Sci-Fi signposts. Essay. 1000 words, 5-minute read. Star Trek and Recursive Prognostication By Ray Tabler There’s an episode of the original Star Trek TV show, titled Court Martial, wherein captain Kirk is on trial for dereliction of duty leading to murder, specifically causing the death of another Star Fleet officer….
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The Curse of the Muse
Or a blessing. Essay. 800 words, 4-minute read. The Curse of the Muse By Ray Tabler Have you ever had a snatch of music lodged in your head all day? An earworm, it’s called. Achy Breaky Heart. Who let the Dogs Out? The Macarena. Dare we mention, Baby Shark? Something…
Game Writing from the Perspective of a Non-Gamer
Maybe you’re game. Essay. 1000 words, 5-minute read. Game Writing from the Perspective of a Non-Gamer By Ray Tabler Right up front, I’m not a gamer. Not anymore. Back in my mis-spent youth, in the days when gaming required moving little pieces of colorful cardboard around on a map, overlaid…
Networking at ConFusion 2026
At Confusion, right after a panel on “Are Podcasts/YouTube the Next Fanzines?” with co-panelists Mur Lafferty, Christine Daigle, BluRaven Houvener, and Chris M. Barkley (left to right), all of us gathered around Chris Barkley’s prodigal Hugo Award.
Utopia Ain’t What It Used to Be
Utopias and Sci-Fi. Essay. 1100 words, 6-minute read. Utopia Ain’t What It Used to Be By Ray Tabler. The concept of utopia has been with us for a long time. Plato envisioned a perfect society in his Republic. Sir Thomas Moore coined the term in 1516 with a book about…
Magical Confusion 2026
Jan 30- Feb 1, 2026, at the Sheraton Detroit Novi hotel. See you there! I’ll be speaking on 6 panels at Confusion 2026: Magical Confusion science fiction convention, Jan 30- Feb 1, 2026, at the Sheraton Detroit Novi hotel. See you there! My panel schedule: Friday, January 30 12:00pm EST,…
UoL Magazine
Received the fall/winter 2025 issue of the UofL Magazine (for University of Louisville alumni) in the mail. Found a notice in the Bookmarks section mentioning my latest novel, The Diesel-Powered Starship. Thank you UofL Magazine! #louisville, #UofL.
Neurotic Physicists
Staring Into the Abyss. Essay. 1100 words, 6-minute read. Neurotic Physicists By Ray Tabler. Do you know any physicists? I know a couple. They both seem like stable individuals. But then, they’re applied physicists, employed in industry, working on practical problems, required to produce results. I strongly suspect that theoretical…
Jetpack Dreams
“Where the f(#k is my jetpack?” Essay. 1100 words, 6-minute read. Jetpack Dreams By Ray Tabler “🎶Where the f(#k is my jetpack?🎶” – Tim Wilson, singer/songwriter, troublemaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brr4RNGlts0 There is no more iconic sci-fi icon than the jet pack. Followed closely by the flying car, which is simply a jetpack…