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Top 10 Themes of My Upcoming Military Sci-Fi Series (Planet Tamers)

What is Military Sci-fi as a genre?

Military Science Fiction (Wikipedia definition): a subgenre of both Science Fiction and Military Fiction, commonly sliding into the Space Opera territory. At its most basic, Military Science Fiction is Science Fiction that focuses on the military, but the genre has more specific nuances than that.

As always, I put my own unique spin on a genre or sub-genre. With the conclusion of my epic fantasy series, The Fabled Quest Chronicles, I wanted to jump back into sci-fi with both feet and all four arms (just kidding). So, I polled my fans again to get feedback on what new genre they’d like to see me write and the result was overwhelmingly in favor of Military Sci-Fi.

This project has an additional hook for me because I served in the US Army myself. What do I imagine the US (or world) armed forces will look like in the far future? What role will the military play in space exploration? What unseen ways will technological advancement transform the military, space exploration, and us?

My Top 10 Themes of My Upcoming Military Sci-Fi Series (Planet Tamers):

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1.No warp drive or wormholes, so the interstellar travel thing is out.

I grew up on the original Star Trek and Star Trek: TNG with starships capable of warp drive. However, when you really know the science behind concept of Faster-Than-Light (FTL) propulsion, the “reality” of it falls apart.

I’m not opposed to setting a series in a universe where light-travel is possible, or more precisely being able to travel between solar systems and galaxies with ease. In fact, in my epic fantasy series, different species of elves and other fae do so magically by moving through portals. But will warp speed ever be possible? I say no primarily because of the following scientific reasons:

(a) The organic matter problem

None of the conceivable warp drives can accelerate to speeds faster than light because you would require matter capable of being ejected at speeds faster than light, but no known particles can travel that fast.

Now, I recently re-watched the now regarded as a classic, Galaxy Quest, and the aliens (the Thermians) had a unique way of traveling between galaxies. If we ever could do what the Thermians did—coat the subject (organic matter) in a projective sheath and transport that, though we still have some issues with physics–then maybe.

(b) The energy problem

This one also seems insurmountable. Imagination doesn’t have to deal with physics, but reality does. What’s holding humanity back from even reaching a fraction of the speed of light? In a word, energy. Any object that’s moving has energy due to its motion. Physicists call this kinetic energy. To go faster, you must increase the kinetic energy. The problem is that it takes a lot of kinetic energy to increase speed. To make something go twice as fast takes four times the energy. Making something go three times as fast requires nine times the energy, and so on. There’s your energy problem.

(c) The propulsion problem

Could humans make something go even faster?

Yes! But engineers need to figure out new ways to make things move in space. All rockets, even the sleek new rockets used by SpaceX and Blue Origins, burn rocket fuel that isn’t very different from gasoline in a car.

(d) The fuel problem

The burning of fuel is very inefficient.

What other methods could we use to move a spacecraft? We could use electric or magnetic forces. We could use nuclear fusion, the process that powers the Sun, which is also much more efficient than chemical fuel.

So, sadly those four reasons eliminate warp drive for me and, even sadder, worm holes are not the nifty portals you see in Marvel’s Doctor Strange, or lying around for us to fly a spaceship through to another galaxy.

The concept of “hyper gates” from the sci-fi series Babylon 5 or the “folding of space” from the classic Dune series, is more “believable” to me, but not a reality in my new military sci-fi series. They have some amazing technology, but we’re still confined to solar system for time being. So, let’s just say we humans will “create our own fun.”

2. No aliens

Sorry, no extraterrestrials either. (Well, I think so)

3. Military galore!

We can’t have military sci-fi without the military. In the series, we have Army, Navy, and Marines. No more Air Force or Coast Guard. There’s never a mention of Space Force, but that’s a moot point since everything is in space for the armed services.

4.The “Big Thing” in the series is Terra-forming!

We can’t warp on over to the Rissa or Tatooine, so we’ll create our own planets in our own solar system. The series is very serious about all this as we humans are about to terraform our first planetary body in solar system. Talk about one “big step” for humanity. That would mean becoming a multi-planet species!

For the world-building of this new series, you are stationed with one group most of the time, so what’s happening elsewhere, like Earth, is revealed over time. But I’ll tell you this: Earth doesn’t have a world government. It has many governments, and a lot more factions. Imagine, if you’re not one of those governments that commissioned humanity’s greatest, grandest terraforming mission of all time and space, then you’re probably not too happy. Yes, “Houston we will have a problem.”

5. Dangers (micro): Mental illness and Radiation

There is no doubt that mental illness is a serious problem in this country. It’s hard to say that it’s worse than ever before. What I can say is that we’re not doing much about it, other than talk.

We seem interested in it because of the violence. However, as a veteran, there’s another aspect of it that I have felt very strongly about for decades and has caused my souring on US military leadership. Stuff the politics up your hole; we have a crisis of suicide among our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines!

Besides issues related to mental illness in this space exploration series, whether real or perceived, there’s another danger that’s not talked about enough in sci-fi: radiation. With the shield of our Earth’s atmosphere, we have no concept of the endless bombardment of known and unknown radiation flying through space. This radiation includes magnetic fields which can charge and accelerate particles to speeds that can fry the electronics of a spaceship. Imagine, what that could do to a human body, or the human brain. If we become this major space exploration race, as we do in the series, these issues will be pushed to the forefront.

6. Dangers (macro): There is no escaping politics and war

We see all this play out in the series. And yes, there is a Federation, but you don’t want anything to do with this bunch.

7. Relationships

Military comradery in any fiction involving the military is a given. We see the natural tension between different branches of government, and the fact they are all ultimately out of their element as they go from space explorers to terraformers to off-world colonists.

8. Ensemble cast of characters

We remember the main characters and their names, but all the supporting ones and the new ones coming and going is what makes good fiction.

9. Cosmoships

This may be more of a Navy or Air Force thing, though I can definitely relate. Whether Navy sailors aboard a submarine or aircraft carrier, or pilots and their jets in the Air Force, the vessel is like a living, breathing person too. In the series, the characters regard their spaceships as living beings. It’s far more than sentimentality though. These cosmoships are home and the crew will risk their lives to protect them because without them, there is no life for humans in space.

10. A Universe of Cool Tech

Yes, if there’s military soldiers involved, there will be plenty of advanced weaponry, super-suits, and robots to show off. And don’t forget the seemingly god-like machines of the “genesis architects” who will transform a moon into humans’ Earth Two.

What Do You Think?

COMMENT BELOW

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Pre-Order: Fabled Quest Chronicles (Book 6) [UPDATE: Book 6 and Box Set Released 5.17.22!]

It's almost here! The release of the sixth Fabled Quest Chronicles novel, Kingdom at Titan's End, will be on May 17th. 

They began their caravan in the Lands of Man. They traveled through Faë-Land Minor–the land of fairies and sprites, then across Faë-Land Major–the land of centaurs, elves, and goblins. Then the Great Forest and across the dangerous and vast Oceanus Omnis–the ocean realms ruled by merfolk, water fae, sirens, and sea monsters.

Traveler's Caravan finally reaches the fabled kingdom of Atlantea–but so does King Oughtred. 

PRE-ORDER BOOK SIX HERE TODAY!

ENTER OUR LATEST KINDLE GIVEAWAY TO CELEBRATE HERE!

The post Pre-Order: Fabled Quest Chronicles (Book 6) [UPDATE: Book 6 and Box Set Released 5.17.22!] appeared first on .

Pre-Order: Fabled Quest Chronicles (Book 6)

It's almost here! The release of the sixth Fabled Quest Chronicles novel, Kingdom at Titan's End, will be on May 17th. 

They began their caravan in the Lands of Man. They traveled through Faë-Land Minor–the land of fairies and sprites, then across Faë-Land Major–the land of centaurs, elves, and goblins. Then the Great Forest and across the dangerous and vast Oceanus Omnis–the ocean realms ruled by merfolk, water fae, sirens, and sea monsters.

Traveler's Caravan finally reaches the fabled kingdom of Atlantea–but so does King Oughtred. 

PRE-ORDER BOOK SIX HERE TODAY!

ENTER OUR LATEST KINDLE GIVEAWAY TO CELEBRATE HERE!

The post Pre-Order: Fabled Quest Chronicles (Book 6) appeared first on .

What is Your Favorite Epic Fantasy?

Back in 2015, I emailed members of VIP Readers’ Club to ask what genre they’d like to see me write. The overwhelmingly response was an epic fantasy series and my Fabled Quest Chronicles series was born. What was supposed to be a trilogy turned into a six-book series with a prequel. The series will be coming to an end with Book 6, The Kingdom at Titan’s End, but there will be at least two sequels.

The fantasy genre has many sub-genres and some overlap with shared common elements. My Fabled Quest Chronicles combines more than a few of these fantasy sub-genres. (Source article and excerpt HERE)

High or epic fantasy. Set in a magical environment that has its own rules and physical laws, this subgenre’s plots and themes have a grand scale and typically center on a single, well-developed hero or a band of heroes, such as Frodo Baggins and his cohorts in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (1954).Sword and sorcery. A subset of high fantasy, it focuses on sword-wielding heroes, such as the titular barbarian in Robert E. Howard’s Conan pulp fiction stories, as well as magic or witchcraft.Dark fantasy. Combining elements of fantasy and horror, its aim is to unnerve and frighten readers, like the gargantuan, otherworldly monsters in H. P. Lovecraft’s universe.Fables. Using personified animals and the supernatural, fables impart moral lessons, like the stories in Aesop’s Fables and Arabian Nights.Fairy tales. Intended for children, these fairy tales and folk tales are typically set in distant magical worlds (with beginnings like “Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”) where trolls, dragons, witches, and other supernatural characters are an accepted truth, as in the Brothers Grimm’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1812).

And here are two more:

Quest Fantasy. The quest story has a long tradition with which all readers are familiar. Quests are a satisfying story for readers because the hero is working towards a specific goal that will test the hero, but it is an inspiring story. Despite the obstacles a hero encounters on the journey, the hero will overcome them, or recover and keep on trekking. Thus, the arc of the hero is very satisfying, readers will feel all the tension and emotion that quests are fraught with—readers will become invested—and there will be that moment of catharsis. The goal is important, but it’s just an object looming at the end of story—the journey, what’s in between, is what makes the story.Science Fantasy. Fantasy that's combined with Science Fiction elements. Often, Science Fantasies take place far into the future where advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. The landscapes may be completely unidentifiable from our own.

Here’s my question for you:

Which Is Your Favorite?

COMMENT BELOW

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Inspirational Artwork: My Fabled Quest Chronicles Series

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is some of the inspirational artwork for my epic fantasy series. Check out the series Pinterest board HERE.

What do you think? COMMENT BELOW.

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Cover Reveal: Next Liquid Cool Novel

Another day in the World of Liquid Cool. Why can't Cruz solve “normal” cases like all the other detectives?

What do you think of the name and cover to the next Liquid Cool novel?

Write your comments below

The post Cover Reveal: Next Liquid Cool Novel appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Author Austin Dragon’s Monthly Book Giveaway!

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What Would You Like to See in the Fabled Quest Chronicles?

After 4 years, I’m wrapping up my epic fantasy series, the Fabled Quest Chronicles! But it won’t be just one book (Kingdom at Titan’s End, Book 6). There will be two more prequels! We learned how Traveler became who the man he is in the first prequel, Quest Master—a human who knows as much about the Magical Lands than most fae. Lands than most fae. But we must learn how Traveler met his “dog” and how he obtained his magic sword. So, the series will end with one main novel, two prequels, and two boxsets.

As many of you know, I wanted to create an epic fantasy adventure series with all the things you’d expect: knights, nobles, battles, wizardry, giants, and elves. But also, for those who’ve been enjoying the series, novels that would include many things not present in most high fantasy novels, for example—monsters, monsters, monsters. No dragons (which the series explains), but what about the dozens and dozens of fantastic beasts and frightening creatures from classic mythology. Yes, the mythology is Euro-centric, but for those paying attention we encountered people and monsters from far beyond “Europe” to include Asia, Africa, Australia, etc. (A future Fabled Quest Chronicles, perhaps?) The series also touched on other sub-genres—you know I love genre-blends—such as the supernatural (ghosts, werewolves, and zombies) and sci-fi fantasy (elves in space?!)

For all my epic fantasy fans out there, here’s my question for you:

What Would You Like to See in the Epic Fantasy Series as it Ends?

COMMENT BELOW

The post What Would You Like to See in the Fabled Quest Chronicles? appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

The Sleepy Hollows Box Set is Here!

Did you know I first wrote the story which became Hollow Blood when I was a kid in middle school?

World of Horror: Sleepy Hollow Horrors

So while I get the next Fabled Quest Chronicles and Liquid Cool novels ready for release, grab my classic horror mini-series, The Sleepy Hollow Horrors Box Set.

About The Sleepy Hollow Horrors

GRAB THE BOX SET HERE

The post The Sleepy Hollows Box Set is Here! appeared first on Official Website of Author Austin Dragon.

Movie Trailer: The Green Knight

My foray into the epic fantasy genre began in May 2018 with the release of the first book of my Fabled Quest Chronicles series, Through Titan’s Trail. Back then, it was supposed to be a trilogy—but is anything just a trilogy anymore these days? I released Book 5, Siren Storms of Madness just last month.

Well, as I wrap up the main series with the release of the sixth and final book this year, Kingdom at Titan’s End, I want to get your opinion on a truly stunning trailer I’ve seen for the upcoming movie, The Green Knight. We've been fooled before but this one looks worthy of seeing in the movie theater!

I will always be primarily a sci-fi writer but that’s not to say that I won’t write more fantasy novels. There’s no shortage of sub-genres:

Romance FantasyFairy TalesAlternative HistoryArthurian FantasyComic FantasyDark FantasyEpic FantasyFairy Tales and MythologyHeroic FantasyHigh Fantasy (ie., Lord of the Rings)Mystery FantasyMagic RealismModern FantasyScience Fantasy (genre mash of sci-fi plus fantasy elements)Sword and Sorcery (ie., Conan)

I’ve always been intrigued by Arthurian Fantasy. I must say if I remembered this particular story from the legend, I might have tried my own version.

Take a look at the stunning trailer for The Green Knight below and, especially if you're a fantasy fan, tell me what you think. 

WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE

What Do You Think? Comment Below

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