For the writers: anthology idea

[athon]

I must have gotten up this morning and realised that working twenty hours a day and then sleeping for four was laziness, because walking home from work this afternoon, I had an idea.

I've always wanted to collate together an anthology of fictitious short stories written by skeptics. Art and skepticism are rarely seen together; indeed, 'art' and 'woo' often seem to have more in common than comprising of just three letters.

So, for a theme, I started to consider doing a 'what if?' series of stories. 'What if [insert woo] were true?'.

Imagine if 'dilution ad infinitum' were true.
Imagine if magnets really could heal.
Imagine if people could communicate with the dead.
Imagine if astrology could predict the future accurately.

I know such stories often form the backbone of fiction (hell, who hasn't read a ghost story...which can be translated as 'what if ghosts were real?'). But I want to see it from a skeptical point of view, where the author really analyses the 'what if?' for all it's worth, and then creates a work of fiction for it. The best stories would be the ones that explored the potential technical aspects of advancing 'woo' science - if they were true.

Now, I've got several months of touring left, and seriously have little time to get back into recreational fiction writing at the moment, and won't have until I'm back in the Uk, working. And even then, I have no idea what time I'll have.

However, the idea is one I'm confident we could run with. I'm happy to edit and collate the stories. I might even be able to put one in if I find a window of time. But I figured I'd put the idea up for those who want to start thinking about the idea.

If it gets some steam, I'll post this up on other message boards and get the word out there.

So, folks, is it 'For sure, Athon; you're a winner, sunshine!'

Or

'Athon, what are you thinking? Get back in your box!'

Athon

[Piscivore]

I'm in. Sounds like fun.

[athon]

Wicked.

I'm leaving for a two-week tour into the outback tomorrow, but I'll give it some more thought on how to arrange it.

What I think I might do is set some guidelines for submissions, set a deadline and start looking at publishers who might be interested.

Tentative thoughts at this stage; between 2.5k and 5k words (outside of these limits would be acceptable if the story is really good), submission deadline by early next year.

Any other ideas are welcome.

Athon

[Godmode]

I'm just in the middle of moving/settling in this month and august, but if you wanted to make the submission date in late fall or say, just after the winter holidays, I'd be interested in writing something.

One thing I'm thinking of is "What if cryogenics really worked"
would that subject be appropriate? (I'm not dead set on it, but I do have a few ideas about it)

oh, also you might want to think about setting size/page limits...

[Godmode]

OH, another topic I've thought of: "What if heaven and hell really exist"
(It's been done, I know, but I think there's still a lot of play in that idea)

[Cynric]

Wicked.

I'm leaving for a two-week tour into the outback tomorrow, but I'll give it some more thought on how to arrange it.

What I think I might do is set some guidelines for submissions, set a deadline and start looking at publishers who might be interested.

Tentative thoughts at this stage; between 2.5k and 5k words (outside of these limits would be acceptable if the story is really good), submission deadline by early next year.

Any other ideas are welcome.

Athon

Time permitting, I'd be happy to give it a shot.
I had in mind something about how quantum entanglement underlies homeopathy (see the festering violation of science that are the Milgrom papers), and the catastrophic consequences of accidentally collapsing the waveform (or something - my QM is not so much better than a homeopath's ;)).

It will be quite hard not to just take the p1ss.

[Floyt]

Ooh - tasty.
I've been thinking there's some great stories in ID. The idea of what phylogenetics research might look like if you run with the notion just throws me :D

[Jabberwock]

Sounds cool!

[athon]

Ok, I'm back from my tour. I haven't slept in about three days, but that's nothing my friend 'caffeine' can't fix.

Anyway, I started thinking about this idea on the flight back, and the more I think about it, the more I think it has merit.

I'm happy to have a pretty generous submissions date, perhaps sometime a little after next TAM. I don't want to leave it too much longer past that as I think it might be worthwhile to have a published product by the following TAM (2008).

Anyway, that'd be getting ahead of ourselves.

So, here's the offer;

Skepfiction Anthology

A work of fiction in a style open to the choice of the author, as long as it is prose (consideration of poetry on a case-by-case basis, however I'd want to avoid it if possible). The subject is;

What if topics traditionally considered as 'pseudoscience' had some form of scientific merit? How might this affect the world?

Care should be taken to address the pseudoscientific aspects of such topics. For instance, looking at acupuncture from a traditional 'chi/meridian' point of view would be good. Looking at it with the possibility of it having a realistic effect based on, say, endorphin release, does not qualify. For this reason, I'd hestitate in allowing topics such as cryogenics. Not because it is necessarily possible with any modern scientific knowledge, but because I don't want to blur the lines too much between science fiction and pseudoscience fiction. With imagination, we could speculate a future where cryogenics could be possible.

In short, if the case for a potential topic to be considered 'scientific' would require present tenets of science to be contradicted, then it is what we are looking for.

However, I'm open to anything. And anything is up for discussion here.

Submissions must be entered by January 27th, 2007. For the moment I'll act as sole editor, however if this project demonstrates a need I'll be asking for assistance.

PM me with a synopsis for your idea, spread the word and we'll consider this little project 'open'.

Athon

[CFLarsen]

I like it. It puts things in perspective and explains how silly the world would be if the woos were right.

Why don't we throw out one-liners in this thread, and then, after a certain time frame, someone picks up the gauntlet and writes about the subject?

Imagine if 'dilution ad infinitum' were true.

Nobody would ever get sick, because water would be increasingly stronger medicine for all ailments.

But everybody would die from overdosing!

Imagine if magnets really could heal.

One huge hospital would be built at each of the magnetic poles. All hospitals elsewhere would be demolished.

Imagine if people could communicate with the dead.

All archeaologists and historians would be sacked. Museums would become void.

No murders could be committed, because all killers would be found immediately.

Imagine if astrology could predict the future accurately.

The stock market would crash, and no economy would exist.

No need for elections.

[athon]

Good idea, Claus.

I always thought with the homeopathy angle that it would revolutionize everything from forensics to geology to computing. Think about 'water memory' - you could tell what happened to the water from the record of substances it came into some form of contact with.

I'd like to encourage people to really extrapolate the details and have fun with them. For example, if there really was a 'chi' life energy, could you manipulate other forms of energy to produce it? Could you artificially make the stuff?

In the end, these are still intended to be good stories; like any decent science fiction story, they cannot rely solely on the concept, but must present a clever insight into the subject with a plot that successfully draws in the reader.

Athon

[Floyt]

Bags I the Creationist zoology angle (unless someone does it first, of course. Doh.) Wonderfully silly ideas are already starting to queue up! :D

[Ryokan]

For sure, Athon; you're a winner, sunshine!

I love the idea!

[athon]

I'm thinking at this point that stories on the following 'themes' would be good;

1) Mediumship: Imagine if the dead really could communicate with select members of the living in vague, distant voices.

2) Homeopathy: Imagine if water really could hold the memory of solutes. Imagine if dilution really did make a remedy more powerful. Imagine if like really did cure like.

3) Divination: Imagine if the future could be witnessed. Imagine if unseen objects could be located through some mysterious means.

4) Bioenergy: Imagine if 'chi' was an actual energy. Imagine if acupuncture could really alter its flow.

5) Geomancy: Imagine if the location or arrangement of a particular environment affected the circumstances that occured within it.

6) Free Energy: Imagine if the laws of thermodynamics could actually be averted. Imagine if some means of super, alternative energy source really was discovered in a backyard laboratory but some Joe Sixpack.

7) Telepathy: Imagine if some people really could read minds, move objects mentally, see remote locations or influence the outcome of an event with their mind.


I'm envisioning between ten and twelve stories all up, the entire anthology totalling about 75k words. Before each story I think an explanation of the 'theme' and why it is unlikely to be real would be good.

Remember, the key is to ask what if the science behind it were real. What would be contradicted? What would be the follow on in technology? How would it change the world? What would be the logical scientific impact of such a discovery? This is a 'what if?' anthology, not a series of fantasy tales utilising the 'woo' themes.

Looking forward to reading these, folks. Remember, if you belong to any other writing circles or clubs or societies, spread the word. This is not limited to anybody.

Athon

[dogjones]

Remember, the key is to ask what if the science behind it were real. What would be contradicted? What would be the follow on in technology? How would it change the world? What would be the logical scientific impact of such a discovery? This is a 'what if?' anthology, not a series of fantasy tales utilising the 'woo' themes.



Great proj. To make it a little simpler, how about the starting point being the JREF prize being won?

[dogjones]

Thinking about it, maybe not - that may be too limiting. Forget I spoke!

[Garrette]

Athon, I've pm'd an idea which I think fits, though I'll be concentrating more on the politics of it than on the science.

[Brown]

I have written a short story that I suspect is still on one of my old floppy disks. Basically, it is the same story, told twice, from two different points of view. Two men witness exactly the same events, but they evaluate the events differently. (The story was written using an outdated Macintosh.)

I suppose the story could be published with one point of view on the even-numbered pages, and the other point of view on the odd-numbered pages.

The subject of the story is the "scientific testing" of a person who claimed to have paranormal powers. If you read one point of view, you'll be convinced that the testee is the genuine article. But if you read the other point of view, you'll be convinced that at least some of the miracles are frauds, and that the others (even though not explained) are highly suspect.

[ImaginalDisc]

I'm working on one about the consequence of homeopathy being real. I'll put it on the writer's group we started when I finish.

[Piscivore]

I'm working on an idea based off the whole "mind over matter" concept. I'll work on it this weekend.

[Garrette]

btw: The idea I mentioned before is about ley lines.

[athon]

Ok, I'm back for a moment, so I figured I'd bump this thread.

I've received some feedback from a couple of people who have some excellent ideas. Gerrette's idea on ley lines is promising, and I have something vague lurking in my mind (well, that's not unusual) on chiromancy. Brown's idea sounds interesting. Let me know about it, mate.

With interest piqued, I'm aiming at 12 stories all up. Whether that means 12 authors, or fewer authors with more stories each, is undecided. The latter is probably more practical.

I'll be continuing the semi-absence from forums for a little longer due to work committments, but rest assured this idea is still warm. I don't see this necessarily as my baby, so anybody who wishes to promote this in other areas or even wishes to help take the reigns themselves, please let me know.

Keep thinking, peeps.

Athon

[athon]

I'm working on an idea based off the whole "mind over matter" concept. I'll work on it this weekend.


Sweet. Send me the basic idea some time.

Athon