“Outpost” • by Gordon Pinckheard

“Mother,” Isaac called out to the Colony’s management system, “I’d like to talk to someone Earthside.” Isaac was bored. He had finished lessons for the day and had seen quite enough of his classmates. He wanted a break from teenagers, some adult company, a face he hadn’t seen in a while. “Certainly, Isaac. Who would you like to speak to?” “Julie, if she’s available. Don’t...

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Writing 101 • No Session Today

Class cancelled. Last-minute schedule conflict. See you on Thursd...

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“Catgut Variations (on a G string)” • by M. David Blake

I once owned a violin, covered with green silk, wrapped in gold and gauze, bound with iron chains and hidden in a teak-wood cask. It was an odd way to keep a violin, I’ll admit.The violin was beautiful, almost iridescently grained, but as useless to me as an ostrich plume on a seal-clubbing expedition. No blow I could strike had any impact, and no stroke of my bow brought...

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Ask Dr. Cyberpunk • with your host, Bruce Bethke

And now, as <s>threatened</s> promised last week:INVASION of the DISCODROIDS!I’ve been taking some deep dives into the archives lately, to find the answer to the question that keeps coming back up: what inspired me to write “Cyberpunk?” The good news is that at the time, I kept detailed journals. The surprising discovery was that, while I’d always thought I’d...

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Writing 101 • Day 4 of 24: Why do you want to write?

Why do you write?You’ve probably noticed that thus far, I’ve scrupulously avoided talking about the special considerations involved in writing science fiction and/or fantasy, the mechanics of story construction and plot, my six can’t-miss secrets for getting an editor to buy your story, or any of the many other things people usually promise to deliver in a writing workshop,...

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Writing 101 • Day 3 of 24: Who Are You?

We humans love stories. We love to hear them. We love to tell them. We love to pass a good story on to others. Stories are how we learn. Stories are how we teach our children. Stories are the collective memory of our tribe, handed down from generation to generation. They’re how we preserve and share our clan’s lore, of our gods and our heroes, our ancestors and our enemies,...

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“Big Bang Enlightenment” • by Sam W. Pisciotta

Jenny scowls, her foot tapping out the passing moments as if marking my silence. The brochure lies on the table between us. Big Bang, Incorporated. Experience enlightenment. “This awakening,” she says, “this little mind vacation was supposed to end after a week.” She leans forward, pleading. “Goddammit, Mo. Say something. Argue with me.” I need no words. The universe...

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Ask Dr. Cyberpunk • with your host, Bruce Bethke

By now enough people have seen this photo that some have begun to ask: “What the Hell is all that stuff?”This, my friends, is where “Cyberpunk” really began. If we had streaming video, this would be a slow pan around the room, but since we don’t, you’ll just have to imagine it. Going clockwise, starting from the lower left: Yes, this all makes perfect sense to me, and no,...

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Notes Toward Building a Writers’ Community

I must admit, I’ve always found writers to be puzzling.I am one. I’ve had some success at being one, as you may have noticed. I grew up in a literature-rich environment. My mom was a published poet of no particular note, and quite a few of her old school friends were professionally published writers, mostly of mysteries. (Mom always seemed disappointed that I preferred science...

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