Category: ATLANTIS

The Humour in my Writing 1

OK. I have arrived at a point in my new sci-fi story when I need to write some genuine comedy – a joke actually. I often mix humour into stories but I have never tried proper comedy before or a joke. So I am going to try it out here and see what people think. The humour (that might, I hope, make the joke funny) has this context in the story. At this time (whenever it is) aliens are known to exist but nobody has seen one yet. There is a stand up comedian who is busking on a street corner and the main character sees him and hears the joke and laughs. Later on he sees the same guy on a talent show on the equivalent of tv and perhaps later again, each time developing his jokes further.

When he is seen on the street corner he is dressed in suit, standing on a soap box (futuristic equivalent) and wearing a satirical rubber mask in the likeness of the presedent of US and Canada. He is interspersing his jokes with humorous comments about passers-by. Here is the joke: Continue reading “The Humour in my Writing 1”

Offering Readers Choice of Pace

In my novel Insanity, some readers have preferred certain parts and others have felt they are too long or too detailed so I am thinking of offering an ‘extended’ version of the book, like a ‘directors cut’ which will have the longer air battle and the whole chapter in Bulgaria for those who want more background. it just seems a shame to cut out all of this which some have liked. in fact some wanted more air battles.

What do you think of this idea? It might offer people the choice of what sort of pace they want.
Incidentally what do you think of the title? Do you think it should be shortened?

Sci-fi Features Top Trump Factor

Welcome to the first one of a series of Sci-fi Top Trumps. In actual fact they will be Iron Top Trumps because that is the provisional name of my new sci-fi novel. Its set mainly on Io, moon of Jupiter and Io has an iron core. There’s something about the Iron Cross as well but don’t get the wrong idea. Also there is a deeper meaning but that will only become apparent much later if you read the story.

So what Top Trumps? For those of you that haven’t come across them before they are a pack of cards with items on which have varying numbers of points attached to them depending on the quality/attributes of the item. For instance for cars you might have a card for a Mini and an E-Type Jaguar. Clearly the Jag is heavier, faster and more powerful than the mini so it would beat it on every attribute in a game of cards where you call out your strongest attribute. So for my Iron Top Trumps the attributes are:

Coolnest
Cost
Usefulness
Futurosity (how far in the future you might have to go to get one)
Weakness (lowest score wins)

Scores are out of 10 Continue reading “Sci-fi Features Top Trump Factor”