I've mentioned before how much I enjoy sci-fi. Now, I'm not into everything sci-fi. Don't shoot me when I tell you I've never seen Blade Runner all the way through. I know that's a powerhouse favorite for many, but I just never got into it. Maybe it was my surroundings at the time. I'm willing to give it another go someday.

But I thought I'd go back even further and share my thoughts of a classic silent sci-fi film. I was first introduced to it around 1986 by way of Giorgio Moroder.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis stunned audiences back in 1927. A harsh look at the very real class differentiation set in the future. It's the story of young, oblivious Freder, son of Elitist John Fredersen who runs the city of Metropolis. Freder sees the beautiful Maria as she leads children from the depths of the city to see what the sun looks like. He instantly falls in love and follows Maria to the bowels of Metropolis, only to discover the workers don't have it so good.

Maria leads an uplifting time of encouragement with the workers, and while a few of them speak of revolt, she calms them with hope of a mediator who will reconcile the Elite and the workers. In the meantime, Freder's father decides to stir things up by sending in a robot to sabotage the workers and discredit Maria.

In order to avoid spoilers, I'm going to leave it there and just say that things go crazy. And even though it's an older film, it's a timely message. We can all relate to something from this movie--romance, love for our fellow man, overcoming adversity. It's a great film. (And I prefer the version with the score by Giorgio Moroder). Definitely worth seeking out for a viewing.

f you're ever in Colorado Springs at the end of January, not only might you get to enjoy some very moderate temperatures (we may see 60 degrees tomorrow!), but you might catch COSine. And I highly recommend it. It's a small, but well-put-together sci-fi con with a focus on literature.

I am attending for my first year and thoroughly enjoyed the folks I met tonight. I was on a panel with some very talented authors who all shared a common bond--a love and respect for the late Leonard Nimoy. We spoke about his impact on Star Trek and the sci-fi world. It was a great time of fond remembrance.

Just prior to that, though, I attended a session on hard sci-fi. It was intriguing to hear from people who strive to include actual science in their sci-fi. I applaud them for doing so, but I was reminded of why I write space opera. I know little of "quantum entanglement" (the phrase that was bandied about) and string theory and FTL drives and robotics and...well, you get the idea. Like I said, I have no problem with folks who want to include that in their writing. One of my critique partners has a lot of science in his writing and does a brilliant job with it. It's just not my cup of tea.

For me, I prefer the old theatre term...the suspension of disbelief. (I imagine that term came for a source other than theatre, but that's where I first learned it.)

I don't like getting hung up in the hows and whys of spaceship technology. As long as I know it can fly from planet to planet, I'm good with it. If the characters don't age as they are traveling, I don't give it a second thought. I fully buy into the magic and enjoy every minute of it.

And I do the same in my own stories. The technology is assumed, so I can focus on the relationships and development of my characters. To me, that's the heart of the story. The heart behind the story. I just happen to set mine among the stars.

And although the science is there, I believe the success behind beloved sci-fi television and movies stems from the drama, friction, conflict, romance, friendship, and heartache we are party to. It's all part of the human condition, and that's what resonates with us.

Long live space opera.

Oh, dear me! It's been a long time since I last posted. But that's okay. I'm crawling out from under my load of life. We're good. Everything's fine here...now. How about you?

Wow, we're in a new year. The long-anticipated Star Wars has come out. We've lost a number of incredible performers. So much has changed! Crazy, huh?

As for me, I've got some new projects in the mix. I'm slowly but surely trudging through Book 3. (It will come out, I promise you!) I have others I'm polishing to get out there. They are going to be awesome! I'm hoping to release at least three books this year. We shall see.

Speaking of books, come see me at COSine in Colorado Springs on January 22nd and 23rd. I'll be signing books and speaking on a panel. It's sure to be a great time! To find out more, click here.

​See you 'round the Bands!