January 2020 – Deep Sky Anchor

Ideas for Star Trek Shows

No matter how much I love Picard, it’s hard to get over the sequel to an ensemble show w/a diverse cast being about only the white male lead.

All the women & PoC in ST: Picard don’t change that the show is kinda saying, “White men are special; women & PoC are replaceable.”

To be clear, I’m not really critiquing any of the content within the new show… more just the fact that Picard is treated like he’s more important and more worthy of a new show about him than Troi, Geordi, Crusher, Worf… Or literally any women or PoC from previous Trek shows. Continue reading “Ideas for Star Trek Shows”

Too Many Ends

The Good Place and Bojack Horseman both ending the same weekend as I’m finishing a novel is not really ideal for me…

The Nightly Challenge

Falling asleep is a delicate butterfly. Hold perfectly still, breathing softly, and maybe it will land on you, gracing you with sleep.‬

‪But one wrong move? You scare the butterfly away and have to begin all over again. Or worse, crush its wings and you have to await a new one.‬

Trying to Finish My Longest Novel Yet

That feeling when you’ve spent months tossing balls in the air—in the form of subplots & character arcs—and now they’re all coming down, but they keep hitting the ground in the wrong order and bouncing away so you have to chase after them, and it’s supposed to LOOK ELEGANT.

I’ve written 200 short stories & a half dozen novels… but I’ve only written a novel longer than 80k once before, and tying up all the threads of a piece this large into neat little bows, without getting them tangled up in each other, seems to be a skill all of its own… Continue reading “Trying to Finish My Longest Novel Yet”

Close to the End

From my novel-in-progress: “But daggers aren’t sharp when they’re inside out.”

I think this is going to be my favorite sentence from this book. Continue reading “Close to the End”

The Spy Who Dumped Me

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) is not quite a good movie… but I feel like if it got a sequel, that movie would be awesome.‬

‪Forget the goofy origin story. Just let Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon be awesome, off-the-wall, best friend spies.‬

Sparky

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Galactic Goddesses, July 2019

“Rononia’s ultranet connection had gone out, and she couldn’t telepathically call the robot dog over its wireless connection.”

Annie squeezed the mechanical hand of her robo-nanny. The hand was cool and silvery like metal, but the smooth surface had a soft give to it like real flesh. Annie felt safe when she held Rononia’s hand.

“I need to take you home,” Rononia said, her voice low and even, but not mechanical. For all of the metallic gears visibly built into her elbows, shoulders, and anywhere else that hinged, Rononia had been given a deeply feeling, emotion-laden voice. And she was programmed to love the child she cared for. “We can’t go looking for Sparky.” Continue reading “Sparky”

Ended Up Going with Nine Instead

That feeling when you need to insert a semi-random number into the sci-fi you’re writing, and so you look up a list of prime numbers and then bizarrely get stuck on staring at them and imagining the different emotional connotations that each of them might hold if you pick it.

Surreal Experience

I was driving my car, and there were warning signs put up on the road…‬

‪then pieces of wreckage…‬

‪then a yellow school bus on its side…‬ Continue reading “Surreal Experience”

When Star Trek Lurched Back to Life

Star Trek: Picard starts today!‬

‪I’m excited & nervous. It feels like going to a family reunion w/aunts & uncles you used to be close to, but haven’t heard from in decades.‬

‪Will the connection still be there? Will you still like each other? Or will the changes just be too much?‬ Continue reading “When Star Trek Lurched Back to Life”