Geekquinox – Inkican

Yes, This Website is Low-Tech – Here’s Why

January 18, 2022 Jackson Allen

When you slide into Inkican, you’ll notice that the website is low-tech. No big bells or whistles, no embedded ads, etc. I wanted to take a moment to explain why, and focus on what I think is a more worthy goal of being a web-enabled author. Here are some cool nerd things I think you’ll…

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PSA: NFTs Are Bad … For Now

January 10, 2022January 6, 2022 Jackson Allen

I’m a science fiction writer, so naturally I think everything futuristic and technological is cool, right? Wrong. I’m actually conservative when it comes to technology change. Heck, I hung onto my twelve-year-old laser printer until it got too expensive to maintain. I insisted on keeping 1947 rotary-dial Western Bell hooked up to my VOIP landline…

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Notes on Getting Kids into STEM

September 17, 2021 Jackson Allen

“Kids need STEM” is a common news item in your local paper, so here are some notes on getting kids into STEM education. STEM education is increasing in popularity—more schools are incorporating STEM into their curriculum and making it a key part of what they teach. STEM can help students learn to think logically, improve…

Elon Musk Is Not Tony Stark – He’s Obadiah Stane

June 21, 2021 Jackson Allen

I feel bad for saying this, because like many of you, I wanted to believe that Elon Musk really was transforming himself into the real-life Tony Stark. Sadly, the past few years of Musk-ness have left me with no alternative conclusion: Elon Musk Is Not Tony Stark – He’s Obadiah Stane. Buckle up as I…

Solid Answer to the Question: “Y No Aliens?”

June 15, 2021 Jackson Allen

If you love science fiction, you’ve asked yourself: “Y No Aliens?” I mean, really … where are they? We’re all a little curious. Wouldn’t it be cool to play ‘Close Encounters’ the home game? Hasn’t happened yet, but on the flip side, at least we haven’t been colonized and used for slave labor in the…

‘New Golden Era of Space Exploration’ – Michio Kaku & Stephen Colbert

April 29, 2021 Jackson Allen

This is an interesting discussion from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Michio Kaku talks space exploration and potential contact with aliens. Michio Kaku is incredibly excited for the second golden era of space exploration but he does not think it is a great idea to alert extraterrestrials to human existence and he explains…

Five Skills You Can Learn From Science Fiction

December 8, 2020 Jackson Allen

I’ve discussed it in other blog posts but I’ll say it again so the people in the back can hear: scifi isn’t just a genre, it’s a way of life. I don’t know anyone who came away with practical skills after reading ‘Wuthering Heights,’ but thanks to authors like David Brin, Allen Steele, Arthur C. Clarke, and Isaac Asimov I’ve come away with life lessons, skills and heck, even recipes. There are, in fact, many skills you can learn from science fiction. Here, for a Monday morning, are five of them:

Sci-Fi Singularity

December 3, 2020 Jackson Allen

Let me tell you about what I learned a couple of years ago. Reddit didn’t enjoy my review of Passengers. I wasn’t surprised – I even predicted that it would happen. That moment, among many others, taught me that we’re approaching the sci-fi singularity. We should talk about what that means.

For as much as I enjoy the genre that incorporates science and technology into fiction, I’m constantly at loggerheads with the current ideology of the FS community. Movie X is ‘true sci-fi’ and Movie Y is not. Prepare for the hate of the Internet if you disagree.

For the record, this isn’t my first rodeo – I know walking into this that any science fiction book, movie or discussion is going to contain what I call the ‘sci-fi orthodoxy.’ Simply put, there’s a common social fallacy that states:

Science fiction must meet certain criteria to be considered ‘true science fiction.’
Failing to meet that criteria will result in rejection from the community.
There is no room for gray areas – a work considered ‘sci-fi’ is either ‘true science fiction,’ or it is rejected.

Forgive me for asking a potentially dumb question, but shouldn’t this scare us a little? This is really weird, polarizing behavior. As we come out of the COVID lockdown (Please God, please) we should talk about what SF will be when we go back to the movies.

This is supposed to be fun, right? Our devotion to science fiction has been what unites us. Now the community has become partisan, factional, and sectarian. It’ll be our epitaph if we do not choose a new future.

The Hidden Cautionary Scifi Tale of Mesh

October 19, 2020 Jackson Allen

I ran across this article on Sunday and it reminded me that I haven’t talked to you about the moral of Mesh. Yes, Virginia, there’s a moral. In fact, there’s a hidden cautionary scifi tale within Mesh.

Within the story, I talk about kids inventing a world-changing technology. By the end of the book, you’ll be scared by the implications of that technology. That’s my intent. Why should technology scare you? Let’s talk about that. First, let’s discuss the article itself and then we’ll talk about how Mesh connects.

Is Technology Making Things Better? That’s a good question. For geeks, we focus on what could be, not why it should be. We’re wired that way. Civilization follows behind, happy to reap the rewards of our curiosity. As a result, humanity has run a rabid, manic marathon of discover for two centuries now. Are we better off because of these new inventions and possibilities?

“We face a growing array of problems that involve technology directly or indirectly,” as Dr. John K. Davis of California State University, Fullerton states. “[T]he core problem is that we’re becoming more powerful but not more wise. The growing gap between our technological power and our wisdom is the ultimate cause of all these problems. We are clever enough to create problems we aren’t wise enough to avoid. ”

Dr. Davis is focusing on something I knew would be important to talk about when I started writing scifi four years ago: the Why of technology, and not just the What. I disdain scifi that’s little more than a sophisticated toy catalog. If you’re going to have laser swords and starships, I want to know why you have them. I want to know what this technology can do to push the human condition forward.

Conversations With Your Inner Critic – The Angry Little Man

October 14, 2020 Jackson Allen

If you write, there’s one person you’re going to make friends with along with everyone else: Your inner critic. The angry little man in your head that hates on everything you do. You know who I’m talking about. I’ve been trying to make peace with that guy my entire life.

Now your inner critic comes in many flavors. Maybe they sound like your mom, your dad, or a teacher. My inner critic is an Angry Little Man, and he sounds like the Teeny Little Super Guy from Sesame Street. In fact, he’s such a persistent part of my life that I made him a character in Mesh. Let Roman learn to deal with him!

Inner critics are brilliant at validating all your fears and insecurities. They are artists at cancelling out any type of positivity, exploiting every weakness. Inner critics are masters at making everything you think, say, or do sound as negative as possible.

The reason I’m talking about the Angry Little Man is this: We all have one. It’s okay to have him there. A lot of people live with an inner critic, and managing him is a life skill unto itself.