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I Bet You Didn’t Know You Could Do This With Duct Tape Rick started making crafts out of duct tape in 2006, when he learned how to combine strips of duct tape into a rather strong and flexible fabric that can then be used to make pretty much anything. He started small, designing billfold wallets.…Read More…
Excerpt: A Dragon Problem
One of my favorite scenes is this debate between the dragon Basalt and Kira. Basalt glared at us. After what felt like an eternity, he grunted, sending smoke rings drifting over our heads. “It seems I have little choice. But as long as the betrayer holds even one of my children, I must obey the…Read More…
The Waterfalls of Polaris
Polaris has long been known for its waterfalls which are regarded as the tallest, most extensive falls in the known galaxy. For millennia, Polarans have relied on the falls for hydroelectric and mechanical power as well as temperature and humidity control. Entire cities are built behind the falls, and on the surrounding cliffs. Over the…Read More…
Snippet: A Time to Heal
Don’t mess with Diana Diego… Trevor was the first guest to arrive and be scanned. A laser light outlined a shape in his pocket, and a DSS agent confronted him. “Please empty your pockets, sir.” “It’s just a pocketknife!” Trevor slowly pulled it out to hand to the agent. “See? I never go anywhere without…Read More…
The Void Crossing
The following is an excerpt from A Time to Mourn. It’s a tale of how the Jhelin came to this galaxy and settled in Vega. Long ago, the governing body of the galaxy became corrupt. Instead of serving the common good, they sought power for themselves. They passed laws that made it nearly impossible to…Read More…
Is ‘Humanoid’ a Racist Term?
In this age of self-examination and sensitivity to cultures beyond our own, there is a growing trend toward trying to use names for people and things that are non-inflammatory. Some resent the practice, denouncing it as political correctness; in doing so, they reveal a measure of unrepentant self-centered thinking within themselves. One of the more…Read More…
Flora Prime and Symbiosis
Flora Prime is a unique world within the Umea Bakearen universe. Though it is a full-fledged member of the Galactic Union, the indigenous people never developed space flight on their own. They were approached by the Aldebarans because they were intrigued by the symbiotic relationship many Florans have with their great horned beetles. Aldebarans, of…Read More…
Snippet: A Time to Build
This was one of my favorite scenes to write from A Time to Build. It’s really not like dusting crops… For anyone who has never experienced a hyperspace jump, it ranks a little bit higher than emergency launches on my list of favorite things to do in a spaceship. It’s not nearly as violent, in…Read More…
Arachnoids Are People, Too…
Most of the alien races in the Umea Bakearen series are humanoid, but not all… A welcoming committee was ready on the flight deck by the time the Sargazi vessel began its final approach. Before it docked, I addressed the crowd. “Please remember that showing revulsion toward the Sargazi is extremely ill-advised,” I began. “If…Read More…
Change is Good, Right?
After several years of letting my website stagnate, I’ve made a break from my former web host to this new Bluehost page. I hope this server will be a little more reliable than the last one, but that’s probably going to depend on the guy at the keyboard keeping up with updating every once in…Read More…