The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a rad channel...
(With apologies to William Gibson.)
Honored samurai, ruthless ronin, wayward vagabonds, shadowy ninja and helpless villagers... welcome.
Opening Volley
Continuing last week’s post with inspirational sources, this week I present a short story, images and music. No one is an island and inspiration comes from the immersion of our every day lives.
Fiction
The Internet really has been a boon for the short story author — from hobbyist to amateur to professional, there’s a place for all where stories can be showcased, read and appreciated by a wide audience than those found in a desktop drawer. And while not all stories are going to be published on some of the more widely read sites, there are stories that should not be missed. They seed the mind with visions of the fantastic. “Scarred” is one of those stories. It was described as “mind-punk” by the publisher, but with respect, I don’t know that covers it. I felt it was a slipstream-of-consciousness piece with strong bio/transhuman themes. It’s like drifting in and out of a dream on another self. Read it and decide for yourself though.
(Image: ANDATA EXPRESS)
Illustration
To say it’s impossible to flip through social media without stumbling over illustrations with hundreds or thousands of shares and likes is like saying the sun came up today. Again, there’s something for everyone and I often find myself just staring into a piece and imagining the world. Two of my favorite artists are Alex Cipriano and BRiZL (whom I commissioned for the cover of Screaming Metal). Both work with hard sci-fi, mecha, robots, cyborgs and transhumans themes. If I could only conjure the images with my words that they do with their pens...
Alex grabs me with his helmets/visors and robotic/cyborg arms. While BRiZL gets me with his eyes — such intensity. Both drive me mad with their gritty takes and girls.
We never meet without parting
Next issue... A sneak peek at my new novella WIP (Golem) and... something something something I’ll figure out along the way. L0L.
Until then!
Made in DNA
You're burning the track, Brent!