My brain was so excited about starting a new Otters In Space novel that I couldn’t sleep and thumb-typed a whole bunch on my phone in bed, and when I did fall asleep, I kept writing all night; unfortunately my devices are notoriously bad at recording words I write in my dreams. Continue reading “Starting a New Otters In Space!”
Month: May 2019
Maradia’s Robots
I’ve been seeing a lot of interest in my robot stories, ever since “The Three Laws of Social Robotics” came out in Analog. So this page is a guide to where readers can find more of my stories about Maradia’s robots. Continue reading “Maradia’s Robots”
House Dreams
I never dream about my house. I dream weird new houses, which made sense when it looked like we’d have to sell this house and move away. But this morning, I think my brain tried to dream about my house. The result was a strange hybrid of the bones of the house I grew up in, set on the hill where I live now, with all of the furniture stripped away and stolen. Continue reading “House Dreams”
Never Let Go
I finished writing a novella today that I started sixteen years ago.
I wrote 194 other stories and 7 novels between the time when I started this novella and when I finished it.
Super Mario Bros. (’93)
I decided, out of curiosity, to watch Super Mario Bros. (1993), and… well… um… that was… bewildering.
The five-year-old’s unsolicited review: “It’s sad because it’s not like the game.” (Although, he seemed delighted while actually watching it.)
So Many Plans
So, today, I hatched plans for a novel that involves a Norwegian forest cat captain who runs into a giant world turtle in space and also (separately) a space opera version of Camelot that centers on Guinevere, except she’s a sentient plant alien. So much writing to do!!!!
Chestnut Wish
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Typerwriter Emergencies, December 2017
Olea started screaming first, whiskers quivering with rage. She was an otter and should have enjoyed tumbling and playing all day. But she was also an adult, and Shaun was a toddler. No force on Earth or in space could keep pace with a toddler otter — except for another toddler otter, but Shaun was a rare litter of one. No sibling playmates.
All Olea wanted was to flop down, drape her long spine over the couch, and watch some TV show with fast-talking cats and dogs in suits throwing quips at each other. But as soon as she grabbed the remote, Shaun pointed at the TV and chirped in his high-pitched squeak, “Cho-bolos!” over and over — whatever that meant. Why couldn’t the doggarned kid learn to speak? Humans hadn’t uplifted otters a hundred years ago so they could chirp nonsense words. Language. It was the whole point of being uplifted. Continue reading “Chestnut Wish”
Foreknowledge
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Apex, February 2015
I stare out over my pregnant belly, feeling awkward. Feeling irritable. “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”
“Some parents don’t want to know,” Dr. Anders says. “And we respect that.”
“It’s right there on your clipboard, right?” I point to the clipboard, and he holds it infinitesimally closer to his chest. As if he’s hiding the results from me. Continue reading “Foreknowledge”