The Socrates Adventure

I have this idea that's been floating around in my head for awhile, but seemed really ill-defined. It stemmed from the desire to do classical Greek sci-fi, which is a burgeoning and plentiful genre... er... probably not.

So, I was at work, thinking of what that idea might look like practically. I had something like Men in Black envisioned, loosely. Very loosely. Mainly the idea about some sect of Greek society that is aware of alien presences (I'm surprised and mildly shocked that that's a real word) and protects Greece at large from threats ranging from major to mild. I also knew that I wanted Socrates to be in on it, mostly because I thought it'd be funny to have Socrates in that sort of situation. Well, that and it's high concept. taking all the stuff that rocks and combining it to make something that rocks even harder. So, that's the loose body of what I've got so far. My idea is that after Socrates is given the option of suicide or banishment, in this alt-history, he chooses banishment and goes to the oracle again to ask why this has all happened to him. She gives him a vision, and he's exiled for three years (at this point an entirely arbitrary number). He comes back with his purpose, and he's seeking recruits.

The characters I'd thought up would be Socrates, Plato, who's more than happy to assist Socrates in his extra terrestrial and supernatural dealings, the Oracle at Delphi, who is a sort of Zordon dispatch HQ sort of character, and, well, it'd just start with those three.

The problem is that that's all I've got so far. I need a bigger scope and better direction for it, but I feel good about the banishment idea, at the very least. I think the story would culminate with an ailing Plato passing Earth shattering secrets into the care of Aristotle to protect.

The story (serialized? probably) would be like Men in Black or The Amazing Screw On Head, which is a fantastic cartoon, and you should indulge yourself the twenty-two minutes. You will thank your eyes and your ears, and they will thank you. Unless you're Portuguese.

So, mostly wanted to get this out, and I seem to separate my humor from my writing. This would try to remedy that utilizing mostly dead pan humor. The story would be mostly oddball all throughout, with probably the only serious parts being the beginning and end, which would be drastically separated if it's serialized. But mostly, wouldn't it be awesome to have Socrates getting in a fistfight with a tentacled monstrosity? I think it would.

Wanted to get that out in the open. Clear the air between us.

Forgive my inability to write

So, I'm supposed to write a story on forgiveness for Satellite, but damn if that isn't the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I've been thinking on it every spare second I get, and I have an idea that might possibly work, but nothing that makes me feel really confident. I probably just need to start writing it and see where it takes me. You'd think, however, that being a Christian, writing on forgiveness would be more forthcoming. It's not. I wonder how telling of a statement that is.

In other areas, I think I would like to write a meta fiction something or the other at some point. I used to think it sounded terribly stupid, and then I saw The Fountain, and I see the potential for it. For those unfamiliar with the idea, meta fiction is a fictional story about someone writing a story. It sounds stupid, but it has some impressive potential.

I've also just got (in the last couple of days)an idea that I feel has a high level of potential as a fantasy story, which feels a little dirty to me, being that I'm a sci-fi guy. Essentially, it's a dragon story, but it elevates them to the level of something mythical and legendary, which sounds stupid because they already are, but this story would be in a very bleak future, with man and the planet facing its last days, and dragons can save it, if dragons can be found. That would probably be the back flap synopsis, but there's more to it than that. I might elaborate more on this idea.

I also had an idea about 9 months ago for a really cool historical fantasy-ish story, and I've thought of an idea that would be a neat sequel. I'm not sure if the story would be considered fantasy, as it's roman, and deals exclusively with the gods and... time travel? Yes, time travel. My goal would be to make it really deeply philosophical, being roman, it sort of feels right, so perhaps it's historical mythological science fiction?

Also, I'm going to Ireland in May. I'm incredibly stoked for it. I can't wait. This very well might be the single greatest experience of my life.

A blog for Stories

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