
Building a Science Fiction Universe
Many years ago, a concept started to grow in my mind: The story of a single island on which lived the descendants of an ancient shipwreck -- the crash of a starship.
Some thousands of years later, how would the inhabitants remember the story of the crash. How would they describe the unimaginable things of their distant past? How would they remember those who safely got them there.
This is my journey of bringing the whole story to life.
But that story is just one of many that I have imagined in "The Fertile Galaxy" -- a science fiction universe set with two starting premises: 1) life is abundant in our galaxy, and 2) over vast stretches of time, we -- and other civilizations -- have spread throughout the galaxy, leaving endless stories and histories.
Primary Story Summary
A young man living on an island befriends an old woman. She tells him stories of an amazing past and impossible adventures, and he starts to realize that she's more than she seems.
Gradually, she reveals incredible secrets to him.
The stories and myths about how people came to The Island have forgotten the real truth:
- They didn't come from a faraway land in the great ocean. In fact, there is no other permanent land anywhere on the planet.
- They did, in fact, come to the planet on a ship that traveled through space -- through the sky itself.
- The Island... is artificial.
- More than just those living on the outside slopes of The Island, there are others living in hidden places, on The Island... and inside it.
- She herself is far more than she seems.
Before Anyone Asks (The “Is this AI?” Question)
I know, at some point, someone will ask if I'm using AI to write my novel.I am not... but AI is helping.The Genesis of My IdeasMore than 30 years...
Interstellar Travel in Complete Comfort
Long ago, the vast starship Q’Enmari was nearly destroyed in a disastrous incident. As a result of that event and the damage it caused, Q’Enmari was...
SPOILERS: Deep Lore Info Drop – “The Grounding”
Here's the summary of the opening of the main story I'm telling in my universe, and the background for how the current situation came to be.***There...
I’m Proud of How Alien She Looks…
The Q'Enmari is beautifully alien looking, but everything about her design is coming from decisions about her history and her purpose.
My Daily Confidence Booster
What could be more encouraging for an aspiring novelist than having coffee with a professional (award winning!) writer... and him telling you your...
You’re Invited to Dinner… on Another Planet
Remember the blue milk in the original "Star Wars"? Or the whole blue FEAST in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"?Well today you've been...
Artificial Gravity is NOT My Cheat
I'm trying to be as "hard" science fiction as possible in my own created universe, so there are rules of physics and relativity that I'm not going...
Short Story Plans
So I have a number of short story ideas planned, MOST of which definitely take place in the "Frjosom" universe.A girl living in a fallen,...
Always Seeing Our World with Another in Mind
The more I'm creating the Frjosom world, with immense, far-future structures and places, the more I'm aware of large, inspiring structures in our...
“The Wump World” by Bill Peet
One of my earliest memories of a science fiction book is "The Wump World" by Bill Peet. I know for a fact that I read this book in the school...
“The Medium” and the “Lupole Drive”
The biggest science "fiction" in my sci-fi worldbuilding is that, in the ancient past, someone infused the galaxy with a particular quantum...
Post-Wedding-Weekend Recovery
My good friends Paul and Alex got married this weekend, and the events around the event are still happening. So I apologize for dropping the ball on...
The Serendipitous Process of Writing a Disaster
There are two significant events that qualify as disasters that must happen in my main story. One is so Galaxy-wide that it's scope becomes almost...
“Re-Brand”
Well, the algorithms don't like the word "fertile" apparently, so I'm rebranding the Patreon and the "public facing" name of "The Fertile Galaxy" to...
The Ancient Forbidden Technology of Intelligent Artifacts
Frank Herbert's Dune universe includes a mandate against thinking machines. The entire culture in his stories is based on giving humans the ability...
Observation 1: The Scale of the Galaxy
One of the first triggers for my excitement about telling these stories was learning just how immense our own galaxy truly is, and how much empty...
World Details
Yesterday's creative time was very productive in revealing (i.e., me making up) details about how the galaxy itself "works" in my sci-fi universe,...
Arriving at the Café Early to Worldbuild
Sometimes the process is just sitting and pondering and sipping and sketching.
Weekly Story: Dipping My Toes In…
While I'm not feeling fully ready to write actual scenes from my stories yet, I am going to be honing my skill with writing, and I'll be doing so...
Dipping My Toes In…
The matting of the path crunched with each step as I walked back down toward Shore's Edge. It was like the beat of some strangely made drum,...
Music Inspiring My Galactic Sandbox
One of my earliest moments of creative inspiration was when, after seeing the original Star Wars movie in the theater, I got the record of the movie...
Are Blueprints Really Necessary? (I think so.)
The first big story I'm telling in "The Fertile Galaxy" universe involves two storylines. In one, a vast ship is traveling between stars when...
Observations and Speculations
I love the term "science fiction" because it is its own paradox: science (in my own words) is the practice of trying to discover what is factual,...
A Piece of Truly Deep Lore
Have you ever had an idea that just stuck with you? That stayed in your mind for years and years?Here's that idea for me. This page is from about...



