Writing – Page 22 – Bjorn Munson

Aubrey de Grey and the Efforts to Engineer Away Aging

By Bjorn Munson | May 11, 2017May 8, 2017 by Bjorn Munson

Sean Illing has an interview in Vox with biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey about his work on tackling aging. Aubrey de Grey, whose prodigious beard is dwarfed by his prodigious research ambitions, famously believes that combating aging is an engineering problem. In other words, medical therapies can be developed and can be worked on now given our current scientific understanding of aging damage. I remember first learning about the work of Dr. de Grey when he and others set up…

Writing

Going Faster than the Speed of Light with Imaginary Numbers

By Bjorn Munson | April 14, 2017April 14, 2017 by Bjorn Munson

For many of us writing science fiction, a common decision point is how hard or soft we should make the world(s) we’re building. A perennial area is whether we allow faster-than-light travel or not (i.e., warping, folding space, entering stargates, traveling through hyperspace, etc.). Scientist and science fiction author Catherine Asaro explains her own journey in coming up with a way to have interstellar ships that can move at the speed of narrative without willfully ignoring…

Writing

Edward Albee, RIP

By Bjorn Munson | September 26, 2016September 26, 2016 by Bjorn Munson

2016 really isn’t getting any new fans as our cultural icons continue to shuffle off this mortal coil in a manner that befits the most macabre dance number imaginable. Playwright Edward Albee is dead, as reported by NPR, the New York Times, and others. I suppose he wouldn’t mind, what with his work exploring death, gloom, and despair. He was also 88, which I’m sure actuaries would assure me is “pretty old,” statistically speaking. I…

Writing

Space Opera Tropes

By Bjorn Munson | September 12, 2016September 12, 2016 by Bjorn Munson

Speculative fiction writer Charles Stross has written a blog post about space opera clichés which has been brought to my attention by one of the denizens of MOSF. I haven’t read too much of Charles Stross, though I like his imaginative and subtly disturbing short story, “Rogue Farm.” It sounds like he enjoys being a bit harder with his sci-fi and space opera than some, which comes through in this list. For that reason, I…

Raves Voiceover Writing

So Long and Thanks for all the Lutefisk

By Bjorn Munson | July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 by Bjorn Munson

This past weekend, while I was dealing with schoolkids and stormtroopers at Escape Velocity, Garrison Keillor hosted his last episode of A Prairie Home Companion, as described here and here (and countless other places on the web). As mentioned in Chris Barton’s piece for the LA Times, the approach on one hand was that of simply another show. But so many of us would like that option for yet another show. After 40 years, you…

Writing

And There Shall be Enjoyment

By Bjorn Munson | June 10, 2016June 9, 2016 by Bjorn Munson

I have to travel a lot more these days (which is usually fun) which also means occasionally sitting and waiting for hours on end (not as much fun). But no matter where I am, there is one phrase that always brings a little joy to my day: “Careful. The beverage you’re about to enjoy is extremely hot” You know it. You’ve seen it on countless disposable coffee cups and the like. Perhaps it makes you…

Writing

On Rejection and Writers Writing

By Bjorn Munson | June 1, 2016May 31, 2016 by Bjorn Munson

Mark Evanier has had an ongoing series about writers and rejection some of whose columns apply very well to actors and other creatives. The most recent one, however, goes deeper into the notion of writing for pay and how one might go about it from his experience. Check it out.

Various and Sundry Writing

Letting Go of the Canon

By Bjorn Munson | April 15, 2016May 22, 2016 by Bjorn Munson

This is the 11th entry in a surprisingly long series of posts about Star Trek’s future and its fandom called Crisis of Infinite Star Treks. Yes, we have gone to 11. Asher Elbein’s excellent piece in The Atlantic is worth reading just to consider the nature of pop culture –our modern mythology– and our ownership thereto. I’ve included it in the Crisis of Infinite Star Treks series because reading it helped distill two issues: If a ‘Star…

Writing

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Category: Writing

Aubrey de Grey and the Efforts to Engineer Away Aging

Going Faster than the Speed of Light with Imaginary Numbers

Recommended Reading: Arms and the Bard

Edward Albee, RIP

Space Opera Tropes

So Long and Thanks for all the Lutefisk

And There Shall be Enjoyment

On Rejection and Writers Writing

Letting Go of the Canon

Recommended Reading: Tolkien, Fantasy, and Technology