A three part series on how master science fiction authors capture entire universes in iconic first lines, challenging our understanding of humanity, technology, and cosmology. Part 1 examines three famous opening lines to books that grapple with cosmic scale and philosophical musings.
Albert Einstein’s theory of time relativity proposes the concept that time is relative and varies with the observer’s velocity. This phenomenon, known as time dilation, suggests that time passes more slowly for those traveling at speeds approaching the speed of light. Science fiction authors have addressed this subject in their novels. Read about eight of the best in this article.
“The Wall Isn’t a Circle” explores travelling through time, privacy, and self-identity in a tech-driven world, blending nostalgia and modern dilemmas.
Originally published in 1940 as the epitome of pre–WW II apocalyptic books, L. Ron Hubbard wrote a new post–WW II preface to Final Blackout in 1948. Read it here.
At the pinnacle of apocalyptic books is the World War III dystopian novel, Final Blackout. It received much fanfare when it was first published in 1940, but even the most avid reader today doesn’t realize how pivotal a novel it was …
Captain Kirk and Ole Doc Methuselah both defied the prime directive of their respective superiors in difficult circumstances, but all in the name of doing the greater good for races, cultures, and civilizations.
Experience the wit and verve in the 1949 letter exchange between L. Ron Hubbard and Robert A. Heinlein. Amid the friendly banter, get advice on how to pan for gold in your back yard, and find out who is Heinlein’s favorite Hubbard space series character.
I’ve had a career journey happening in parallel with my speculative fiction journey. Those parallel journeys have involved twists and turns, a handful of publications in small press magazines, and a decade and a half of not writing fiction at all. They also involved a long trek through a career in sustainable development.
The road to writing a winning story, “Summer of Thirty Years,” for Writers of the Future Contest and getting published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 was a long and winding one for me. The journey started with believing in my work. And the spark of an idea that came from the heart.
Beyond the boundaries of mundane reality exist enchanted worlds populated by valiant heroes, terrible monsters, and fantastical beings. Find out about the major subsets of this genre through visual and literary descriptions of each.