by Kevin L. O’Brien
Automation is defined as technology that performs work with little or no human assistance; automatic machines are known as automatons. It actually predates the Middle Ages, in that the Greeks knew about and used automated systems as early as 300 BC: examples include Hero of Alexandria’s automatic doors and fountain, and Ctesibius’s robot owl.
by Kevin L. O’Brien
It should be pointed out that while it is easy to pattern a quasi-medieval fantasy society after medieval Europe, European society of the Middle Ages didn’t just appear out of nothing. It grew from antecedents and so was based on a foundation of varied traditions, and there is every reason to believe that a fictional society would be the same way.
by Kevin L. O’Brien Welcome to Part Two of a series that examines technology and medieval machines that can be used in worldbuilding. In the first post of this series, I described how a quasi-medieval society could smelt all the iron it needed to generate and sustain an industrial revolution. However, while it could […]
by Kevin L. O’Brien
Welcome to Part One of a series that discusses technology and medieval machines that can be used for worldbuilding.
Many fantasy stories gloss over technological details that would be vital in a real-world setting. For example: how would a medieval-level society acquire the iron it needs for tools and implements?
The New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA for short) is running a writing contest. Prizes include free books, and a grand prize of a free membership to Boskone.
by Nick Wood
There are costs to illness and disability. This is not an uncommon scenario amongst writers–see my list of blogs below on writing through various disabilities.
Mary Rosenblum (b.1952) was killed on March 11 when the small plane she was piloting crashed near Battle Ground, Washington. Rosenblum’s debut novel, The Drylands, received the Compton Crook Award and was followed up by novels Chimera, The Stone Garden, Water Rites, and Horizons. Beginning in 1999, she also began publishing mysteries under her maiden […]
by Jessi Cole Jackson Before delving in, I want to recognize that for many (myself included) fat is a loaded term, with years of abuse attached to it. I use it because it’s not twee or gendered and it does not reduce identity to a specific set of numbers. Also because I want to take […]
Fans can register to vote for the second annual Dragon Awards until Sunday, August 28th at 11:59PM (EDT).
The awards are “by the fans, for the fans, and are your chance to reward those who have made real contributions to SF, books, games, comics, and shows.”
by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
WorldCon in Helsinki is THE social event of the year, and we’re all really looking forward to it. However, for many folks, it might be the first time traveling to a country where English is not the native language. This can be nerve-wracking because it is impossible to know what to expect. In a vague attempt to help, I’ve created this ten-point list of how to cope.
Arthur has conquered the first floor of the Tower and with a new ally, he’s got a real chance of building his Clan. The problem is, their alliance hinges on one factor: speed. Survival is no longer the only goal—it’s a speed run to the top.
Katherine Quevedo hails from Portland, Oregon, where she works as an analyst and lives with her husband and two sons. Her Pushcart and Rhysling nominated fiction and poetry appear in Nightmare Magazine, Asimov’s, Fireside Magazine, and elsewhere.
