Dancing the Dream…

In a departure for this blog, I would like to introduce another project of mine. Dream Dance: Personal and Ethological Notes from Sigma 957 is a Science Fiction story told in blog form. It follows the musings and adventures of biologist Su che-Walkran as she investigates the animal life on a distant planet in the far future. It’s a story about science and ethics, and how we have to understand ourselves to truly understand anything else. Also it’s a chance to delve into some unique – and hopefully interesting – alien minds and cultures, both human and extraterrestrial.

I’ve been posting about two installments a week, and I hope to maintain that same rate going forward. Some additional notes for potential readers:

1) The story unfolds in real time, with the fictional date of each post being the same as the real date but 316 years in the future. For example the entry for day 131, posted September 10, takes place in the storyline on September 10, 2325. Another story is taking place 12 years in her past, also being told through flashbacks playing forward in real time.

2) The blog software places more recent posts closer to the top of the page, but the story is intended to be read linearly from the beginning. It should be thought of as a story told in installments rather than any sort of clever form of backward fiction. Characters and plotlines are introduced in earlier installments and developed in later ones.

3) Language is obviously different in the far future, but idioms and slang in these posts will seem anachronistically modern. I’m following the convention that this is translated from its native 24th-century lingo into familiar 21st-century English, preserving futuristic terms or turns of phrase only when required for the plot, or when there is no suitable modern equivalent.

4) Just to be forewarned, there will be some sexual content from time to time.

I feel somewhat nervous publically announcing what has turned out to be a very personal creative effort. I’m happy to entertain any feedback or comments you might have. Enjoy.

- jack*