Essay. 1000 words, 5-minute read. Novel Lengths of SciFi Greats By Ray Tabler This essay is the latest in a series wherein I indulge my near obsession with the various aspects of novel lengths over the years. Two previous pieces looked at book lengths of “most read () and best-sellers…
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Penny for Your Thoughts
Money in speculative fiction. Essay. 1200 words, 6-minute read. Penny for Your Thoughts By Ray Tabler The looming demise of the penny from US currency threw a switch in my chaotic mind, shunting my thoughts to rumble down an unanticipated track. At a coffee shop, the change back from a…
Lies and Logistics
Details, details. Essay. 1000 words, 5-minute read. Image: https://www.dla.mil/About-DLA/News/News-Article-View/Article/1404556/replenishment-at-sea-aboard-uss-san-diego/ Lies and Logistics By Ray Tabler I saw a post online about how the US Navy manages resupply of ships, while at sea. There’s a lot of high-tech, specialized equipment involved. Fuel hoses, pallets zip-lined from ship to ship and slung…
Audible Adventures
Great Horny toads! Essay. 700 words, 4-minute read. Audible Adventures By Ray Tabler Recently, inspiration of questionable quality struck, and I promptly posted a question on a FaceBook group (The Writer Dojo). I asked group members (many of whom are reported to be writers) to suggest what fictional character(s)…
Chasing Rainbows
Tally ho! Essay. 900 words, 5-minute read. Chasing Rainbows By Ray Tabler Recently, I was at an author’s event at a local library. About 20 local writers were there, displaying their works and meeting fans. There was a festive atmosphere, with authors visiting other tables during lulls in traffic. The…
Everyone’s a Critic
Fiction. 100 words, 1-minute read. Image: https://share.google/images/0SAkpJ9FDX6R0rbf1 This one popped into my head, fully formed. Thought I’d share. Everyone’s a Critic By Ray Tabler Death perched on a windowsill, watching the writer pecking away on his keyboard with agonizing slowness. This was taking too long. A long list of souls…
Unintended Benefits
Stumbling into progress. Essay. 800 words. 4-minute read. Image from IMDB, Lord Cutler Beckett Unintended Benefits By Ray Tabler One might find proof of God in the uncanny luck the human race seems to enjoy. Or, perhaps we make our own luck, through learning from the misfortune of others. Either…
3I ATLAS Decision Tree
A modest thought experiment. Essay. 1300 words, 7-minute read. 3I ATLAS Decision Tree By Ray Tabler We live in interesting times. Which is either a blessing or a curse, depending on your point of view. Specifically, an object (3I/ATLAS) is currently zipping through our solar system at speeds which indicate…
R2 DeVi2
Star Wars meets Bender. Essay. 500 words, 3-minute read. R2 DeVi2 By Ray Tabler At a recent science fiction convention, I learned that in the original Star Wars script R2 D2 had lines in English. George Lucas chose to render the lovable, little droid’s dialog as electronic beeps, squeals, and…
Mapping Alternate History and Time Travel Tales
Differences & Overlaps, Essay. 1400 words, 7-minute read. Mapping Alternate History and Time Travel Tales By Ray Tabler One of the reasons I attend science fiction conventions is that they almost always spark ideas for essays, rabbit holes to fall down and write about. This past weekend, Archon 48, near…