The World of the Omniverse ranges over a multiverse populated with Elves, Pixies, Faeries, Dragons, Kobolds, Humans and other mythical creatures. At the center of the Omniverse looms the dark, mysterious presence of the Builders, creators of all. But most importantly, it has The Inn at the Crossroads, the mystical hub of the multiuniverse.
This is the series’ blog. Enjoy the posts.
Norman Spinrad has once again become my muse. In his article in Asimov’s entitled Doors to Anywhere, Spinrad trots out the science fiction author’s love afair with the multiverse. However, I must confess, I am not sure if he is speaking of the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanism, which preserves both determinism and locality, that is, a predictable universe and no strange, spooky action at a distance, or if he is talking about multiple universes in cosmology a la Brian Green, click here. That is, the multiverse is like Swiss cheese and the holes in the Swiss cheese are... Read More
Hang on to your hats, Trekkies, because I’m going to go after “The Trouble with Tribbles”. The Trouble with Tribbles was the 44th episode in the original Star Trek series and was written by Science Fiction legend David Gerrold, who also wrote the Martian Child, which was turned into a great movie. Gerrold wrote two of my favorite novels, When HARLIE Was One and The Man Who Folded Himself. The Trouble with Tribbles has been hailed as one of the best episodes the franchise has ever put out and I can’t disagree. I love David Gerrold. I am a huge... Read More
(Note: Before beginning this post, I would like to remind my readers why I am writing them. It isn’t to educate me or my readers in quantum physics and quantum computing but rather to explore two fundamental questions: What happened to the idea in science fiction? And when did science fiction become fantasy? Quick synopsis of my argument to date: In science fiction, I like the science to be real and the math to back it up. Too much of SF today is just fantasy science. Star Trek is a leading example of fantasy science in science fiction. If you... Read More
Inspired by Norman Spinrad, see my post, and egged on by my friends, a mixed bag of computer scientists, software engineers, electrical engineers, physicists, mathematicians, and linguists, I have decided to take a close look at the science1 of one of the world’s most beloved franchises, Star Trek. I will rely on Memory Alpha to keep me on the Star Trek canon. I will reject anything not in canon as apocrypha, even if it is in Memory Alpha. I do not want to be distracted by side notes, dreams or alternate universes. Just keep in mind, I, like everyone else,... Read More
“Is the power to arouse such life-giving feelings to be found in abstract art?” On Collecting by Lord Eccles page 110 “As far as I can tell, the human spirit is not and never will be satisfied with what can be proved logically or mathematically, i.e. with what science can do to transform the physical world. More people may appear to be irreligious, materialistic, and even happier than they were a generation ago. Is this because science is supplying the food for their spirit? Surely not, but science can make men forget that they need such food, blinding them with... Read More
Looking back on my career in linguistics, I regret spending so much time on theoretical syntax. Not just because Government and Binding was a crock, not just because of the theory itself nor because it was a very elaborate mechanism for handling a very small problem, reflexives, that should not be handled solely in syntax. To put it simply, you don’t need a lot of mechanism or theory if you know that a reflexive has to refer back to a subject, a topic. All of this could easily be resolved in semantics. And I don’t mean resolved in a semantics... Read More
Or is it I who agrees with him? No matter. Mr. Spinrad’s very entertaining and enlightening article, Inside/Outside, does the same soul searching and attempt at defining what is what within science fiction that I attempted in my last post. But, I think, he does it more graciously and certainly more thoroughly than I did. Indeed, times they are achangin’. Science Fiction is breaking into the Main Stream and Literary Circles, while the Main Stream and Literary Circles are breaking into Science Fiction. And as Mr. Spinrad points out, this means a dumbing down of what Science Fiction is. Dumbing... Read More
I have been reading the Craft of Science Fiction, published in 1976. It is chockfull of writing tips and howtos and definitions. Each article was written by a giant in science fiction. Unlike a mainstream novel, which is about the developmental journey of a character, science fiction is about the idea. The science. The scientific idea. The idea trumps writing style, character development, nature, description, setting, philosophy, unless your idea is the philosophy of an alien race, and even world creation. The idea is central in science fiction. The more the story turns on the science of the idea, the... Read More
The Inn at The Crossroads is a humorous, 100,000-word Fantasy Adventure. Forty-year old Silicon Valley veterans Carey and Bill Impollonia chuck their high pressure careers, sell their houses and buy the Greenwich Manor, an upstate New York inn, from its mysterious owner Timothy. As soon as Bill and Carey sign on the dotted line, Timothy and his attorney, Balthazar, disappear to be replaced by Light and Dark Elves from Álfheim. Just when things could not get any stranger, Belle, their shape shifting Pixie secretary, reports for work and demons attempt to destroy their office and inn. Bill and Carey have... Read More
The Greenville Library, in Upstate New York, will be having a writing workshop September 29 to October 3. It’s a beautiful time of year and this should be a wonderful workshop. Ronni Miller is the instructor. She is well known for her Write it Out program. Click here for more information. I’ll be taking the workshop. I hope to see you there.
