marylowd – Page 78 – Deep Sky Anchor

Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 19: The Great Red Spot

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 2: Jupiter, Deadly. If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead.

“Dum-de-dum-dum,” came Trugger’s voice over the radio. “We’re on Jupiter!”

The thick red smog whipped past Kipper as she flew haphazardly downward in her strange box-ship powered by the jetpack on her back. She felt the cold through the rubbery fabric of her spacesuit, and dancing wisps of red clouded her field of vision. Kipper’s paws gripped tight to the front edge of the box, and her feet braced against the back. Continue reading “Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 19: The Great Red Spot”

Scattered Thoughts on Writing and AI

I am so profoundly disappointed by how pillars of the writing community have chosen to become ringleaders for pitchfork wielding mobs, unthinkingly screaming “theft!” & “plagiarism!” against anything with the slightest whiff of AI near it.

You’re making writers look ridiculous. Continue reading “Scattered Thoughts on Writing and AI”

Writers Learning from Using AI

There’s a lot of anti-AI screaming from writers these days. It’s so loud and intense that it’s basically scared all the AI-positive and AI-curious writers into hidden groups, too afraid to speak up publicly.

Well, to hell with that. I’m tired of the fear-mongers speaking for us. Continue reading “Writers Learning from Using AI”

When Writing and Machine Learning Collided

My spouse (Daniel Lowd) and I know very different corners of the internet. He does machine learning. I’m a writer. (As is often the case, this post is converted from a Twitter thread.)

Yesterday, my corners turned into a pitchfork and torch carrying mob, as they’ve been doing more and more often. Today, his corners noticed it. Continue reading “When Writing and Machine Learning Collided”

Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 18: The Great Red Spot

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 2: Jupiter, Deadly. If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead.

“Although Kipper’s heart felt cold, she powered up her jetpack. In a numb daze, she said, “I’ll go first.””

When Trugger arrived at the airlock, he found Kipper in a box. It was a lightweight storage cubby, crammed full of spacesuits, with spacesuits draping over its sides. It rested on the floor of the corridor, rocking and rotating lightly in the currents of oxo-agua. When it turned so Trugger could see inside, Kipper was barely noticeable among the other spacesuits. If she turned her head so the faceplate of her helmet looked away from him, there’d have been no way to tell she was anything other than another empty suit. Continue reading “Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 18: The Great Red Spot”

If You Love Fruit Salad So Much…

I feel like there might be a straight line to be drawn between watching Pee-wee Herman marry a bowl of fruit salad when I was five and writing a book about a lesbian elephant marrying a butterfly at forty.

Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 17: Earth

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 2: Jupiter, Deadly. If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead.

“My boss asked me to keep you out of his fur. As long as we’re at an ice cream parlor, out of his sight, I don’t think you’re bothering him.”

As usual, Trudith’s plans didn’t work out quite the way she expected. Keith took her to his church, and he showed her where the senator usually sat. However, instead of settling into a long discussion of the senator’s behavior at church, leading into a heart to heart about the senator’s intentions, all Trudith learned about was Keith. Continue reading “Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 17: Earth”

Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 16: The Great Red Spot

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 2: Jupiter, Deadly. If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead.

“…the octopus empire has had dealings with them before. Hundreds of years before otters and cats were even uplifted. The octopus empire is ancient.”

The spiny wedge of an alien sail station loomed ahead on the Jolly Barracuda’s viewscreen. Every otter on the bridge grew deathly still looking at it. Bewhiskered faces with oval noses and serious expressions stared straight at the behemoth in front of them. Then, one by one, they turned to look at their captain.

Shifting uncomfortably under the combined gaze and the weighty Jovian gravity, Captain Cod eventually signed, “It’s big, isn’t it?” Continue reading “Otters In Space 2 – Chapter 16: The Great Red Spot”

Sugar Salad and the Monkees

I dreamed I was hanging out with Micky Dolenz. And what does my unconscious brain think I should do while hanging out with Micky Dolenz? Well, we were trying to train my dog to correctly identify which Monkee is singing lead when listening to a Monkees song. Continue reading “Sugar Salad and the Monkees”

The Elephant Bride’s Bouquet

by Mary E. Lowd

A Deep Sky Anchor Original, August 2023

“There were strict rules about harvesting the plants in the arboretum, and no matter how much she’d always wanted to curl her trunk around the stems of the flowers and snap off pretty buds, she had never dared break the rules.”

Jeko lifted her trunk and trumpeted along with the latest Star-Shaker song which she’d turned up to completely fill her small room aboard Crossroads Station. Her trunk swayed along with the beat, and the reptilian pop-star’s lilting, raspy voice was loud enough that Jeko didn’t have to feel embarrassed about her own brassy tones. The elephantine alien never sang in front of other people, but she loved to sing when she was alone. Especially when she was happy. Continue reading “The Elephant Bride’s Bouquet”