The Cambias Digression

Notes and thoughts on everything from what I had for breakfast to the fate of the Universe.

  • PhilCon 2016, Featuring ME!

    This weekend I'll be attending the venerable PhilCon science fiction convention, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in scenic Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Here's my schedule of events: Friday, November 18, 8:00 p.m., Plaza III: Utopias That Make Us Cringe — I'll be moderating a panel on utopian societies in science fiction that don't actually seem very…

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  • Movie Magic

    Last weekend the family went out to see Dr. Strange, the latest Marvel Comics movie. This one is the origin story for Dr. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme and master of the mystic arts. It was entertaining and visually wonderful. It did get me thinking (uh-oh) about how magic is depicted in most modern films — and…

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  • Game Mechanics (Part 2): Why They Don’t Matter

    In my last post on the subject, I wrote about how important it is for game mechanics to replicate the reality of whatever the game is about. And then I left on a cliffhanger by saying that isn't actually true. It's not true because games depend on the players. A game is not a novel or…

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  • Biology of the Body Snatchers

    (Note to everyone who is still sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for the promised follow-up to my last post: be patient. It's Halloween today so I'm doing a Halloween post.) This past weekend I took my son to see the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) at Amherst Cinema. It was extremely…

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  • Game Mechanics (Part 1): Why They Matter

    When I'm not writing science fiction I write roleplaying games, and I've also designed a couple of card games. As a result, I think about game rules more than most people. Most games have simple, highly artificial mechanics. You have to assemble a certain set of cards, or eliminate your opponent's pieces by moving your…

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  • The Worst Science Fiction Writer Ever

    The time has come to talk about the worst science fiction writer in the history of the field. I'm not talking about any obscure pulp-era hacks, or nameless amateurs chronicling the exploits of Ensign Mary Sue. I'm talking about a writer whose ineptitude has been splashed across movie screens for everyone to see. George McFly,…

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  • Kitchen Report: Home-Made Boudin

    Boudin ("boo-dan") is a French word for sausage, probably cognate with the English word "pudding" — which becomes less weird when you remember that the original English puddings were a mess of suet and flour wrapped in cloth and boiled. In Louisiana, the term became specific to Cajun sausages using rice as a filler. Boudin…

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  • Science to the Rescue!

    In the past I have mentioned my love of doing research and my focus on getting things right in my writing. Along the way I've pointed out how frustrated I get when moviemakers don't bother trying for accuracy. Well, it turns out I'm not alone. The mighty National Academy of Sciences apparently also makes angry…

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  • The Fermi Paradox and Why It Matters

    As a science fiction writer I have what may be called a professional interest in aliens. I read every popular science article or technical paper that comes to my attention about detecting or communicating with extraterrestrial civilizations. But I'm always a little surprised at how many people aren't interested in the subject. To me it…

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  • A Peeve

    I've lately become rather irritated at seeing the helpful little notices on the paper napkin dispensers in coffeeshops and the more pretentious fast-food joints, asking patrons not to hog the napkins because "napkins = trees." Grr. Yes, paper napkins are made from wood pulp, and wood pulp is made from harvested trees. But: the idea…

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The Worldbuilding Index