Sci Fi & Fantasy Archives

A Man of Many Names: The Pen Names of L. Ron Hubbard

March 9, 2026

During the golden age of pulp magazines, L. Ron Hubbard published stories under a remarkable range of pseudonyms. Discover the fascinating pen names behind his prolific pulp fiction career.

When Is a Dragon Just a Dragon?

February 26, 2026

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What do dragons really represent in fantasy? From Smaug to a dragon in the Bronx Zoo, explore meaning, power, and captivity in modern dragon stories.

Weird and Bizarre Earth Practices as Seen through Alien Eyes

February 9, 2026

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Through alien eyes, L. Ron Hubbard’s Mission Earth satirizes drugs, media, the UN and the CIA—revealing how strange modern Earth practices appear when viewed by outsiders.

Science Fiction’s Greatest Couples: Why Two Stars Burn Brighter Than One

February 9, 2026

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Discover science fiction’s greatest couples—iconic pairs whose partnerships shape worlds, empires, and destinies, backed by science and stellar storytelling.

Outer Space: The Defence and Security Sectors’ New Battlefield

January 12, 2026

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When hearing such heavy-weight names as Space Command or Space Force we could be forgiven for dreaming up images of space adventures and conquests.

Time After Time: Why Time-Travel Stories Captivate Us in Books and Film

December 4, 2025

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Explore why time-travel stories fascinate us, how writers keep timelines believable, and how new tales in Writers of the Future Volume 41 twist time in fresh ways.

When the Story Fights Back: 5 Best Recursive Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels You Must Read

August 10, 2025

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Think you’ve read it all? Think again. This post highlights the 5 best recursive science fiction and fantasy novels—tales where characters confront their creators, bend the rules of fiction, and step beyond the page. Inventive, thought-provoking, and refreshingly original, these books transform storytelling into a conversation between story and self.

Breaking the Fourth Wall Before It Was Cool: L. Ron Hubbard’s Revolutionary Typewriter in the Sky and the Birth of Recursive Fiction

August 4, 2025

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What if you heard your life being typed out by someone else—literally? That’s the terrifyingly funny premise of L. Ron Hubbard’s Typewriter in the Sky, a swashbuckling romp with a metaphysical twist. Written in 1940, it helped invent recursive fiction long before The Matrix or Stranger Than Fiction wondered if we’re all just characters in someone else’s plot.