Game Masters and Mythbusters

In August 2016, I wrote about one of our favorite museums to visit in San Diego. Every year, the Reuben H. Fleet museum offers some of the coolest science related exhibits we’ve enjoyed. My 2016 article, Science Fiction, Science Future can be found here.  

In 2017, we returned  for the “Game Masters” exhibit which highlighted the scientific development of gaming systems since Atari and the original arcade all the way through what gaming has in store for the future.

The work of more than 30 video game designers who have made a significant impact in the field was explored through rare concept artwork, newly commissioned interviews, and interactive digital displays. This large-scale exhibition took visitors behind the scenes of how video games are made as well as spotlighting the people who actually make them. From Minecraft to Starcraft toWorld of Warcraft, this was a landmark collection of the most popular video games on the planet, as well as independent games with a cult-like following.

The 9,000 square-foot exhibition took visitors through the evolution of gaming from arcade classics such as Missile Command and Pac-Man, to iconic console-based games featuring Sonic the Hedgehog and Rock Band, through to today's indie hits like Real Racing 2, Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds and more. Other famous titles included Dance Central and The Sims.

In addition to allowing guests to experience all of these games firsthand, the exhibit offered an in-depth look at the designers behind some of the most popular games of all time through rare original game artwork, 2D objects, and revealing interviews with game designers. The key role played by smaller independent designers in game design and development was also explored.

Some of these exhibits included books and comics that inspired, or were inspired by, these games and their designers. So very interesting, and a wonderfully nostalgic remembrance for those of us who grew up with these games. It was also interesting to see their influence from and upon science fiction in general.

This year, the museum is hosting “Mythbusters: The Explosive Exhibition” based on the popular Mythbusters series produced by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.  I've enjoyed watching old episodes of this show with my kids, and as a result we've enjoyed some of our own experiments. 

This years exhibit offers:

1) Use scientific observations and your own curiosity to search for the truth behind some commonly held beliefs.

2) Explore the Blueprint Room and relive some of the show's most exciting moments.

3) Test your hypothesis in The Workshop and decide whether the myth is plausible, busted, or confirmed.

4) Catch a live demonstration on the Demo Stage. There are multiple shows throughout the day, and the variables (people) are always changing, so results can change hour to hour!

5) Submit your own myths, and you could see them being tested on future episodes of MythBusters!

On display in the expanded upstairs galleries, the exhibition will overflow with hands-on props and gadgets from the show. The Fleet invites you to try your hand at busting some new myths, as well as some old favorites.

I'm so glad my girls enjoy science, creating their own stories, and experiments. I can't wait to see what this years visit inspires them to create.

This is definitely my favorite science museum. I’m not saying it’s impossible to find a better one, but it would be pretty difficult. This one always hosts some of the most unique, innovative, and certainly popular concepts that influence our fascination with scientific concepts and dreams. To learn more about this museum or this years display: https://www.rhfleet.org/exhibitions/mythbusters-explosive-exhibition 

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SCIENTIFIC INSPIRATIONS? HAVE YOU VISITED THIS MUSEUM OR THESE EXHIBITS? ARE THERE ANY PLACES YOU WOULD RECOMMEND?

A Little Creative Fun

Sometimes I feel less inspired than I would like.  For the last few days, I've had plenty of ideas that I'd love to put on paper, but nothing seems to be coming out right.  Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself.  Isn't that a common problem with writers?  We stress out about the words to the point where they flow like treacle.  It isn't always easy to snap ourselves out of it, either.

When I sat down to write this post, I wasn't feeling any more confident.  I wanted to say something profound about life and writing and the stories that we use to examine our shared humanity.  That sounds like a lot of pressure, so it shouldn't be surprising that doing this to myself did not help my creative output in the slightest.

Then I gave myself permission to have a little bit of fun with this.  Why not?  We all need a little fun and laughter from time to time, and when you're a writer, getting playful with words can also help unblock the pathways responsible for creative output.  Sounds like a win-win scenario, right?

That's why I wrote a little Mad Lib style story to share with you.  It was so much fun to write something silly, and all of you can have a good time filling in the blanks to create something uniquely amusing.  I've always enjoyed writing stories like this, and I'll highly recommend it to anyone who's feeling the creative strain.

Before going on to the story, write a list of these 12 things.  Feel free to be as zany with your responses as you want!

Texture

Beverage

Symptom of illness

Annoying song title

City

Country

Verb

Noun

Emotion

Job title

Color

Shape

Do you have your list ready?  Okay.  Going in order, insert each response into the blanks to create your very own story.  Have fun!

Launch Day

The day of the launch was not going _______.  In fact, an accurate description of events would include a few crude words.  One of the astronauts had too much ______ and was experiencing the fallout from that.  Dealing with ______ on launch day wasn’t exactly ideal.

Then there was the issue with the lead engineer Stan.  Some wires got mixed up, and now the spacecraft’s navigation system played _______ on repeat.  Without a proper navigation system in place, the ship could easily end up in _______ rather than in orbit.

No one had been able to reach Stan, either.  His answering machine said that he’d gone to _______ to _______.  It wouldn’t have been a problem if they had more time.  Delaying a mission was commonplace enough.  Except they had to launch today to save Earth from destruction via _______.

Sarah was determined, however, not to feel ______ about it.  She had a job to do.  She hadn’t been appointed ______ for nothing!  It was only a few wires, right?  How complicated could that be?

She looked up at the enormous _______ ________ of a spacecraft and steeled her nerves.  She had a job to do.  Today she could end up being a hero.  Or she could doom humanity to extinction.  No pressure.

*     *     *

How did your version of the story turn out?  How do you think it ends for our hero, and for humanity as whole?

CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

"How do you challenge yourself?"

Copyright

A question recently asked by N. R. Williams' in a recent blog post. I thought I would answer it here, and not just because I won a place in the Parallels: Felix Was Here Anthology, but because I co-host a writing challenge called Write…Edit…Publish Blog Post, with Denise Covey. 

The WEP is a flash fiction challenge open to all writers, and we work hard to come up with a schedule of contests that offer just that, an opportunity for participants to try something new.

When most of us start out, we choose a genre and concentrate our efforts in that arena. My first choice was mystery. I thought mysteries would be my main calling, but then I found the need to branch out and found writing contests the solution.

Each writing challenge is an opportunity, not only for expression but it's a chance to learn and open yourself to other possibilities. You'll not only stretch your imagination but you'll meet a new network of people. Writers helping other writers is the key to success and, yes, even that necessary evil of marketing becomes easier as you introduce yourself to new readers via a new genre.

Have you tested the waters - tried a new genre?

Did you submit to the IWSG Anthlogoy?

Or do you limit yourself, convinced you can only 'write what you know'?

Jump in and open yourself to creativity.

Challenge yourself!

You will never, ever regret it!

To help you consider a different genre

here's a list of the tips or essentials for writing

Science Fiction, Romance, Horror or Scary,

Mysteries and Fantasy.

              4 Characteristics of Science Fiction Writing

 1.   Science fiction is often based on scientific principles and technology.

2.   Science fiction may make predictions about life in the future.

3.   Science fiction often deals with aliens or with life on other worlds.

4.   Science fiction can comment on important issues in society.

**

4 Essential Elements of Writing a Romance Novel

  1.   A hero and a heroine to fall in love

  2.   A problem that creates conflict and tension between them and threatens to keep them apart

  3.   A developing love that is so special it comes about only once in a lifetime

  4.   A resolution in which the problem is solved and the couple is united.

**

5 Tips For Creating Scary

(last month's Parallels post by Crystal Collier)

1.  The setting: your word choices and imagery should depict an ambiance that sets our nerves on end.

2.  A protagonist you like: a likable character builds the tension. 

3.  Foreshadowing: give hints, snippets that tell us something sinister is coming

4.  Building tension: up the stakes with things that really matter (like people's lives). 

5.  Surprise: that twist that changes the entire story.

**

5 Elements That Are Necessary in Mystery Stories

1.   Characters that are engaging entertaining, and possibly, seem as though they could be the villain. 

    2.   An Intriguing Plot: a ‘hook’ that gains the reader’s interest and pulls them along with the story.

    3.  Clues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

    4.   Action and adventure to keep the story moving.

    5.   A healthy dose of suspense that allows the reader to connect more with the characters.

**

4 Elements of fantasy literature

1.   Plot: almost always a natural serial sequence i.e. a hero’s journey of separation, quest, and reconciliation/salvation.

2.   Action: often based on traditional roles and archetypes rather than on personal.

3.   Setting: often medieval or magical, but can be urban or modern and often emblematic and symbolic rather than literal.

4.   Characters: wizards, witches, elves, fairies, gnomes, dwarves, goblins, trolls, sprites, angels, and devils, etc. or humans with their traits.

***

Also, Christine Rains recently posted a blog on the 5 Reasons to Write Paranormal. Check it out HERE!

If one of these is your genre - what characteristic  do you feel is most important to make it work?

Tell us your genre, and if you haven't yet attempted a new one - if and when you do, what would it be?

For more information on each subject, just click the title.

 Pictures Copyright Alan Ayers

**

FYI!

In my story for Parallels, Ever-Ton, 
global warming was a real thing.

IT IS a real thing.

TheNorth Pole is an insane 36 degrees warmer than normal as winter descends

At the Heart of What If?

by Alex J. Cavanaugh 

Parallel universes explore the what if – what if one or more elements was different that our own world. But if you think about it, all speculative fiction is about the what if. It’s exploring a place unlike our own, transporting the reader to a world of possibilities.

This type of writing appeals to both writer and reader on many levels.

For the writer:

Fun to brainstorm. We can just start listing all sorts of crazy what ifs.

No limits. This is about things that aren’t real. Not yet and maybe never. We can go as far as we envision.

We become Creator. All writers do, but we can take it a step farther with a whole new world.

For the reader:

The chance to escape reality. When the news and troubles of the world overwhelm, nothing is more satisfying than retreating away from reality.

Struggles easier to handle. The troubles of this world can overwhelm us. But present those same struggles in a speculative fiction setting, and they are easier to handle and understand. We can process them better.

Encourages imagination. The same imagination that created the story flows into the reader and he envisions the world beyond the book. He’ll create his own stories.

What if takes us to a place beyond this world. And that’s a good thing. After all, all of the advancements and inventions of this world came from that simple question – what if?

Alex J. Cavanaugh

http://alexjcavanaugh.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

http://whatarethekargrandes.com/

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh    

- Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, and Dragon of the Stars. The author lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Science Fiction, Science Future

- by Sylvia Ney

One of my favorite stops this summer was at the Reuben H. Fleet museum in San Diego, California. I took my daughters to the traveling exhibit "Science Fiction, Science Future".

We spent the day learning about what has led to our current understanding of science, what humans are currently working to develop, and being teased with challenges for the future. Gallery stops included:

- understanding what we know of sound and light
- move this object with your mind challenge
- become invisible
- design your own cyborg
- interact with robots
- and more than I can write about in one post!

Here are just a few of our explorations:

A section honoring the history of science fiction development - its authors, artists, and innovators. Rare books from the Department of Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA), artwork from comic book publisher IDW, and even displays from the Star Trek franchise were available for perusal - including a very special challenge (see pics below).

Created by the renowned Scitech Discovery Centre in Perth, Australia this exhibit is a visually compelling way to share a deeper understanding of how science fiction concepts of today are becoming a reality: including holograms.

Visitors are completely immersed in possibilities for medical technology, communication, and even transportation. This exhibit includes many innovations, inventions, and challenges -  a taste of anything a science lover could be looking for, especially when sharing the concepts with family and friends.

Thanks to this trip, my daughters truly enjoyed a glimpse at the possibilities for themselves and their future. I can't wait to see how they will contribute.

How will you contribute to our science fiction, science future? Will you or someone you know want to compete in the tricorder challenge listed in the above picture?

Trends in Science Fiction

Since the time when science fiction appeared on the scene in the late 1800’s, it has helped those who read it look at the world in a different way.  Science fiction understandably speculated about what the future might look like thanks to science and advancing technologies.  Yet, like every other genre you can think of, it has gone through many trends.

The history of science fiction is often divided into eras.  Though stories of various kinds were published during each of these eras, there is a definite trend in the kinds of stories published during each era.  The pulp era of the 1920’s and 30’s was characterized by cheaply produced magazines that could provide affordable entertainment for working class people.  They featured heroes who had bold adventures on other planets.  The heroes were often dashing and charming and the kind of person people wished they could be.

During the late 1930’s and 1940’s, wartime shortages brought on the decline of the pulp magazines, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction began.  This golden age featured hard sci-fi (sci-fi that features science in a prominent and accurate way).

Later on in the 1960’s and 70’s, the New Wave came as a response to the social issues of the time.  The focus moved from hard to soft science fiction.  Soft sci-fi is less focused on the technology and more focused on the people and how they respond to the world in which they live.  This era also saw a lot of experimentation with writing styles.

Cyberpunk rose to popularity in the 1980’s as the computer became more accessible to everyday people.  The stories took place on Earth and featured people who interacted heavily with technology.  Sometimes the characters plugged in and escaped the dystopian world around them through the more appealing world the technology offered.  Other times the characters interacted with cyborgs that made people question what it means to be human.

The trends we see in various genres don’t spring up in a vacuum.  All of these eras arose in response to the world the authors of these stories lived in.  Writers look at their own world and use their writing to respond to it.  They may also read stories from fellow authors and draw inspiration for their own work.

One of the biggest trends today in science fiction is YA dystopian.  There has been plenty of dystopian fiction over the years, but most of it today seems to be post-apocalyptic.  It features protagonists that have to contend with tyrannical governments that were established after some major disaster destroyed much of the world and killed a majority of humanity.  The cause of the apocalypse is typically environmental in nature, and what remained of humanity had to fight for what little resources were left.  Why is this such a prominent theme today?

The future of our planet is a big concern for many people.  Is global warming a valid concern, and if so, what are the consequences?  Can our growing population be sustained without catastrophe?  People also worry about overbearing governments monitoring their every move, which is a common concern in the world we live in today.  These post-apocalyptic scenarios look at the social impact of living in a world that looks drastically different than the one we live in today, and we get to root for protagonists who are fighting against governments that abuse the people they rule.  We like see people like us triumph against all odds.

One question that often comes up with trends is this: does the market become too saturated with similar stories?  Do readers get sick of reading the same themes over and over again?  If you’re a writer, should you write a story that fits within the prevailing trend of the time, or should you try to write something else?  Does a story that falls outside of what is currently considered popular even have a chance?

There are no easy answers to these questions.  Some readers will reach a point of burn out, while others will continue to scoop up all the books they can because they love what these kinds of stories have to offer.  As a writer, I know we can’t please everyone with what we have to offer.  That’s just not possible.  If you have the inspiration to write a story and you’re passionate about it, but you fear that the market has too many stories with similar themes, I’d recommend you try writing it anyway.  Try to give it a twist or look at events from an angle that you haven’t seen yet.  Create the strongest characters you can.  If you give the story everything you have, you have a shot at finding readers for your work.

If your story is something that doesn’t fit within the current trend at all, I’d also recommend giving it a chance.  The most important thing is to tell a compelling story.

Remember, stories that fit within the current trend do so because they are compelling to a lot of people, but someone also had to start writing many of those stories before the trend existed.  Someone had to start that trend in the first place.  That’s why I try not to worry too much about whether a story idea seems trendy or not.  If the idea speaks to me, I try to make it happen.

X is for . . .

X-Files! This is one of the most successful speculative fiction, or science fiction, TV and movie franchises ever.

The X-Files debuted on September 10, 1993 and would run for nine seasons, spawn two major motion pictures, and make a comeback to television in 2016 with a six-episode season.

Created by Chris Carter, the show starred David Duchovny as true believer Agent Fox Mulder, a man haunted by the abduction of his sister under extremely odd circumstances. He’s relegated to the bowels of the FBI, investigating cases involving paranormal phenomena.

But Mulder’s plain brilliant, so the powers that be send in no-nonsense, skeptic and M.D. holding, Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, to debunk Mulder’s nonsense and get him back to “real” cases.

Despite being quite attractive, the pair somehow manages to make it through several seasons before becoming romantically involved. Good thing because love between a show's stars can destroy a series quicker than an alien ray gun. (Anyone remember Moonlighting?)

The X-Files kept audiences coming back for more with a continuing conspiracy involving an alien takeover of Earth and the evil Smoking Man in addition to stand-alone Monster-of-the-Week episodes.

One such episode, Season Four’s Home, was so disturbing that the FOX Network did not rerun it. Ever.

Are you an X-Files fan? Have a favorite Monster-of-the-Week Episode?

If you'd like to learn about the science behind The X-Files, please visit my other blog: www.tamaranarayan.com.