2022 Already?
Dec 30, 2021 2:31 pm
Raymund Eich
Science fiction and fantasy - from Middle America to the ends of the Universe
2022 Already?
Hi ,
Raymund Eich here. Happy New Year!
If you're a long-time science fiction fan, you know plenty of sci-fi movies and stories are set in particular years. In the '80s and earlier, and even into the early '90s, the era 1999-2001 seemed incredibly futuristic. Plus it had all those millennialist overtones. According to the Book of Revelations, or Nostradamus, or that Prince song, the world was going to end, with maybe a few survivors scavenging through the ruins. (Did you think post-apocalyptic dystopias only started with Hugh Howey's Wool?)
On the other hand, some years don't sound futuristic. Just kind of boring. Like 2022. (Though after the last couple of years, maybe boring is what we're looking for). There isn't any science fiction set in 2022, right?
Not so fast. 2022 is the setting year of '70s overpopulation cult classic Soylent Green. And if you don't know what Soylent Green is made of, I'm not going to spoil it for you.
Publishing News
Minnie and the Trekker
A Portia Oakeshott, Dinosaur Veterinarian Short Story
Ebook $2.99
Paperback $6.99
Prices vary outside the US.
Another Story in Analog
My third appearance in Analog is on newsstands now. It's not a Portia Oakeshott story, but instead, a deep space spaghetti western. As you might guess from the title "A Fistful of Monopoles."
Patently Curious
I've read thousands of patents in my career. Some are more memorable than others.
My mother was a child in the 1930s, and told me that her family's Christmas tree had candles. As in, wax and wicks that you set on fire to generate light. Needless to say, this was a fire hazard. My grandmother only lit them for a few minutes on Christmas Eve.
Strings of electric lights were a huge improvement, but were still far from perfect. Ever try to change an incandescent lightbulb after it had been on for a while? Those things get very hot to the touch. I've seen estimates that about 150 house fires a year in the US were started by incandescent Christmas lights overheating and setting trees on fire. Plus, they only come in one color.
So if you enjoy multicolored Christmas lights that won't burn down the house, and save energy while doing it, take a moment to feel grateful for the work of Paul T. Bailey, M. George Craford, Alexander G. Findlay, and Robert K. Underwood, inventors of US Patent 4,039,890, "Integrated semiconductor light-emitting display array." Sounds tech-y, I know, but you don't have to be a patent practitioner to understand "A composite LED display array ... wherein said LED devices comprise groups of diodes, said groups being adapted to transmit different colors of light."
From the Vault
Five From the Borderlands
For almost two centuries, here in Texas, Anglos and Mexicans have had a complicated relationship. (Just one example: over 25 men with Spanish names fought for Texas independence at the Alamo).
As far as writers are concerned, complicated relationships are a good thing. They create situations for stories.
Like these five.
LA RUBIA
How far will Francisca go to protect her colony of Mexican refugees from pirates roving the asteroid belt?
PASE DE UN DÍA
Chalo could teleport to the U.S. every day and work for a better life for his family—if he kept his day pass. A Writers of the Future Honorable Mention.
MIKE FINK GOES TO BIG BEND
Characters from American, Mexican, and Native folklore meet in west Texas in the 21st century.
THE THIRTIETH AMENDMENT
Gonzalo had to pass the test of English fluency to prove himself a U.S. citizen. So did others willing to cheat.
AFFECTIVE DISORDER
Texas PI Albert Jimenez found more than the usual when he investigated an heiress' "suicide." A Writers of the Future Semi-Finalist.
Five From the Borderlands is available in ebook ($2.99) and trade paperback ($13.99). All prices USD. Click below to learn more and buy now.
Other books you might like
Rim Chronicles Boxset (Review Copy)
by Edita A. Petrick
Read three novels for free, in exchange for leaving an honest review at the online bookstore of your choice. Does that sound like a good deal? Then check out this space adventure box set. Link here.
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I'll be back in a couple of months with more news. And I'll bring you a special bulletin when publishing news breaks.
Happy reading!
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