I saw Star Trek Beyond yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. I spent a good part of the movie holding my breath. That’s all I will tell you about it. No spoilers here.
There were a few places in the movie where I also found inspiration for my next novel. Space fiction must be the most difficult genre of writing. Nothing can be assumed. Grass might not be green, the sun might rise in the west (or north or south), even the laws of physics can be challenged. The only sure thing about space fiction is that you have to stretch your own imagination beyond anything known to man, and then describe it in a way that brings it to life for your reader. No problem.
I am often chagrined to find that my own imagination is lacking, so lately I have been seeking inspiration from other sources. Fortunately, I have found some excellent ones. Star Trek Beyond offered a wealth of alien species as well as a very inventive space station, if not a particularly unique alien planet landscape. The WiiU video game Xenoblade has provided another great source of inspiration. Yasuyuki Honne and Tonny Waiman Koo are the chief artists for the utterly amazing art in the game. In addition to superb characters and alien creatures, the landscape forms are awe-inspiring. Honestly, it’s worth buying a WiiU just for this one game, assuming you’re a better player than I am and can actually keep your character alive long enough to enjoy it. Otherwise, the game comes with a beautiful book full of Xenoblade’s art.
I had finished a rough draft of my second novel, tentatively titled Man on the Fringe. With my imagination rejuvenated, I will be undertaking a major overhaul. I hope someday it will inspire someone else’s imagination.
Fly high and free.
