I’m Jackson Allen and I’m an author of scifi stories. In 2016, I rebooted my life. Like many others, I’m overwhelmed as innocence and humanity wash away in an inexorable tide of heartlessness. I can’t save the world – so, I tell stories as a kind gesture in a cruel time.
STEM-based scifi is important to me, it helps the weird, nerdy kids (as a former weird, nerdy kid) know that it’s okay to be weird. First and foremost – IT’S COOL TO BE A WEIRD NERD. The term ‘weird’ is being co-opted – let me quickly say ‘That’s not the kind of weird I’m talking about.’ Weird nerds are cool – The world needs weird nerds.
Why I Write Now
Technology in the 2020s has drastically reshaped how America views itself. Weird nerds view themselves as outliers and STEM is their ‘comment je m’intègre’ or ‘How I fit in’ – it’s important for those types of kids to feel seen, heard, and welcomed. In a world of amplified voices, STEM access and acceptance are still very much based on a single person catching that ‘star in the jar’ at the right time and helping them move forward.
I want EVERY weird, nerdy kid to feel they have an ally, to feel accepted and that their dreams are accessible. I do that at scale by telling stories. My storytelling philosophy is pretty simple: Science fiction should contain some ACTUAL science – where tinkering, hacking, curiosity and discovery intersect with social-emotional connection.
Modern scifi waters down what makes science cool – science fantasy, Marvel magic punching people – are all considered ‘scifi.’ It’s time to forget about superpowers and alien invasions. Additionally, the 2020s have seen a surge in mental health awareness, with discussions around anxiety, depression, and well-being becoming mainstream. My stories are ‘trauma informed’ because I know many of my readers are / have been victims of trauma.
Why STEM Scifi
My stories are focused on real kids using brains, tech skills, and creativity to fight back. Those stories resonates with those who see the possibilities in technology and innovation. That’s why I focus on STEM and ‘hard scifi’ genre storytelling. It’s not enough to write a STEM story and go “This is about STEM, you should love it!” You actually have to write STEM stories that kids think are cool.
I don’t want to lie to kids, telling them that ‘coding camps’ and hackathons are cool. I love computers, but I’m not a coder. You don’t have to be a coder to succeed in IT. Most IT professionals aren’t coders, and that’s okay! For my first novel, Mesh, I wrote about a technical high school that teaches – along with STEM and regular classes – how to use explosives and pyrotechnics.
Say you’re a STEM kid but you don’t like coding or explosives? How firefighting robots, rocket-propelled anti-robot guns, or bots that take down active shooters? The point is, that if you want to get kids into STEM, you have to make it work for kids. Not just silly science experiments – actual projects. Make cool stuff, blow something up, build something crazy!
Dreaming Vs. Doing
The ‘missing stair’ in scifi right now is the logical path between Dream and Do. You don’t see a lot of that and if you do, it’s in a magical montage that discourages curious younger people once they figure out that life doesn’t work that way. How can STEM enthusiasts go from 0 to 1, How can dreamers bring their dreams to life? Where do the kids – who know they can change the world – get their start? We should be giving them blueprints for the future. That’s why I write STEM-focused scifi.
So if you’re into STEM, scifi, STEM-focused scifi or you consider yourself weird, nerdy or weird and nerdy – there’s three things I’d like you to know:
1. Welcome home-ish. (I’ve created a virtual home for weird nerds)
2. You have some powerful gifts and you need the time and space to use them wisely.
3. No matter what anyone else says or makes you feel – I appreciate you and I know you’re an important person. I’m glad you’re here.