Authorpreneur Dashboard – Michael Eves Shaffer
Firing of the Crucible
Science Fiction & Fantasy
For thousands of years we have looked to the heavens and asked why are we here. For hundreds of thousands of years they have known. Now they are going to fire the crucible to see if they are right.
Book Bubbles from Firing of the Crucible
Humans don't take orders so well
I think the title covers most of it. We have been proven very hard to kill off. Going by DNA, at one point were were taken down to about 10,000. While that seems like a lot, that's only because we tend to automatically think of them all in one spot. What we're actually talking about is 10,000 individuals scattered in small tribes over the globe.
Human absorption rates
The joke about kids having to program the VCR for their parents, besides being dated, is becoming less and less true. And I think that's due the human brain. Programing a VCR didn't really have that much use. However give even an old person a technology that they find useful and it's quite likely they will find uses for it that none of the young folk thought up. If it helps survival or makes things easier, we as a race are going to absorb the new technology.
Bull vs Steer
As you might guess I've gotten some blow-back from this section. Even had the homophobic word thrown at me. It's really quite simple. If you are a rancher (as the aliens are) and one of your five bulls has no interest in the cows, which one of them is going to become a steer?
Initiative and internet searches
There were two things I hit in here. The big one was to give insight as to how the Dvane Empire had been working for millions of years. The Dvane ran everything and the other races supported them. It wasn't due to thirst for power though. It's just they way it had always been done. This emergency brings into light why things need to change. The other was the eternal question: just what _would_ aliens make of our internet searches?
Street cleaner
You're ex-military. You've just woken up with a body of your 25 year old self, only faster, stronger, and apparently unlimited endurance. What do _you_ do with your new skills?
Mmmmmm! Donuts!!!
This is more for those who do enjoy a good donut. Who _hasn't_ felt like poor Sinvara at some point after enjoying one?
Privilege for granted.
A lot of people speak of privilege as if it is a bad or evil thing. It is not. Most often it is earned by those who deserve it. But setting aside those who steal privilege, there is a danger to earned privilege as well. Once it's taken for granted it is possible to see what problems exercising that privilege causes. Even a good person can fall into that trap. However that same good person, once made aware of it, will work to correct it.
Aliens trying Terran foods.
In a previous bubble I brought in the idea that aliens would want to try our greatly varied food. Here Ceeda gets to try another staple!
Realities of war and transparancy.
I'm going to start with the last message first. One theme I constantly see on sci-fi is that once someone wins the "big battle", the immediately swoop in to take control of lots of other planets. Reality is at those distances, only conquests that were already in the pipe would be going through as even the "winning" side would be scrambling to recover. The second message shows something most Dvane expected would happen if they lost the Last Battle. And it is information that they would normally keep to themselves so the "lesser races" would not be frightened by it. But here we see Ceeda making the choice opposite to what other Dvane Captains would do...
Tourists!
Say you had a ship full of "aliens" from multiple planets around the galaxy and you just came to a planet that not only had no one been to, but none have ever heard of. It's peopled by a very violent species that might just be everyone's salvation. What would be the crew's reaction when they started watching all the shows that we transmit out? Which reminds me. I need to introduce these aliens to college football...
"Want news? Pick your flavor!"
Imagine you are part of a race who's natural abilities include being able to test the "Ether" to know if something was true or not. And being able to share directly, mind to mind, not only what one saw but what one thinks and feels. One that pushes truth and honesty. You could easily see how they may have only one or two news sources per planet. Now imagine them coming to Earth.
Hint of spice
I never understood why most sci-fi writers shy away from having really anything sexually enticing in their works. I don't make a point of adding a sexual side to things, it's just it is part of the story.
From science to myth to science
Ether used to be believed to be what everything in the universe floats in and connects everything. Great scientists of the time used it to explain all sorts of things. And then modern science disproved all of that. Showing that everything floats in a see of nothing and there were no grand connections. Then, last year, I started reading articles. They were by modern scientists. And they were "Hey now... let's not be too hasty..."
Target audience
Imagine going to bed and waking up weeks later with a body your 25 year old self wanted. Most authors focus on the young because they have the strong bodies and figure the mental stuff can be trained. Those of us older know how long it took us to learn these things. Would aliens just throw that knowledge and skills away when reverting the body back is just a quick minor change in the dna? A resetting of the clock? What would you do with a body like along with the knowledge you have now?
Coincidences aren't
Though out this series there will be things that seem like coincidence. Even things that strain credulity to the extreme. However there is always reason for them. Just might take you a few books to get the reasons!
Art work
Since I am self-publishing I decided to go local. The guy I had do my cover is actually still in college. It was amazing what he was able to come up with using the exert I gave him. His name and contact info is in my book.
In the beginning
First I encourage all to work out what language the chapter titles are in. It will provide some insight as to the path I'm taking. Next, the actual size of the asteroid went through many changes as I developed what it was going to be used for.
