The Cosmic Codex

By: Brian Scott Pauls
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  • Living in a science fiction universe...

    www.thecosmiccodex.com
    Brian Scott Pauls
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Art Literary History & Criticism Science Fiction
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Episodes
  • Making the future better than it used to be

    Making the future better than it used to be
    Nov 28 2024
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in November: Short Story Smorgasbord.Nearly 65 short stories, available at no cost.When aliens arrive in Sol, how does humanity react in the first few hours?Get your FREE copy of Dark Nebula: Contact by Sean WilsonAfter several years of unstable peace throughout Sol, mankind is confronted with the arrival of an unknown alien force. Everyone deals with the unexpected arrivals differently.Military forces guarding the front lines of a century old conflict struggle to comprehend the alien arrival. Unhealed wounds from past battles stress Inner and Outer Ring soldiers, as a rogue among them takes matters into her own hands.Hours into the alien arrival, the president endeavors to contain a centuries old subterfuge. She never imagined she’d be the one responsible for guiding mankind in its darkest hour.A washed up vid-sim sports star turned messiah predicted the alien arrival with uncanny accuracy. How does a world react when his prophesies come true?New York City hosted the first World Science Fiction Convention, or “Worldcon,” in 1939. Pulp illustrator Frank R. Paul attended as Guest of Honor, along with about 200 writers, fans, and other artists.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Since then, the World Science Fiction Society has sponsored Worldcon every year except the World War II years of 1942-1945.This year, Glasgow hosted the 82nd Worldcon, with a half-dozen Guests of Honor and a total of more than 8000 attendees, about 7200 in-person and upwards of 600 online.Worldcons offer a number of activities, including Guest of Honor presentations, panel discussions, author autograph opportunities, multiple parties, the Hugo Awards, board games, card games, role-playing games, a vendor’s room, art shows, and a business meeting to decide the location of future conventions.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! This post is public so feel free to share it.Seattle will welcome the 83rd Worldcon from August 13-17, 2025, hosted by authors K. Tempest Bradford and Nisi Shawl. Guests of Honor will include:* Martha Wells (author)* Donato Giancola (artist)* Bridget Landry (fan)* Alexander James Adams (musician)“Building Yesterday’s Future–For Everyone” is the theme of next year’s convention, celebrating science fiction’s optimism from a half-century past, expressed in today’s spirit of multiculturalism and inclusion.You can register online to attend in person or virtually. Registration includes the right to vote for next year’s Hugos.I plan to attend. Please respond in the comments if you expect to be there as well. Perhaps we can set up a small Cosmic Codex party to join the fun! :)Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts!My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
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    3 mins
  • "Probability Amplitudes": Elements in flux

    "Probability Amplitudes": Elements in flux
    Nov 21 2024
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in November: Short Story Smorgasbord.Nearly 65 short stories, available at no cost.Get your FREE copy of Warmonger by Monique Singleton!In the near future, France is ruled by an ultra-right minded president. The country is in chaos, the chasm between rich and poor is ever increasing. Unwittingly a beautiful woman becomes the catalyst that starts not only a new French Revolution but also the Third World War.But what is the role of the strange priest in all this? Who is he? Or more appropriately, what is he?An intense story full of international intrigue, unexpected twists and a mind-blowing finale.Download your free copy of Warmonger and emerge yourself in the Primal series. You will not regret it.Back in September, I reported a status of “First Draft” or “Final Draft” for 56% of the material intended for Probability Amplitudes, my upcoming collection.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.I’m finding this journey through my first book to be an exercise in refining my progress tracking. In this case, I’d based my estimates on a completed (or so, at 26,000 words, I thought) first draft of a story entitled “Fire From Heaven,” and my plans for its as-yet unwritten 20,000 word companion story, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! This post is public so feel free to share it.Those of you who’ve read my article from October 7, or have purchased Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror, may be aware "Nasty, Brutish, and Short" turned out to be nowhere near 20,000 words. It ended up a “mere” 9779 words. And when I’d finished editing “Fire From Heaven,” I discovered it to be a 8722 word novelette hiding inside 26,000 words of a (to quote author Anne Lamott) “shitty first draft.” This sent approximately 7500 words right back into “New Material Required” status.But I’m happy about it. Because "Fire From Heaven" is better at 9779 words than at 26,000. Much better.I expect more course corrections like this as I work my way toward publication, but as long as they make the book better, bring them on!Current status: 47% of the material for Probability Amplitudes is in “First Draft” or “Final Draft” status.Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts!My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
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    2 mins
  • Terms of service

    Terms of service
    Nov 14 2024
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in September: Free Fantasy & SciFi.Seventy science fiction and fantasy books, available at no cost.A black hole is coming for Earth, but that is only the beginning of Miranda’s problems.Get a free sample of Without a World by Kristen Illarmo!Subscribe to Kristen's newsletter and receive special offers, new release details, and a welcome gift delivered right to your inbox.20% off for new readers!She thought life in the Trash Lands was bad, scraping for food and water, wishing she could blend into the sea of ash. But when she learns her mother was right, Earth will get sucked into a black hole, Miranda must trust in skills she never knew she had to get to a place she refused to believe existed. When she finds an idyllic new world, to Miranda’s surprise, she cannot turn her back on the suffering on Earth, but will she risk it all to save a doomed world? Without A World, the first book in the Kirasu Rising duology, delivers non-stop adventure as we race through space and alternate dimensions alongside a strong female protagonist. Fans of Marie Lu will love this action-packed science-fantasy duology.Last month, I had the privilege to participate in the Sturgeon Symposium at the University of Kansas.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.While we spent most of Thursday and Friday discussing the work of Samuel R. Delany, the highlight was the presentation of the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best science fiction short story published last year.The jury selected "Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200" by R.S.A. Garcia.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! This post is public so feel free to share it.A native of Trinidad, Garcia has also won the Independent Publishers Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Scifi/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. Attendees at the conference had the opportunity to listen to her read her short story. As it takes place in Trinidad, hearing it in her Trinidadian accent was a special treat.You can read the story for free in its entirety at Uncanny.Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts!My latest novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world. With mind-bending alien biology and gut-wrenching sacrifices, this tale of planetary exploration gone horribly wrong will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Prepare for a journey into the unknown that will challenge everything you thought you knew about life in the cosmos! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins

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