Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Coolest Sci-Fi Illustrators
If you ask me, no single genre of literature ever really comes close to the aesthetic awesomeness that science fiction does. Sci-fi illustrators seem to have an innate ability to make a book's fantastic scenery come to life and make you want to dive into that strange world.
By Riley Raul Reese9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Macra Terror – Part 3
Saturday 25 March 1967 Crabs are unlikely creatures to use as an enemy, even in a sci-fi fantasy series. I can only see glimpses, so it's difficult to tell how convincing they are but it's hard to imagine something so rigid and bulky being particularly threatening. And crabs are not the speediest of creatures so I presume one could just walk away from them briskly. But ok, these are space crabs so maybe they move like lightning. And they're rather large. Of course in the 21st century version of this programme we'll see animal-based aliens all the time: space rhinoceroses, space wasps, space pigs, space whales, space cats, space giraffes...and indeed a return of the Macra, but in 1967 this is a bit of a novelty. Ok, maybe not space giraffes.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Closure
Mary sat at the table in the quiet room. The room was a medium sized square with sound absorbing material lining the ceiling and the walls. So quiet, so calm she thought she could feel the hum from the earth’s spin. The door she came through was over her right shoulder. Mary glanced back to ensure it was there. Realizing she was looking at her way out made her turn her head quickly to the door where he would be coming in. She needed to appear strong. His door was to the left across the room. It had a small window in it so a guard could observe the interview. She was nervous, very nervous, so she kept her hands below the table. She wore a baker’s pink jump suit with a pocket full of tissues. She knew she would need them and she knew they would also act as an object to hold tightly in her hand in lieu of a stress ball or her own flesh.
By Nickolas Rudolph9 years ago in Futurism
Excerpt From "The Burning Years"
Peter, my maker, has recently told me, “Inanna, the burning years are about to kick into full throttle.” When I heard this from him, I knew none of the wars and fights and various ideologies and beliefs that keep humans apart will matter. We’ll all be forced to put them aside as we fight together for the survival of our planet and our species.
By Felicity Harley9 years ago in Futurism
“Tapestry” Provides a 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' Lesson on Misperceived Failures
I have a friend who is well placed in the corporate world and pulls down more money than any of my classmates from Plattsburgh. But as he runs in his circles among the well born and highly situated, he dreads revealing the base origins of his higher education. Given the chance, I think he’d rectify this untidy part of his life and pull this loose thread on an otherwise successful portfolio. But he might just undo the tapestry of his life as Jean-Luc Picard learned in one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Futurism
The Scale of Hardness in Science Fiction
Some years ago, I had the idea of grading science fiction according to the degree of scientific realism. It was very obvious to me that, for example, the Discovery One spaceship in 2001 A Space Odyssey was far more realistic than the Star Destroyers, X-Wings, and Tie-Fighters of Star Wars.
By M Alan Kazlev9 years ago in Futurism
Therapy
Phaedra had logged in. She found herself in a bland white virtual reality room. For her online avatar, Phaedra had chosen a slim black haired ebony skinned woman, beautiful and alluring. She rather liked the feel of her VR surrogate, her silk dress draped lazily over her and rustled in the artificial air. Overhead, a sign stated, "Ready in twelve seconds.” Phaedra began to wonder how the experience was going to be.
By Rod Christiansen9 years ago in Futurism
Bright 'Tower' in Mars Orbiter Image: Anomaly or Natural Formation?
With thousands of images taken by various probes sent to Mars, it would seem inevitable that unusual or puzzling objects might be seen in some of them. And of course, there have been, most notably the famous "Face on Mars" first seen in low-resolution Viking orbiter images in the 1970s. Higher-resolution images taken later by other orbiters with better cameras showed it, and nearby interesting formations, to be just natural hills and mesas. Despite that, other curious things are seen in both orbital and ground images from time to time, although they almost always have a simple prosaic explanation. Another such oddity was just recently seen in an image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has attracted some attention. Most likely it is a natural rock formation, but it's also not, as described by the tabloid Daily Mail, a "spherule" either.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Progressive Quantum Leaps
In light of recent physics reports on the discovery of a new state of quantum matter formed in the lab known as ‘time crystals’ with foreseeable applications in quantum computing, the concept of quantum computing is fast becoming common parlance. It is, after all, 2017 and there is perhaps no better time for quantum leaps of awareness than right now. As a recent article published on Nature further outlines, with quantum leaps, bit by bit, quantum computers have arrived at a point where they are beginning to challenge their classical counterparts. This post is a simple, side-by-side comparison of classical computing vs. quantum computing.
By Thamarasee Jeewandara9 years ago in Futurism
The Most Futuristic Cars You Can Buy Right Now
Most gearheads will tell you that they love a car that has customized tires, top rated engines, and a suspension setup that can handle even the roughest roads. But, among car enthusiasts, there's another point of admiration that they very rarely will discuss.
By James Lizowski9 years ago in Futurism
