Avatar photoSteven Savage

My Journey, Your Journey

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Serdar wrote a must-read blog post on the question “When do you know what you’re doing”?  When are you doing your own thing, when are you not stuck in “tutorial hell,” and so forth.  These are great questions, and I’d like to explain when I know what I’m doing.

I don’t think of it that way.  Instead, I just keep going and learning.

For instance, when I wrote A Bridge to the Quiet Planet, I wanted to get back into writing fiction.  I decided to write three novels and simply get better at it by doing it.  As I write I learn, and of course I read, study, and consult with fellow writers.  The sequel, A School of Many Futures was certainly a leap over the first novel on all accounts.

My worldbuilding books are journeys as well.  Sure, I’ve got them down to a science, but each one is another learning experience, especially in terms of subject matter.  As of late, desiring to improve my nonfiction writing, I’m working on developing a more organized “system” for nonfiction.  Another leg of a journey that doesn’t end.

This is probably the influence of Agile on my mindset, but I’ve always been a “do it and keep going” type of person.  It also means I never expect to “arrive” anywhere, just reach a plateau before the next climb. I don’t think I know what I’m doing, I just keep learning more and doing it.

Sometimes I do decide to quit a project or turn it into something else.  That’s just the way life is.  It’s not a failure, it’s a learning experience, it’s spare parts, it’s re-prioritizing.  My journey takes a slightly different path.

This isn’t superior to the answers Serdar gets (which is best summed up by reading his post).  This is what works for me, that journey of milestones, new goals always coming, pace changing, but in motion.  In fact, this milestone-but-journey method isn’t even applied to all of my life.  Different goals for different things, and it’s a difference I own and that is my responsibility.

Creatives – or anyone with aspirations, really – ultimately have to ask themselves the question how do I approach competency?  It’s an important question, and one you’ll have to find the answer to.  I can’t tell you what the answer is, nor can Serdar, or anyone you know.  Anyone else trying to sell you a set of goals is delusional at best and wants something at worst.

So tell me how you measure success, how you stake out your creative goals.  You know me, I’m on an eternal journey, and I’d love to learn.

Steven Savage

Dogs In Space: Dogs With Something To Say

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

A good piece of fiction is alive.  It has a personality, a sense of being, and like any living creature, it surprises you.  Those living fictions are the ones that reach us and make an impression, often one that surprises us.

This is why I’m reviewing Dogs in Space.  Not the 1980’s slice-of-life band move.  I’m reviewing the Y7 Netflix series literally about dogs traveling in space to find a new planet for humans.  Truth in advertising indeed.

In Dogs in Space, humanity sends genetically uplifted dogs into space to find a replacement for our used-up Earth.  The story focuses on excitable be-thumbed Corgi named Garbage, captain to an equally eccentric crew of explorers.  Many episodes parody or refer to classic SF tropes, ranging from mildly amusing to laugh-out-loud funny and clever.  The pinnacle of these call-outs sees most of the cast turned into puppies and the adorable chaos that genetically enhanced puppies can get into.

Entertaining enough, but these shenanigans take place in a continuing plot and established world.  Our canine heroes are just a few of the crew of the giant mothership M-BARK, which boasts an entire city of evolved dogs.  Discoveries reveal a larger universe, from powerful aliens aware of Earth to Garbage and company finding another uplifted dog sent on an earlier mission.  There’s a living world inside the colorful and cute cartoon tale – one that could easily spawn a game or spinoffs.

Such a detailed world raises troubling questions, and the show is happy to follow these troublesome threads.  Each uplifted dog has an owner they pine to return to – but are humans manipulating them?  Are humans really worth saving, considering what we did to Earth?  Like any good fiction, Dogs in Space will surprise you and make you think – and throws in some surprises.

Dogs in Space holds a funhouse mirror up to SF, but sometimes it holds a mirror up to you and me – while keeping it’s Y7 rating.

This is why it deserved a review because it’s a fun little show that is well done.  I’m sure that many of us would enjoy a Y7 show (if only with our kids or young siblings) that had dogs making fun of SF tropes.  Instead, the show goes all the way to creating something alive, something good that makes an impression.

I can’t say it’s as good as the Netflix CGI He-Man.  The former is a masterclass in redoing a property and good, concise writing and pacing.  Dogs in Space is more a good example of bringing an idea to life, even with a few clunky or breezed-over bits.

Plus Dogs in Space has adorable dogs doing everything from piloting robots to pulling heists on alien space stations.  It’s just much more than that, its a piece of fiction that comes alive, and that warrants a review.

Steven Savage

A Few Covid Notes

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

As the Omicron variant crosses the world, here’s some resources that have helped me. Note I am not an expert, these are things I dug up listening to far more experienced people. Please double-check me of course and provide feedback, I hope these can be a starting point.

Vaccinate and Boost

Well, that’s a given. Vaccinate. Boost. Check with your doctor. I figure I don’t have to say it, but I said it.

Masks

Oooh, I have opinions on this – and reviews!

Livinguard Masks – I discovered these via Andy Slavitt. They’re good masks designed for reuse for a few months, and I and my GF have been using them for a long time. I recommend the safety mask.

If you use “regular” masks I recommend mask braces – to help hold them tighter. Read this article from Popular Mechanics, which tells you how to make your own as well. I’m going to give Fix The Mask a shot for others, because I’m trying . . .

Elastomeric Masks

I decided to try Elastomeric Masks, masks with an elastic fit and changeable filters as some medical people I follow mentioned them. I’ve been hearing good things, though they need cleaning and filter changes depending on use. As I also live in an area with forest fires, I figure having a system of swappable filters is useful.

Just remember you want the right filters.

I’ve tried the GVS SPR644 Elipse with P100 filters and like it. This is a serious filter that makes you look like Darth Vader joined Daft Punk. It’s got a nice seal and is breathable, though you can feel the difference from regular masks. A warning is that it is plastic, so you can break it – I snapped a strap hook, but to the company’s credit, I was able to fix it with krazy glue and it works fine.

I recently heard of Castle Grade masks, and they sound promising. You have to change filters more often, but also you don’t have the giant GVS mask. Again, you might not have the same concerns I have.

Ventilation and Filtration

First, if you have people over or have concerns about your home do research on ventilation. As I had to have people come to do work, I read up on flushing air, etc. for my particular place. The problem is that weather, placement, type of central air/heat, windows, etc. affect the best way to flush the air – so you want to read up. For instance in my place a mix of windows, powerful fans, mild weather, and a bit of central air let us cycle out the air.

I’ve been reading up on Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, simple air purifiers you can even rig up at home. out of fans and MERV 13 filters. Wired had a great article on them. If you are concerned about air purification, its a good read.

I Hope This Helps

So there’s some resources I found. Hope it helps.

Steven Savage