Alberto Cottica
@alberto_cottica@mastodon.green  ·  activity timestamp 7 days ago

Sci-fi author Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and I are working on a script that extracts economic concepts from reviews of science fiction novels. We are interested in observing convergences: are there alternative economies that feel believable to several authors? Here is a first shot, using reviews mostly written by myself over the years. Authors reviewed include @pluralistic , @bruces @annaleen, @KarlSchroeder, Kim Stanley Robinson, and others.

https://edgeryders.eu/t/what-if-we-turned-the-sci-fi-economics-wiki-into-data/19688/13?u=alberto

#economics #sciencefiction
Alberto Cottica
@alberto_cottica@mastodon.green  ·  activity timestamp 7 days ago

Sci-fi author Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and I are working on a script that extracts economic concepts from reviews of science fiction novels. We are interested in observing convergences: are there alternative economies that feel believable to several authors? Here is a first shot, using reviews mostly written by myself over the years. Authors reviewed include @pluralistic , @bruces @annaleen, @KarlSchroeder, Kim Stanley Robinson, and others.

https://edgeryders.eu/t/what-if-we-turned-the-sci-fi-economics-wiki-into-data/19688/13?u=alberto

#economics #sciencefiction
Xanathon
@xanathon@social.phantanews.de  ·  activity timestamp last week

Encounter In The Wasteland

#render #renderedArt #3DRender #CGI #CGArt #3DArt #SciFi #ScienceFiction #MastoArt #MastoArt3D #FediArt #Xanathon #art #Robot #Mech #3D #Blender #Blender3D

A small astronaut walks alone across a rugged, sunlit rocky terrain toward a towering humanoid robot. The robot, silvery and majestic, stands motionless against a bright sky, illuminated by golden sunlight from the left. Its posture is upright and powerful, almost guardian-like. The astronaut appears tiny in comparison, emphasizing the scale difference. The scene evokes a sense of awe, wonder, and anticipation—like a meeting between humanity and an ancient or advanced mechanical giant. The atmosphere is peaceful, with soft clouds above and long shadows cast across the rocks.
A small astronaut walks alone across a rugged, sunlit rocky terrain toward a towering humanoid robot. The robot, silvery and majestic, stands motionless against a bright sky, illuminated by golden sunlight from the left. Its posture is upright and powerful, almost guardian-like. The astronaut appears tiny in comparison, emphasizing the scale difference. The scene evokes a sense of awe, wonder, and anticipation—like a meeting between humanity and an ancient or advanced mechanical giant. The atmosphere is peaceful, with soft clouds above and long shadows cast across the rocks.
Xanathon
@xanathon@social.phantanews.de  ·  activity timestamp last week

Encounter In The Wasteland

#render #renderedArt #3DRender #CGI #CGArt #3DArt #SciFi #ScienceFiction #MastoArt #MastoArt3D #FediArt #Xanathon #art #Robot #Mech #3D #Blender #Blender3D

A small astronaut walks alone across a rugged, sunlit rocky terrain toward a towering humanoid robot. The robot, silvery and majestic, stands motionless against a bright sky, illuminated by golden sunlight from the left. Its posture is upright and powerful, almost guardian-like. The astronaut appears tiny in comparison, emphasizing the scale difference. The scene evokes a sense of awe, wonder, and anticipation—like a meeting between humanity and an ancient or advanced mechanical giant. The atmosphere is peaceful, with soft clouds above and long shadows cast across the rocks.
A small astronaut walks alone across a rugged, sunlit rocky terrain toward a towering humanoid robot. The robot, silvery and majestic, stands motionless against a bright sky, illuminated by golden sunlight from the left. Its posture is upright and powerful, almost guardian-like. The astronaut appears tiny in comparison, emphasizing the scale difference. The scene evokes a sense of awe, wonder, and anticipation—like a meeting between humanity and an ancient or advanced mechanical giant. The atmosphere is peaceful, with soft clouds above and long shadows cast across the rocks.
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago
#WordWeavers 7.26 — Do you have any fight scenes in your work? What are they like?

In a genre like cyberpunk, they're inevitable.

There are so many things to choose from. Here's one example, though, if you're curious.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago
#WordWeavers 7.25 — Who’s the hardest character you’ve ever written and why?

This is a /really/ good question.

My most difficult character at the moment, by far, is Noona from the series. I can't quite see her in my mind, you know? The face hasn't come to me yet. I'm trying to get a handle on her, only because she was never fleshed out (only the personality and backstory in my mind), and it's giving me some trouble. It'll come to me, though. These things just take time.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago
#WordWeavers 7.24 — Who’s smarter, your MC or your antagonist?

They're complete opposites. I can't compare them. They're both brilliant but in vastly different ways. Dr. Death is a scientist, a doctor, and a manipulative bastard. Alexios is the leader of a gang, is rather good at keeping the peace between said gangs, is well-trained in combat, was once a nomad on his own, and fled Dr. Death's ship centuries ago (while the rest of his people died in that man's clutches). They're so, so different, but incredibly good at what they do.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago
#WordWeavers 7.23 — Your MC is lost in a busy city, and GPS isn’t an option. How do they handle the situation?

In a busy city, much like where he currently lives, Alexios would start by questioning people he finds along the way. He would ask for directions, ask for any information he could use, and then eventually find his way. But here's the thing, Alexios has never been bothered by things like this. With everywhere he's lived, it's been this way. He was once lost in every city, on every continent, on every planet.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Science Fiction Poetry Assoc
@sfpoetry@mastodon.world  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

The 2025 Speculative Poetry Contest is accepting submissions from all poets now until August 31st. Rules, information on the judge, prize info, and the link to the submission form are at at https://sfpoetry.com/contests.html

Please boost and share - and good luck!
#specpo #sciencefiction #fantasy #horror #poetry
Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐
@gcvsa@mstdn.plus  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago

There are three aspects of our society that have dramatically changed since the mid-20th Century: sexism, racism, and homophobia/transphobia. Many of the seminal early works of #ScienceFiction were written during a time when things we now see as sexism, racism, and anti-LGBT sentiment were more acceptable to readers than they are today.

Star Trek, in 1966, was the first televison show to ever show a kiss between a white man and a Black woman. Ellen DeGeneres only came out on TV in 1997.
Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐
@gcvsa@mstdn.plus  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago

When #reading older works of #ScienceFiction, I find it helpful to bear in mind that they are often products of their times, and that ideas which we find distasteful now may have been commonly acceptable then, and ideas which seem commonplace to us now may have been considered wildly radical then.

Then there is the fact that many famous works have been grossly misinterpreted to the point where the popular understanding of them is complete nonsense (cf: Starship Troopers). #books
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
#PennedPossibilities 732 — Is your WIP a singular novel, a series of books, serial fiction, comics, or fanfiction? (Or something else entirely? Explain.)

Although I write a little bit of everything, The City of Opulence is the first novel in the Digital Dystopia series. It's a dark romance series set in a science fiction fantasy (and cyberpunk-inspired) universe.

I'll leave everyone with a quote that sums up this series quite well. It was said by Dr. Arcturius "Dante" Cason in the first novel.

"A better future will come. We need only work for it."

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
#PennedPossibilities 732 — Is your WIP a singular novel, a series of books, serial fiction, comics, or fanfiction? (Or something else entirely? Explain.)

Although I write a little bit of everything, The City of Opulence is the first novel in the Digital Dystopia series. It's a dark romance series set in a science fiction fantasy (and cyberpunk-inspired) universe.

I'll leave everyone with a quote that sums up this series quite well. It was said by Dr. Arcturius "Dante" Cason in the first novel.

"A better future will come. We need only work for it."

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
#PennedPossibilities 730 — 2nd Anniversary Edition: Share a blurb, summary, or tiny snippet explaining your WIP to everyone in the hashtag.

Happy two years, everyone! We made it! 🤍

This is actually my summary:

This is the story of one man, more machine than human, and how he survived the centuries. Something is coming, someone from his past, and it's time to prepare.

Citune is a cyberpunk-inspired world. Alexios is the leader of Destiny's Maelström, a rebel gang and crime circuit. They own various warehouses and other businesses in the city of Ethera. Before forming his gang, centuries prior, he had been a nomad on his own with nothing more than a motorbike, his belongings, and a dark past. Now his gang operates on the black market selling various antiquities, oddities, weaponry, and medical equipment for docs, all while raking in more money than any other gang involved in underground sales.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
#PennedPossibilities 731 — MC POV: Tell us about the last time you felt guilty.

Alexios: Time for some honesty... I told someone that there was nothing between us. (Not naming names, but it might've been Trick.) The night before, we had sex. For context, he has a brain chip from his days as a prozzie (prostitute), and it alters the brain chemistry of possible clients, making them think and feel like they want to say yes, if you catch my drift. Said chip, which he hadn't yet removed, went haywire and randomly turned on. I was already under the influence, having been drinking. We both were. That bloody chip only worsened things. A day later, I told him it meant nothing, that it was all down to the chip. I told him it couldn't happen again. I lied. It wasn't just the chip. I suppose the inhibitions were gone, that's all. Instead, I should've just told him that I love him. Guilt doesn't even begin to describe how I felt.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
Spooky Panda 🇺🇦
@floofpaldi@mindly.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
#PennedPossibilities 730 — 2nd Anniversary Edition: Share a blurb, summary, or tiny snippet explaining your WIP to everyone in the hashtag.

Happy two years, everyone! We made it! 🤍

This is actually my summary:

This is the story of one man, more machine than human, and how he survived the centuries. Something is coming, someone from his past, and it's time to prepare.

Citune is a cyberpunk-inspired world. Alexios is the leader of Destiny's Maelström, a rebel gang and crime circuit. They own various warehouses and other businesses in the city of Ethera. Before forming his gang, centuries prior, he had been a nomad on his own with nothing more than a motorbike, his belongings, and a dark past. Now his gang operates on the black market selling various antiquities, oddities, weaponry, and medical equipment for docs, all while raking in more money than any other gang involved in underground sales.

#LGBT#LGBTQIA#TheCityOfOpulence#DigitalDystopiaSeries#Cyberpunk#SFF#ScienceFiction#Romance#Worldbuilding#AmWriting #WritingCommunity