When a friend invited me to participate in an upcoming pulp-inspired “giant monster” anthology, I initially turned him down – something to the tune of “well I don’t… do? giant monsters?” But he asked me to think about it, and I did, and I’m glad. I won’t say too much, as the project is still pulling bits of matter into it’s orbit, but I started with a “what if”, and ended up somewhere I never expected to go:
Mosaic of the Schiaparelli hemisphere of Mars – USGS Astrogeology: Martian Hemesphere Images
I’ve decided I like writing to themes. I like challenging my own habits and tropes, trying out my voice to other people’s songs. The resulting arrangements can be very interesting – like…
pagan gods and terra-forming
‘Sapporo Underground Pedestrian Space Station Road”’ in Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan} by 663highland
From http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/women.htm
magic, black-eyed maidens, and destiny –
“the goddess” by Eddi van W.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiritual_marketplace/3003158871/
Mercury Spacesuit – NASA
– on Mars.
Speaking of Mars, and playing outside our comfort zones, here are some interesting Red Planet-related oddities I discovered while writing my story:
PRINCESS OF MARS – by Chase Toole
Searching for illustrations of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars series, I stumbled across this image by contemporary artist Chase Toole. I honestly thought at first that it was taken from some 60s pulp cover. Although the heroine in my story is (mostly) fully dressed, I’m in love with this girl. Just look at those colors, and contrasts.
THE MARS SOCIETY
Featured recently on NPR, The Mars Society is an organization dedicated to “furthering the exploration and settlement of the Red Planet” through “Public outreach fostering Mars pioneers, worldwide support for government-funded Mars research and exploration, and private-enterprise Mars exploration and settlement.”
I didn’t know there was such a thing – did you?
Want to sign up?
Or, you could just SEND YOUR POETRY TO MARS and touch the cosmos that way.
“haiku” – Monrovia Public Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monroviapubliclibrary/2594040178/
A part of the Going to Mars Project, NASA has invited citizens of earth (yes, you!) to write mars-related haiku. Three global winners will be recorded on a dvd that’s to be sent with the MAVEN spacecraft into – yeah – outer space.
Everyone who participates will get their name on the dvd, at least. To find out more, visit Going to Mars with MAVEN.
Want to know more about giant monsters, beautiful (clothed) ladies, and colonies on Mars? WATCH THIS SPACE – there’s more info to come!