Asimov’s Foundation Series takes a non-American approach, creating characters that struggle to find a way to survive the tides of history while conceding their inability to change it. This worldview is more common throughout the world, particularly in cultures that strongly believe in predetermination, tradition, and destiny.

The series is not about people, places, or any particular scientific innovation. Its scope is wider, covering the events shaping a galactic empire. This makes it dry, undramatic, and maybe a little short on details. As a regular novel it is probably a dull read. However, if one takes into account its creativeness when it was first published along with the intellectual power necessary to put together such a grand design, one can truly appreciate the series as part of the canon of science fiction.

For me it is up there with the Dune Chronicles. As cynical old man might say, “they don’t make them like they used to.”

Jacob

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The Times that Try Men’s Souls

The sequel to The Fifth World finally has a name. I’ve decided on The Fifth World: The Times that Try Men’s Souls. It is now in the second stage of editing, which unfortunately will take a little longer than expected. The release date was late June but it seems that won’t happen. It looks like early July is more realistic. I’ve also started looking for a graphic designer for the cover art.

Sales for The Fifth World are steady. Hopefully the release of the sequel and a new marketing campaign will help generate some more buzz. An outline for the third book in the series is nearly complete. I am hoping to start writing the third one in a month or so. With any luck the release date on the third will be Winter 2014.

I’ve also made progress on the military sci-fi story I mentioned earlier. It won’t be a full novel, probably a short novella. It will be a long series with each novella being about one-third novel length. The style will be more gritty, low-life, and dark comedy. No timeline on this one yet.

That’s all for now.

Jacob

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Oblivion all Flash no Substance

Oblivion has amazing visuals, a powerful soundtrack, and a disturbing post-apocalyptic setting. As for the rest of the movie, it was very very average. I give it 3 stars overall, but I would caution people. For those looking for bright lights and dramatic music, this movie is great. For those wanting to see an actual movie, you can skip this one.

The beginning of the movie lays out the whole story: an alien invasion, a horrific war, we won but the planet is ruined, now mankind lives on a space station called the Tet, preparing to go to Titan to rebuild. There are remnants of the alien forces still on Earth trying to stop them from gathering sea water for their fusion power plants.

Tom Cruise plays the role of Jack Harper, after playing Jack Reacher last year. His character, along with his sexy co-worker Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are helping to maintain a set of drones protecting the sea water processors. The landscapes are amazing, although for some reason historical landmarks survive intact while everything else is turned to dust. The music is incredibly loud and almost constant, similar to Tron: Legacy, which is no surprise since it is from the same director Joseph Kosinski.

Harper discovers human survivors and learns the truth of the war and about himself. One survivor in particular Julia (Olga Kurlyenko) catches his eye and throws the whole thing into a whirlwind. It is a cool idea, a great cast, and a massive special effects budget. It should be a winner but it isn’t.

The dialogue is flat, mechanical, basically laying everything out. The characters are never really talking to each other, they are essentially talking to the audience. The characters are simple, two-dimensional, doing almost no acting. Julia in particular was a mindless spectator, which is unfortunate because I loved Kurlyenko in Quantum of Solace and Centurion.

There are several plot holes as well.

While the beginning was cheesy, predictable, the middle weak, the ending was kind of cool. Overall, Oblivion is a simple post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie that will be quickly forgotten, just like Tron: Legacy.

Jacob

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Review: The Soul Consortium

The Soul Consortium has incredible depth, scientific brilliance, captivating narration, and an ending that left me asking myself dozens of questions about the experience. Novels like this are extremely rare.

Salem Ben is the last of his kind, an advanced human living on a vast artificial moon known as the soul consortium. Technology allows humanity to escape death through cloning, synaptic mapping, and bio-reassembly. Every other member of his race have chosen death rather than living millions of years without purpose. Despite his advanced age, Salem is afraid of death and wants to know what waits for him. To find his answers he experiences the lives of several humans throughout history, from 18th century Italy to one of his peers millions of years after Earth is gone. He discovers a terrifying specter named Keitus Vieta, an entity not in their soul consortium data files. Salem endeavors to discover the truth behind Vieta in hopes it can also reveal the truth about life after death.

Bulford takes scientific advancement to its inevitable conclusion and asks the question: what if we eventually learn everything? Even down to the existence and placement of every subatomic particle??? His story explores this notion in a stunningly provocative and insightful way. While some books struggle to get past stage 1, Bulford makes it to stage 5!

I loved the idea of humanity living millions of years from the birth of the species until the end of the universe. To think, that we could one day discover a means of surviving the end of the universe, and discover all that their is to know about the universe, down to the existence and position of each subatomic particle. Then you throw in Keitus Vieta, a mysterious boogeyman whose existence is unexplainable despite the supposedly complete compilation of knowledge.

A few years back, I wrote a few things on the concept of a complete compilation of all information in the universe, which Bulford calls the Codex. It allows you not only to know everything, it allows you to predict the future and learn what is to be. In The Soul Consortium, this advanced knowledge allegedly drove men mad. To know your future sounds nice but it can also be very traumatic and repressive. Add in the fact that almost anyone else has the same knowledge and you are left asking yourself “what is the point of actually living the life?”

Bulford attempts to address the fact that a person knows the future can change it. He uses a couple clever demonstrations but I don’t think it is convincing. It is like a dog chasing its tail. The Codex that tells you the future has already taken into account you have learned how to predict the future and it can thus change your decision-making from the original prediction timeline. What if a person’s soul purpose is to defy the Codex? How can a static database stay ahead of a living being with free will (in theory).

With such powerful ideas, amazing imagination, and a smooth writing style, there is not much left to talk about in terms of critique. The only thing I can throw out there is that Salem Ben is a pretty unsympathetic main character, nearly impossible to relate to. There is a love story late in the novel that doesn’t really deliver much drama or passion. Neither of these really took much away from the experience.

It took a powerful imagination, a keen scientific and philosophical mind, and a great storyteller to write this novel.

5 Stars

Jacob

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Every Dragon has its Day

Game of Thrones finally advanced several plots this week. In King’s Landing and in the East, things finally moved forward.

Tyrion hasn’t regained the advantage in King’s Landing. He wants to be sure his sister tried to kill him and asks Varys for aid. Varys is loyal to the realm and to himself. He is intelligent and patient, I wouldn’t take his awkwardness in certain scenes as meaning much. I believe he wants to help Tyrion but cannot. He explained his desire to protect Sansa to Olenna and I think he was being honest. The rise of Lord Baelish would mean a longer and nastier war, especially if Sansa is deflowered or harmed.

There is a potential conflict between the Tyrells and Lannisters centered around Sansa. They need each other but Joffrey has shown a total lack of prudence in the past. The Tyrells are trying to protect Sansa but that is a problem considering she is the sister of the Lannister’s sworn enemy, the King of the North, Robb Stark. Protecting Sansa isn’t exactly something Joffrey or Tywin are interested in.

SANSA DEATHWATCH – Sansa is fortunate that the fate of several powerful figures depends on her safety. The Tyrells seem interested in ending the conflict with the north, through a marriage of Loras and Sansa. Such an arrangement creates the foundation for a peace with Robb. While Joffrey has no idea how to end a war, Varys and the Tyrells have nothing to gain from a prolonged conflict with Robb Stark. If Sansa was safely moved to the south away from Joffrey, it could make it easier to make peace.

This is futile. Joffrey and his grandfather Tywin want to destroy Robb Stark and reunite the seven kingdoms. Robb Stark won’t end the war without his own kingdom and the safe return of his sister. Vengeance is probably on his mind as well. Even with Sansa safe and married into House Tyrell, the Lannister-Stark conflict will continue.

I don’t trust Margaery but she is definitely skillful. She’s a potent influence on Joffrey and is moving to protect Sansa. With Olenna advising her, the Tyrells are an impressive bunch. Cersei has been completely marginalized.

Daenerys tricked the slavers as I thought. She speaks their language and never needed the interpreter. The dragon took care of business. Jorah looked pretty damn stupid for doubting her. Not sure if the sexual tension there will continue. She has a small dedicated army.

Jaime and Brienne have found a respect for one another, which is odd. Jaime has never shown anything but sociopathy and narcissism.

One of my favorite characters, Arya is safe for now and might watch the Dog, who killed her friend, be killed in battle with the leader of the Brotherhood. This story line is getting tedious, like the northern one, and the Greyjoy one.

I hope Martin kills off Theon soon.

My prediction: Jon Snow, Bran, and the northerners will all have to make a choice about that wall. Theon will die. Robb’s situation remains perilous, he needs a new ally. Sansa will become the center of a new internal conflict between the Tyrells and Lannisters. No movement from Baratheon. Daenerys has more challenges before reaching Westeros.

Jacob

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GoT Season 3 off to Painfully Slow Start

The new season of Game of Thrones is trying the patience of its viewers. Three episodes in, the story lines have barely advanced. Jon Snow serves the King Beyond the Wall, Robb Stark went to Riverrun to attend his grandfather’s funeral, Theon’s in deep shit, Daenerys needs an army from the slaver city, Arya is still on the run, and Tyrion is unappreciated. No Earth-shattering events, just a slow progression of time.

Tyrion is now the master of coin, replacing Lord Baelish. His lady friend is safe for now. Baelish is to marry Lysa Arryn I guess, the crazy chick from the mountains. I’m sure that will go over well. It brings another major house into the fold on the side of Lannister. Not good for Stark or Baratheon.  The Lannisters remain in good position, aside from Jaime.

Robb is in Riverrun, dealing with less than competent lieutenants. Brynden “Blackfish” Tully looks like an interesting guy. Still, their situation is not all that great. He needs another ally but the list is getting thinner. The only one uncommitted from what I know is Martell.

In the east we have another throne contender in need of help.Daenerys is trying to buy an army from the slaver city and decides to trade one of her dragons. This is a trick although Jorah and Barristan haven’t figured that out. I don’t see her parting with any of those three. The slaver is a cliche jackass.

Stannis is an unimaginable moron. The red priestess is playing him and he can’t seem to see it. Now she’s leaving for somewhere for some reason. I didn’t understand this scene at all. This guy wants to be king by not fighting.

No change in Arya’s status. I can’t tell if she’s on her way to be reunited with her brother and mother or the Brotherhood is just keeping her as a hostage. The Jon Snow storyline didn’t advance, other than to say he’s going to scale the wall and prepare for an attack on the Night’s Watch. It all sounds so easy, scaling a massive wall and attacking them. What exactly were they waiting for??? Theon escaped… sort of.

The only significant event once again involves Jaime Lannister and Brienne. The Stark soldiers tried to rape Brienne but Jaime somehow talked them out of it. Then they cut off Jaime’s hand. So much for the master swordsman playing a part in the war later. This poses a problem for Robb.

SANSA DEATHWATCH – Jaime’s been maimed. The Lannisters may be compelled to maim Sansa in retaliation.

Something’s gotta give. The show can’t keep adding characters and background info episode after episode. This was a problem in the first season, not so much the second. Maybe someone dies next Sunday.

Jacob

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Review: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale is a disturbing and extremely well done novel. It is among the most detailed, intelligent, and provocative dystopic works I’ve read.

It is the story of a woman stuck in a extreme theocratic state established in the US sometime in the near future. The society is essentially a Christian version of Saudi Arabia or Iran, where women have almost no rights. It is chilling to see an American or Christian version so vividly described.

The struggle of Offred (not her real name) is an incredibly provocative story. She is a handmaid, or a woman used as a surrogate for families that can no longer conceive. Only, it is done against her will. She was once a married woman with a child of her own and a job. All of it was taken away in a religious revolution. In the new Republic of Gilead, women are not allowed to have jobs, have their own bank accounts, cannot travel alone, and are held to the strictest of moral codes. Second or third marriages are nullified unless the original spouse was dead, which is why Offred’s marriage was nullified, her child taken away, her husband arrested, and now she finds herself in a Saudi style community where she’s a walking uterus.

The book is very much about sex, both as a general matter of gender equality but also of sexual freedom. Offred has no control of her body, something that was once hers. Her sexuality keeps trying to break through. Atwood is constantly using sexual puns, metaphors, and innuendo in describing the normal every day events. The stream of consciousness narrating style was unique, although at times overdone. Its hard to imagine anyone thinks in such an overly poetic style.

Atwood’s speculative story is chillingly realistic.There are very creepy rituals but resemble certain societal practices done in the past. While mainstream Christianity has very much departed from such extreme repressive practices, there are few societies in the world that still utilize them in some form.

Can an advanced, liberty-loving society with such a tradition of equality devolve into an extreme puritanical theocracy? Something like it happened in Iran in 1979 and is happening now in Egypt. Both were semi-westernized countries in the middle and late 20th century but have reverted to more medieval traditions under the Ayatollahs and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Is it a critique of religion in general? I’d say No. It is more about when religious authorities swing violently towards totalitarianism. The religious authority in the book is the Wahhabi movement of Christianity and does not resemble any existing mainstream Church or faith in the United States. That doesn’t mean such a dystopia is impossible. It just means it won’t be rising anytime soon.

The book reminds me a little of the background story in Da Vinci Code, where the Catholic Church and the descendants of Jesus Christ led by Mary Magdalene were at odds. To ensure a woman could not be the spiritual figurehead of the Church, numerous moral and cultural rules and norms were used to keep men at the top. The persecution of witches and the revival of paganism and Earth-Goddess worship today is also an example of the backlash against antiquated traditional values.

It is a great book and I highly recommend it. The only criticism I can offer is its length. It is a lot of pain and misery to endure.

5 Stars!

Jacob

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Chaos Continues in Westeros; Arya and Jaime back to where they Started

Another hour and the chaos in Westeros continues. Two plot twists from season 2 are undone. Nobody died and sadly no Daenerys scenes.

First my favorite character, Tyrion. He seems to have concern for Sansa, for some reason, but so far has hatched no new plans for himself or his family. Cersei has lost influence over Joffrey. It looks like Marjaery is trying to move in and become the woman in his life. She’s charming, beautiful, and dresses like a hooker according to King’s Landing standards (based on show’s love of nudity, I guess this is a standard only for nobility). Can she find a way to influence the little psychopath?

The Tyrells really don’t have a winning move other than to stay allied to the Lannisters. I guess Marjaery hopes to minimize the cruelty and barbarism of her new husband and become the kind of queen she wants to be. It’s hard to see that working.

Bran is on his way to the Wall and meets an unexpected ally. Not sure who he is or what the deal is. The kid is kind of creepy. Nevertheless, Bran is taking on prophet-like qualities, which should make up for is inability to be a knight or soldier. Good to see he’s getting out of that mess up north.

Theon is getting tortured by someone, not sure who. Don’t feel too bad about that. I’m hoping this loose end gets cut soon. Theon doesn’t matter to the other stories anymore.

Robb found out about Winterfell but no sign he plans to do much more about it. Now he is marching to Riverrun to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Catelyn’s father. Tully’s have been beaten down pretty bad, and with Walder Frey about to leave the northern alliance, Robb is in trouble. His bannermen know it.

I loved seeing Brienne school Jaime Lannister on the bridge. He’s supposedly the most gifted swordsmen in the land, then gets his ass kicked by the woman he’s been tormenting for days. Then he gets captured by Northmen. I love it. Glad to see this little plot twist didn’t go anywhere. It didn’t make sense for Brienne to actually get Jaime across the continent to King’s Landing without getting discovered.

The Arya pinball game is getting old. Just as Arya escaped one captor, she falls into the grasp of another. This time it is the Brotherhood without Banners. A nifty little anarchist group I guess. As soon as they figure out who she is, they won’t let her go anywhere.

Sansa proves once again she is the weakest link. She trusts Little Finger and says a little too much to Marjaery and her grandma Olenna Tyrell. This one isn’t going to last much longer unless Tyrion or the Tyrells save her. Sansa deathwatch has officially begun.

Some things moved in this episode but not much. The Arya and Jaime elements changed but not much else. Mostly filler and introducing Olenna, the creepy kid from Bran’s dreams, and the Brotherhood without Banners.

Naturally, I am looking forward to the next one anyway.

Jacob

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