Deep Sky Anchor – Page 186 – An e-zine about spaceships, aliens, science, memory, motherhood, magic, and cats.

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”

The Brutality, Oh the Brutality

I like being asleep. Being awake is okay.‬

‪But going to sleep and waking up? Both terrible.‬

Test for replicants, I mean, writers:‬

‪“There’s an unfinished novel, in the desert, on its back. But you aren’t finishing it. Why aren’t you finishing it???”‬

The Highest Stakes

“A cupcake’s never as funny the second time.”‬
‪—The Comeback, S1E12‬

I just finished watching the first season of The Comeback, and OH MY GOD WHAT A JOURNEY.

I would fight for Valerie Cherish. I want all good things for her. Continue reading “The Highest Stakes”

Paradigm Shift

In the last year, I’ve stepped down from chairing the Cóyotl Awards, editing ROAR, and attending my weekly critique group.

Leaving these things behind has made room for new things in my life. But that’s still a lot of change, and it’s always sad to say goodbye.

Watching Voyager to Get By

That feeling when you don’t have enough spoons to figure out how to get more spoons.‬

So, I’m re-watching Star Trek: Voyager, and…‬

‪Janeway: Forest cat who’s spent her life acting like one of the dogs‬ Continue reading “Watching Voyager to Get By”

Thoughts on the Helicopter Story

Yesterday I read a beautiful story in a top market that helped me understand pieces of myself, and I stayed up late having a conversation where quotes from it helped me explain a dynamic in my life that’s been going on for decades.

This is everything art should be. Continue reading “Thoughts on the Helicopter Story”

“Are We Winning?”

Deep breath. It doesn’t feel like it today. BUT. I tried to watch Murphy Brown from the beginning, back when it got rebooted. And that’s a show that was ground-breakingly feminist for its time. And now… oh my god. It’s sooooooo full of sexist tropes. There are only two women, and they’re constantly at each other’s throats. Murphy is constantly put down for not being feminine enough. Continue reading ““Are We Winning?””