SciFiMonthy No. 6
The Science-Fiction-Create August newsletter
In this month's issue:
Welcome | Science-Fiction-Create Recap | More in SciFiNews | The Goods
Welcome
It's hard to believe August is already here. This atypical year has everything out of whack. I'm finding it difficult to separate all the personal changes from all the world changes. Maybe they aren't so separate.
Investing my creativity in Science-Fiction-Create has been a saving grace for me. Six months in, and I am more excited than ever to share recent news with you.
In this August edition of SciFiMonthly, I cover the usual: a recap of July content, news in science and science fiction, and a few likes.
As always, please don't hesitate to comment on my posts or send me a message here. I am thrilled at the outpouring of support. Several have even shared stories, creations, and influences. Thank you for participating in this adventure and for being a part of my life.
Now for the news.
Science-Fiction-Create Recap
This last month's lineup was "maker heavy." I am gearing up for some big things in The Lab, so creating has been on my mind a lot.
I kicked off July with a story on the right tool for the job. Comparing the ideal, the workable, and the gimmick, I shared my thoughts on the instruments that make making possible. Tools are the vehicle to creative output, and having the ideal one can make the process feel like magic.
In a subscriber-only post, I shared my plans for starting a YouTube channel. I'm inspired by the support for this idea and have doubled down on getting The Lab ready. The plan is to kick off my show within the next month. To get everyone up-to-speed on what's in store, I've unlocked this story for anyone to read. If you aren't yet a subscriber, now's your chance to peek behind the curtain. Please do take a few minutes and check it out.
As a private person, I am often reluctant to share my personal thoughts and concerns. And this is not always healthy. Thankfully, I've learned that writing feels somehow "safer" for me to share my inner world. In this story on why I changed direction mid-career, I opened up about all I've had to overcome this last year. I've taken an enormous leap - and leaned into some fierce pain - to do what I love. Sometimes a calculated risk is worth it no matter the outcome.
Remember, you can read these and all my other stories on Substack at any time. Just click on the archives tab to see a chronological list of all my published content.
More in SciFiNews
Thursday, NASA launched the Mars Perseverance Rover. Atop an Atlas V rocket, Perseverance lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, headed to Mars. The trip will take seven months to reach the Red Planet. Once there, it will collect data on possible microbial life and better detail the planet's climate and geology. All these data will prepare us for future exploration. And perhaps unlock one of the greatest questions in the universe - is there life on other planets?
And another first: three countries are sending missions to Mars at about the same time. All set to arrive early next year: the US with Perseverance, the UAE with their Hope orbiting probe, and China via Tianwen-1 - an orbiter/lander/rover mission. If all goes well for these three, the Red Planet will be a busy solar system destination in 2021.
Back here on Earth, the summer movie season is more than half gone, and I haven't seen a single film in theaters. Chances are, neither have you. Many planned openings are postponed because of COVID-19, and most theaters aren't even open. We've missed a lot of great stuff this summer. Of all the 2020 summer films, I am most disappointed in not seeing the new Ghost Busters - Ghost Busters Afterlife. It was set to debut in July. Alas, it now won't premiere until March of next year. Who you gonna watch (until then)? Try the original. It's topping box office charts since its re-release this summer.
The Goods
Here are a few of my likes as a fan of science, sci-fi, horror, and creating.
Books and Art- H.R. Giger's Necronomicon (1991), by H.R. Geiger. Morpheus International, Las Vegas. From the publisher: "A startling milestone on the darkly lit road once traveled by the likes of Bosch, Brueghel, Lovecraft, Poe and Kafka. Giger's remarkable book of the dead gives us some of the most powerful images ever an artist drew from the well of the imagination." Why I like it: You might not know his name, but you know his work. H.R. Geiger developed a style depicting humans and machines intertwined in what he called "biomechanical" art. His work inspired the creature in the Alien films, although his influence is far greater. In Necronomicon, a 12" x 17" large-format art book, a wide swath of Giger's work is presented. The book is well-annotated and well described. More than a series of startling images, Necronomicon will leave you thinking, a bit disturbed, and in complete awe. Not for the squeamish or faint of heart.
YouTube - Adam Savage's Tested. Available to watch now on YouTube. From the Tested YouTube Channel: "Host of Discovery Channel's long-running series MythBusters, Adam Savage has spent his life making things. From a cardboard suit of Excalibur armor when he was 13 to a REAL suit of Excalibur armor (with Terry English) when he was 50, Adam has built just about everything you can think of. In fact, over his career as an industrial and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator and television personality, there isn't much Adam Savage has not done." Why I like it: Sure, Adam Savage is talented and witty, but what sells me on this maker/how-to guy is how real he seems. He's a joy to watch as he creates things in his self-described "cave." Savage is very much a skilled maker. He knows many tricks of the trade and has great tips for anyone interested in creating. Best of all, he takes his own mistakes in stride. There's a life lesson in that for all of us.
***
That's it for the August SciFiMonthly. For subscribers, the regularly scheduled Monday story is just around the corner. And Friday's free installment is less than a week away.
Thanks for reading. Be kind to each other.