Author's Musings
September 2022
Here you will find the musings of the author about his writing and general interest.
Author's Musings
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Bridge To Another World
Sep 23, 2022
“An ancestral gateway that can only be awakened by a descendant of a once great civilization. This is a personal piece exploring the Fairy Bridge of Glen Creran.” Created and posted by Sam Chon on Deviant Art.
What artistic skill Sam has used to turn an existing bridge into something both mystical and wondrous. It is exciting for any travelers to note that the actual Fairy Bridge can be found in Scotland’s west highlands, tucked away in the deep hills of Loch Creran. This magical footbridge has an otherworldly quality with its moss covered rock and its twin rows of standing stones. Scotland folklore has a rich history of mystical “fair folk” from brownies to the Kelpies that are said to inhabit every body of water in the country.
I wonder what troop of fair folk have crossed that bridge in search of a glade in which to sing and dance. Such tales are guaranteed to stir the imagination and inspire the writers in all of us.
The image of the actual Fairy bridge is from @yesjimstheman on twitter.
To Sail the Cylindrical Sea
Sep 16, 2022
A massive space object has been sighted on a trajectory toward earth’s solar system. Assuming it is an asteroid, and deserving a name, the international space agency names it Rama. However, when it is sufficiently close for identification, the earth can see that it is, in fact, a long dead spacecraft. And when it is on the planet’s virtual doorstep, it awakens.
So begins the story of the explorers who are sent to examine Rama and to determine its secrets. And there are plenty.
Rendezvous with Rama is just one of the manyrenowned books written by Arthur C. Clarke. Fortunately for those who have read
the book and those who are about to, it is currently being adapted into a movie. The rights to the book are owned by Revelations Entertainment, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s production company. They are determined to keep the story true to the way Clarke intended it.
Although the project will still take some time to come to fruition, it appears that the movie will be produced by Alcon Entertainment. Denis Villeneuve, who directed Frank Herbert's Dune’s 2021 movie
adaptation, has been hired to direct the Rama adaptation. All of Clarke’s fans will be eagerly awaiting this movie, just as I did the movie 2001 a Space Odyssey after reading the book. Let’s hope this new project will achieve the same level of critical success or at least be as engaging and entertaining.
As a side note, the 2001 a Space Odyssey movie and book were worked on concurrently with the movie released first.
Art by Pablo Palomeque
It has the Surface Area of Three Million Earths
Sep 9, 2022
Ringworld by Larry Niven is one of the best science fiction novels ever written. That’s why it’s so exciting to hear that Amazon Prime is currently developing a movie based on the book. We can only hope that the movie lives up to the potential of his epic adventure.
Readers were in awe when they first read Niven’s description of the huge ring shape that surrounded its own sun. However, not only does he stretch the limits of advanced technology, but he also populates his books with many unique, sentientaliens from Bandersnatchi, brontosaurus sized slugs, to Grogs, furry cones with
telepathic abilities. One of the most intriguing beings he has ever created is the Pierson’s Puppeteers of Ringworld fame. They have a triangular body supportedon three legs ending in clawed hooves. Two snake-like necks rise from the body to end in python-like heads, each bearing a single eye and prehensile, rubbery lips. Although their appearance is wildly divergent from the species we normally see, it’s their behavior that makes them even more unique. In their dim past, they were herd-beasts that were viciously preyed upon. Over time,
they developed survival instincts in the extreme. Their leader is referred to as the Hindmost because he is always at the rear in order to be the most protected.
Any fan of the novel could go on and on about the wonders that Ringworld contains but if you haven’t read it, read the book now so you can anticipate the movie along
with the rest of us.
Glass from Fire
Sep 3, 2022
I’m sure fans of the series remember the scene in HBO’s Game of Thrones where Sam
Tarly kills the first White Walker with a dagger of obsidian.
There are many fantasy stories that focus on mystical weapons with special powers such as Callandor, the crystal sword from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time book series, Dragonglass daggers from George R. R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice book series, and the crystal sword in Square’s Final Fantasy video game series
to name a few.
Imagine the feeling of discovering a real crystal weapon in our present time. This happened recently in an archaeological dig site in Spain where a 5,000 year old crystal dagger and crystal arrowheads were uncovered in the megalithic tomb of Montelirio Tholos. Normally, in prehistoric times, these weapons would be made of common flint.
So, what was the special importance of these crystal weapons from our past. Were they simply ceremonial or did they serve a more mystical purpose? There are many examples of past societies that believe crystals have magical properties. There is no proof of these special powers at the present time. However, the idea clearly conjures many fantasy story possibilities.
Art Matt Olson
To learn more visit:
mymodernmet.com/prehistoric-crystal-dagger/