As I thought about this story idea that's been incubating, it occurred to me that my protagonist might be turning into a vampire. Ok, fine, I've been rolling with the weird things that pop out of my brain for over thirty years now. I can work with this. Then I realized that werewolves might be showing up as well, and I was a little disappointed. C'mon, brain, you're more original than that!
That got me thinking, though: what is it about vampires and werewolves that so many creators put them together in stories? I think it's because they contrast each other so nicely. Vampires are monstrous because they aren't alive enough - cold, only able to experience the life force by stealing it from others. Werewolves are monstrous because in a way they're too alive - hot-blooded, primal, and visceral.
Cliche or no, I might just take this and play with it ...
Jan 20, 2014
Jan 9, 2014
The face of entropic technology
I'm not usually a very visually-oriented person. For example, in my dreams I can usually remember events and the identities of the people involved, but I only rarely remember what everything looks like. I even identify people I don't know by what they do, i.e. The Wizard, The Person Who's Trying to Kill Me, The Person Who Herds the Sheep, you get the idea. My husband did the layout for this blog, because I didn't want to mess around with what it looked like. Right now is an exception, though, because as I think about this fictional field of entropic technology I would like to create, I envision it having a very distinct appearance.
To begin with, the stickler for scientific accuracy in my head will not let me write this post without stating that all existing technology makes use of entropy, because anything that would violate the Second Law of Thermodynamics doesn't happen, including the things humans want to make happen with technology. This hypothetical field I am trying to create is based on a certain focus of awareness. For example, an engineer in the field of electronics has a very firm grasp of the applications of electromagnetism. It occupies a central place in their awareness, and other fields of science are more peripheral. In fact, I once took a physics course in which an electrical engineering student kept asking why an electrical engineering student needed to study certain topics (I could rant A LOT about engineering students who don't want to learn physics ... maybe some other time). For an entropic engineer, thermodynamics would occupy that central position in their awareness.
Now that that's out of the way, back to what it looks like. It's a field of technology, so its appearance will need to reflect a human being's desire to direct a course of events. That's one of the cool things about electronics - all those cables and wires and linear components, you can almost see the channeling of human will right in front of you. I definitely want entropic technology to have components like that.
On the other hand, it's a field of technology based on entropy. It's the channeling of human will by hedging probabilities in their favor. It's going to be a little messy-looking. So, what do you get when human will interfaces with entropy? You get a pair of earbuds after you've left them in your pocket for a while. In fact, one of these days I would love to model the thermodynamics of earbuds in a person's pocket. Maybe I should add that to my repertoire of creative projects. That is the aesthetic I would like to build on.
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the face of entropic technology: knotted-up earbuds!
Jan 6, 2014
Music that makes me feel creative
I slacked off yesterday and didn't do anything particularly creative; I played way too many computer games instead. However, while I was overindulging in computer games I did listen to a lot of music that often makes me feel very creative. Since that's the closest thing I did to achieving my daily goal, I think I'll share what music has that effect on me. There is just something about these particular songs that make me feel a little restless, like something extraordinary is lurking behind all the ordinary things in my life. It's an excellent feeling
Jan 4, 2014
So far in my steampunk/mystery/science fiction story
- Female protagonist with chronic fatigue syndrome and an interest in science (yes, she might end up having many things in common with me)
- A field of technology called "entropics"
- A pair of musicians with weird insights into the future
Ooh! The real-life musicians who inspired this part are electronic musicians. Maybe the characters in my story should be entropic musicians - people who have figured out how to use entropic technology to make music!
I think it's time to shit or get off the can; time to start writing!
Jan 3, 2014
Idea ball!
Two different story ideas I've been playing around with have suddenly collided. It all started when my husband made the comment that the only reason no one flirts with me lately is that I rarely leave the house. Then my dad chimed in and commented (jokingly - my dad is one of the least misogynistic people I know) that you just have to keep women barefoot, in the house, and give them Epstein-Barr virus (the original source of all this unpleasantness). That got me thinking about a mystery/science fiction story in which chronic fatigue syndrome is the result of an anti-feminist plot to keep women from pursuing anything outside the home. It makes sense, since women seem to be more susceptible. And since patriarchy isn't just about oppressing women, but about oppressing anyone who doesn't fit a very narrow definition of "man," it doesn't hurt my plot in the slightest that males are affected as well.
Then this New Year I got slightly inebriated and started thinking about how a steampunk world might approach technology, and how it might be different from what we see here and now. That was fun. Still needs some refining, but it was fun. I consider any day I get to talk or write about entropy to be a good day.
Then today I had an appointment with my doctor. He commented that not very long ago everyone would have told me there was nothing wrong with me. I added that if I were rich, I could have gotten a vacation to the seaside to "rebuild my constitution," and that started a quick, interesting conversation about how Excelsior Springs used to be a health resort. Thinking about illness in a more historical context made those two story ideas smash together in my head. Time to make this into a steampunk/mystery/science fiction story in which chronic fatigue syndrome (or whatever delicate, euphemistic name I decide to give it) is an anti-feminist plot!
And I'll be able to work on it for half an hour at a time ... maybe even a whole hour if I'm having a really good day.
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