Grendels is a smart sci-fi novel. Click to read Grendels, by Robert Wack, a Substack publication. Launched 13 days ago.

Sheriff Spaulding flirts with Jeanette at the Daisy Diner; Michelle and Adam explore South Dakota on the way to Rexburg.

Dr. Abrams wrestles with his doubts; Michelle struggles with Adam on the first night of their trip to Rexburg, ID.

Ajax receives instructions from Abba; Michelle and Adam begin their journey west to Rexburg, ID

We are unsettled to the very roots of our being.

West of Rexburg, ID

Michelle must make an important decision for brother, Adam.

The beginning...

“How have you been, Professor?” Walter Lippmann asked as the scientist approached. “I am well. Although, I must say it is not so cold and windy down in Princeton!” Lippmann and Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin help Einstein with his overcoat and pull up a third stool. Einstein places his hat on the bar and unwinds his scarf. “But I interrupted your conversation.

My personal Substack. Click to read Robert's Substack, by Robert Wack, a Substack publication. Launched a minute ago.

Walter Lippmann, one of the “fathers of journalism”, looks up as a slender man in black enters the bar and approaches with a smile. The Roman collar tells him that his visitor is Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He raises his glass as the priest takes off his hat and overcoat and pulls up a stool next to the journalist. Lippmann gestures the bartender over.

Last month, I participated in an event called Ignite Carroll, part of the national Ignite series, where a speaker has five minutes and twenty slides to share a topic. I took a stab at it and it went well, though I was clearly outclassed by many of the other speakers who gave much more polished presentations. My challenge was my topic, a sprawling tangle I tried to tame in five minutes.

I wasn’t planning to write on this topic again so soon, but I guess the state of the world is such that it can’t be avoided. I recently needed to avail myself of the services of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, using their online portal. First, what a wonderful service! Kudos to the hardworking Federal employees behind the customer friendly, easy to use, intuitive user interface for that process.

What do the boundaries of the State of Michigan have to do with the ultimate fate of the Universe? Strap in, we’re going for a ride! On a recent trip with friends to Michigan and Indiana, I learned about the Toledo War, a boundary dispute during the early years of Michigan history. The region has been a crossroads and subjected to conflicting claims for thousands of years, first by numerous Native American tribes calling it home through the centuries, then by French, English, and ultimately American settlers beginning in the 1600’s.

Staying ahead of current events is a constant challenge for Science Fiction writers. What seemed like gee-whiz future tech yesterday is now sitting on the kitchen counter. If you are not careful, the future you create may end up looking like a bad episode of the Jetsons. Thanks to a recent post by Cassie Kozyrkov (@decisionleader.bsky.social), we SF writers have something else to keep an eye on.