-
Scarab Mission Ad!
Here's a great ad for The Scarab Mission, currently running in Library Journal: Pre-order now!
-
Notes on Worldbuilding Update
There's been a slight delay, due to me going to the World Fantasy Convention in New Orleans, and then getting over a cold I picked up on the trip. But I'm better now, and I've started by updating the Worldbuilding series. I've added a section on Hycean Worlds to entry number 10, "Weird Worlds." Expect…
-
Publishers Weekly Praises Scarab Mission!
I'm very pleased to see that Publishers Weekly had a very favorable review of The Scarab Mission in their latest issue. Here's what they had to say: Cambias expertly combines confident worldbuilding, high stakes action, and suspenseful mystery in his second Billion Worlds space adventure (after The Godel Operation). Safdaghar, one of the billion space…
-
Notes on Worldbuilding Part 12: Hot Life
Update (May 2023): I've amended this entry to reflect some stuff I've learned since I posted it. Specifically, the section on dusty plasma, and an expansion of the sulfur-based life section. Upper Update (December 2023): Isaac Arthur has a video up about silicon-based life. You can watch it here. So far, most of the characteristics of…
-
Notes on Worldbuilding Part 11: Artificial Worlds
I wasn't exactly sure where to put this, since it could just as easily appear later in the series after I've discussed alien civilizations and technologies. But this feels like the right place. Until now we've talked about planets and moons which form naturally, the result of random planetesimals and interplanetary dust accreting and colliding.…
-
My WorldCon Schedule
In two and a half weeks I'll be in Chicago for ChiCon 8, the 80th World Science Fiction Convention. I offered to participate in programming events, and they're really making me sing for my supper this time. Thursday, September 1 (all times are CDT) 2:30 P.M.: Writing and Story Development for Tabletop Games. This is…
-
Notes on Notes on Worldbuilding
I've updated the entry Part 8: Planetary Characteristics to include a discussion of surface pressure, partial pressure of gases, and how that might affect habitability by humans. Thanks to Jim Torkelson for pointing out that I'd neglected that topic.
-
Notes on Worldbuilding Part 10: Weird Worlds
Most of the planets we've been talking about are analogous to the worlds of our own Solar System. But planetary scientists have come up with some planet types which might exist circling other stars. Small variations in element abundances when a system forms can lead to very exotic worlds. Carbon Planets: Carbon is one of…
-
Notes on Worldbuilding Part 9: Moons!
I'm back! Let's talk about moons now. Most planets have moons, ranging from little chunks of ice or rock to planet-sized bodies like Triton or Titan. Moons can affect their primary planet — and sufficiently large moons of a giant planet in the Goldilocks Zone might be habitable worlds in their own right. How Big?…
-
Not Lost in the Cosmos
For the next couple of weeks I'm going to be conducting a science fiction writing workshop for the Smith College summer Precollege Program. This means blogging will be very slow, and may not resume until the course is over. I haven't forgotten about the worldbuilding project. Have patience!
The Cambias Digression
Notes and thoughts on everything from what I had for breakfast to the fate of the Universe.
- Books (301)
- Film (104)
- Food (50)
- Futurism (2)
- Games (82)
- Guest Bloggers (3)
- Island of Lost Games (9)
- Miscellaneous (168)
- Notes on Worldbuilding Series (22)
- Ozblogging (54)
- Random Encounters (44)
- Science (140)
- Travel (187)
- Traveller (2)
- Uncategorized (22)
- Weblogs (95)
- Writing (169)
The Cambias Digression 