Paradox Lost and Other Things Found

I finally I got to use grandfathercidal in a sentence—a word (I’m pretty sure) I made up.

How? Why?

The word can be found in my March S4F article titled Paradox Lost. Personally, I’m not convinced paradoxes exist outside the rocky marriage of philosophy and mathematics (i.e., logic), but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to think about. In the article I go over the epitome of paradox in science fiction, the killing your grandfather paradox. Yes, the famous paradox that popped out of a thought experiment on the horrors of time travel.

Also this month, the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference held its first Free Forum of 2011. The topic: Writing and Selling Magazine Articles. The speaker was the Larry Atkins and he was phenomenal. He has written more articles for more magazines than you can shake a stick at. I’m not sure where that expression comes from, but it feels right. If you haven’t had the chance to check out our new website for the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference website, do it!

Time Travel (Yes you to can make your own time machine)

In my latest Science for Fiction (S4F) article, I write about a staple of science fiction staple: time travel. It isn’t as far-fetched as you might think. Einstein’s theory of relativity, the best explanation we have for spacetime (the fabric of the universe), does not rule out time travel. And in science if something is not specifically excluded, then it must be allowed.

So read Part III of my series about Time at Abandoned Towers Magazine to learn how to, possibly, plausibly, use time travel in fiction.

Do you know What Time it is?

Science fiction writers get a lot of mileage driving their characters through the space-time continuum. In most cases, the protagonist manages it without the benefit of a TARDIS (I really need to get one of those). But, what is time? Physicists know how to measure it (time as a metric, i.e., a clock), what direction it flows (Arrow of Time) and how to bend it (General Relativity). I go over each of these in my latest set of articles of Science for Fiction (S4F) in Abandoned Towers Magazine Blog.

Part I Classical ideas of Time

Part II Modern theories

But for the record, none of them actually tells us what time is. Most ideas on that subject reside in the realm of speculation. And who are best at speculating? Writers and readers of science fiction—of course.

Part III The best ways to plausibly get time travel into fiction and to make it. (I will get this out soon)

If You are Uncertain—Call a Quantum Mechanic for a Fix

Check out my writing on the (impossible) topic of Quantum Mechanics. Included for your pleasure are a few suggestions for including QM in fiction.

So if the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is something that interests you or something you want to sneak into your story, check out the article.

Public Service Warning: if for any reason you think you completely understand Quantum Physics: get yourself to a doctor!

A Poet's Moment

It is seldom that I get sappy. But when I do... I do in a big way. This month Apollo's Lyre reprinted a poem of mine titled Moment. I wrote about this little guy:


It brings back memories. It also reminds me very much of this little princess:



So give it a read!