An e-zine about spaceships, aliens, science, memory, motherhood, magic, and cats.
I’ve been thinking about Swift’s “The Prophecy” a lot. She found artistic success early and struggled to find a relationship she could feel safe and happy in where she could build a family, even though she spent all those years looking.
I found my spouse early and had two kids… Continue reading “The Prophecy”
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Red Setter Medic, May 2026
The starship Initiative was docked at a space station close to the border between Tri-Galactic Union and Reptassan space. There had been a lot of turmoil along the border lately, skirmishes between independent worlds and the Reptassan Empire. Sometimes, Dr. Keller felt like it’d be easier if everyone was uplifted dogs like her and her daughter Leslie. Dogs are pack animals, friendly, gregarious, and outgoing; they naturally want to get along with each other.
In fact, the red setter’s daughter had immediately struck up a friendship with the daughter of a Lupinian diplomat who’d be traveling on the Initiative from this station to the next. Lupinians weren’t uplifted dogs, but they were canines — wolf-like and wild-grown. The Lupinians had developed sentience all on their own on their small world, right at the border of Reptassan space, and Lakoina was traveling with her daughter Tava on a mission to speak on behalf of her people and the fate of their world to the Tri-Galactic Union. Continue reading “Gone, Not Forgotten”
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Red Setter Medic, May 2026
Most of the dogs and cats who crewed the starship Initiative spoke very fondly of away missions. They liked getting their paws on the solid surfaces of real planets or asteroids, feeling fresh air in their whiskers, and enjoying the view of an unobscured sky. Doctor Waverly Keller heard them speak with excitement about visiting strange new places on their missions, meeting weird new kinds of animals, and just basically broadening their horizons.
The red setter doctor, though, didn’t feel the same way. Sure, she enjoyed taking shore leave to a beautiful world for her vacation as much as the next canine, but she did not look forward to away missions. As the ship’s chief medical officer, Dr. Keller was rarely called on to join an away mission if it didn’t involve assessing casualties or providing emergency resuscitations. Continue reading “I, Hive”
The first character I got to 60 way back when Warcraft was new was my Night Elf hunter, and she’s still one of my mains now.
“Reader of Signs” sets the stage for a kind of mini doo-wop musical inspired by that character.
Back in the day, tracking things on your mini map was a special skill for hunters that not every class had. Even though that’s not true anymore, it still seems like tracking is core to the concept of being a hunter. Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes: Doo-Wop Ranger”
My spouse asked me to make an album for his 45th birthday. “Purple Goes with Green” is the opening and title track. Those are our favorite colors, and when we met, we’d each independently concluded the best complement to our favorite was the other.
“So Many Unicorns” is a fun, silly, cheerful song about several kinds of animals… that turn out to not be unicorns. And one that is. Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes: Purple Goes with Green”
The cats are mysterious and important.
I spent 2.5 hours at a local bookstore being interviewed by Riveter Studios today. They’re gonna be releasing a couple videos from my interview, starting in a few weeks, including a reading of my story, “Too Cuddly.” Pretty exciting! Continue reading “Giant Toys, Interviews, and Such”
I have more than 400 lyric videos up on YouTube and have been releasing a new one daily from my album, “Hot Chocolate for the Unicorn.”
Today’s song is “Spoiler Warning”—a satirical piece about TV shows & their fandoms that turned out quite catchy.
“Sister Ghost” is a light, pretty folk rock song about finding an appropriate home for the singer’s sister ghost at a haunted hotel. At least, literally. Continue reading “Partial Insipid Liner Notes: Hot Chocolate for the Unicorn”
This mini-musical was inspired by all the years I’ve spent playing Diablo.
If you like the idea of cheerful, upbeat, catchy music about killing demons and skeletons as you descend toward hell, then this is definitely for you!
When you start playing Diablo, the first thing you have to do is choose…
“What class are you gonna train?
Are you gonna swing a sword?
Draw a bow?
Or call the lightning and the rain?” Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes: Doo-Wop Demon Hunter”
I’ve been invited to turn my book universe into a game for Hidden Door. So, as a first step, I’m having Claude write a series bible for the Otters In Space series, and it has the loveliest things to say…
“Warm, witty, accessible … wry humor and genuine affection for all its characters — even the villains are understandable. There’s real danger and real stakes, but the tone stays fundamentally hopeful. Think: the warmth of a Pixar film with the political texture of Ursula K. Le Guin.” Continue reading “Randomosity”
“Paw Prints Beyond the Moon” was a really fun collection to create a soundtrack for, because it required so many different musical styles. And also, the whole book is furry, and it’s just really fun to have an entire album of furry music.
That’s right — before “Fetching Asteroids” was an addictive video game, it was a flash fiction. And then, it was one of the first doo-wop songs I managed to make. Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes: Paw Prints Beyond the Moon”