Author: marylowd

A Dubious Hypothesis

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Techno-Tabby Engineer, February 2026

“An entire universe of star systems and populated planets had narrowed down to a bubble of water-retardant cloth with an orange cat and white fox inside, cuddled up in sleeping bags on either side of a lantern.”

Lt. Jordan LeGuin rarely turned off the augmented data streams in his techno-focal goggles that constantly ran through his field of vision, keeping him informed and entertained, but he had a lot to think about.  The orange tabby had spent the better part of the last week at an engineering conference on Starbase 17, and he was on his way back to the starship Initiative now.  His brain was full enough of ideas.

LeGuin didn’t need anything more to process right now.  He just wanted to let all the ideas he’d crammed into his mind attending talks and demonstrations during the last week settle into place.  And besides, sometimes while piloting a shuttle craft, it was nice to simply allow the infinite stretches of void around the small vessel to envelop him.  Space is really, really big, and sometimes the tabby liked to be reminded of that. Continue reading “A Dubious Hypothesis”

Cuckoo’s Conundrum

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Techno-Tabby Engineer, February 2026

“Hearing the tone of awe in the bird’s voice, Lt. LeGuin realized he might have an opportunity here.”

Jordan LeGuin was a cat more than worth his stripes, and he had really beautiful, bright orange and fire-red stripes that only mildly clashed with the more muted tones of his Tri-Galactic Union engineer’s uniform.  He’d worked hard to earn that uniform and each of the golden pips on his collar that marked him a lieutenant.  He was a naturally smart cat, but that wouldn’t have been enough to make him the chief engineer of the starship Initiative without years of training and studying.  For better or worse, Lt. LeGuin was more comfortable reading technical papers and balancing equations than trying to navigate the uncertain waters of most social interactions, so he’d been able to sail far on the sea of intellectual meritocracy. Continue reading “Cuckoo’s Conundrum”

Insipid Liner Notes: Doo-Wop Necromancer

Most of the Doo-Wop Fantasy albums are inspired by classes you can play in World of Warcraft. But Necromancer was too rich of a concept to pass up…

So this album is kind of like imagining the Diablo 2 Necromancer living in World of Warcraft’s Duskwood.

“In the Garden of the Gone” sets the whole tone for the necromancer album. Quiet, ponderous, a little spooky. Lurking in a graveyard. Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes: Doo-Wop Necromancer”

Insipid Liner Notes: Doo-Wop Mage

I was so excited to try out playing a mage in World of Warcraft way back in the day… and then it was so awful. So many amazing spells! And so little survivability…

It all adds up to a pretty awesome album though.

“These Hands are Made for Crafting” is a song about realizing your hands simply aren’t up to some tasks and that if you want to use them for what really matters — like casting ice bolts and fireballs — you can’t waste them on swinging about heavy weapons. Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes: Doo-Wop Mage”

Insipid Liner Notes – Star-Shaker’s Cold-Blooded Girl

“One Crazy Ride” is literally a song about a reptilian alien marveling at her new relationship, wondering:

“Is this one crazy ride for six months
Or is it the rest of my life?”

But that line came from how I feel about being able to make music with AI. Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes – Star-Shaker’s Cold-Blooded Girl”

Hobbies Old and New

Anyone much younger than forty simply cannot have a visceral understanding of what it feels like to live through a decade’s worth of time.

Not a specific decade, mind you. Just the length, like knowing how it feels to sit through an hour or do something for a week. But a decade.

But deep down, don’t we all want to talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures? Continue reading “Hobbies Old and New”

Nonsense of Various Types

“What would you even do with a hammock at this time of year?” I ask my kid who seems surprised when I suggest we might wait until the summer to get one… despite everywhere being wet around us.

“A slingshot. For pineapples,” the child informs me.

Notes I wrote myself at 3am:

—ten and seven are the factors of Steven
—what if Ariel grows into the sea witch??? Continue reading “Nonsense of Various Types”

Insipid Liner Notes – Doo-Wop Druid

There’s so much to explore in an album inspired by the druid class in Warcraft/Diablo. It’s all about transformation — cat form, bear form, travel form, flight form. You’re a whole kaleidoscope of different animals and even a tree sometimes.

“Back to the Wild” sets the stage for our main character to begin training as a druid.

“La-da-da-da leaf, la-da-da-da leaf.” Continue reading “Insipid Liner Notes – Doo-Wop Druid”