Scifi Friday: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) — Free on YouTube!

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind remains one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.

Released in 1977, it captures the mystery and wonder of humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Richard Dreyfuss delivers a memorable performance, John Williams provides the unforgettable five-note theme, and the spectacular finale at Devils Tower still holds up nearly 50 years later.

Currently available to watch free on YouTube.

We are not alone.

Too Old to Write? Nonsense.

I published my first novel when I was 55 years old.

I'm 66 now, and I'm about to publish my 14th book.

If I'd listened to the little voice telling me I was too old to start a writing career, those fourteen books wouldn't exist. All those characters, adventures, strange worlds, and terrible things I've done to imaginary people would still be rattling around inside my head.

Here's something I've learned: Age isn't a disadvantage for a writer. It's ammunition.

By the time you've accumulated a few decades, you've experienced love, loss, triumph, failure, heartbreak, and enough human stupidity to fill an entire library. You've met heroes, villains, fools, and people who somehow manage to be all three before breakfast.

That's a lifetime of material.

Sure, I wish I'd started publishing earlier. I could have written more books by now. But I also know that the writer I was at 25 wouldn't have had nearly as much to say as the writer I became at 55.

And at 66? I'm still learning, still improving, and still coming up with more stories than I have time to write.

The wonderful thing about writing is that there's no mandatory retirement age. Nobody comes along and takes away your keyboard because you've qualified for Social Security.

So, if you're 50, 60, 70, or 80 and you've always wanted to write a book, write the damn book.

Don't worry about whether you're too old to become a successful author. Don't worry about how many years you have left to write.

Worry about getting that first sentence onto the page.

I started at 55. Eleven years later, I'm about to publish book number 14. I have 3 more in first draft!

And I'm nowhere near finished.

Way More Drama!

 

Saturday Morning Coffee and Cartoons: Space Angel (1962)

 

Space Angel (1962): When Saturday Mornings Went to Space

Long before Star Trek, there was Space Angel, a wonderfully imaginative animated science fiction series that debuted in 1962.

The show followed Scott McCloud, aka Space Angel, and his crew aboard the spaceship Starduster, battling aliens, space pirates, and other interplanetary threats.

Featuring artwork by legendary artist Alex Toth, the series used the bizarre Syncro-Vox animation technique, superimposing real human mouths onto cartoon faces. The results were sometimes unintentionally hilarious but unforgettable.

The animation was primitive, the stories occasionally ridiculous, and the science questionable. But in 1962, with the Space Race heating up, none of that mattered.

We were going to space, and Space Angel was taking us along for the ride!

Do you remember watching Space Angel?

Scifi Friday: The Time Machine (1960)

 

My next novel will be about Time Travel. So I have been watching a lot of movies about Time.

 

Some science fiction movies age badly. Others become timeless classics. The Time Machine (1960) is firmly in the second category.

Directed by George Pal and based on H. G. Wells's 1895 novel, the film stars Rod Taylor as a Victorian inventor who builds a magnificent machine capable of traveling through time. What begins as a scientific adventure becomes a haunting journey into humanity's distant future.

The film's unforgettable time machine, with its spinning disc and ornate Victorian design, remains one of science fiction's most iconic creations. And who could forget the beautiful but helpless Eloi and the terrifying underground Morlocks?

Long before CGI, George Pal used ingenious practical effects, miniature sets, and stop-motion photography to create a believable journey through centuries and millennia. The results earned the film an Academy Award for Best Special Effects.

But what makes The Time Machine special isn't just the technology or the monsters. It's the underlying question Wells posed: Is humanity actually progressing, or are we simply getting better at destroying ourselves?

More than sixty years later, the film remains a wonderful combination of adventure, romance, imagination, and thoughtful science fiction.

And I still want that time machine parked in my garage.

Preferably with the original upholstery. 

Why Every Author Needs a Professional Photo

You spent months, maybe years, writing your book. You hired an editor, agonized over the cover, and polished every word. So why is your author photo a blurry snapshot from a barbecue in 2014?

Your author photo is part of your brand. It appears on your website, book covers, social media, and promotional materials. A professional photograph tells readers you're serious about your work, even if you write your novels in pajamas while arguing with your cat.

A good photographer knows how to make you look approachable, confident, and interesting. Most importantly, you'll still look like yourself, just with better lighting.

Invest in a professional author photo. Your books deserve it.

And so do your readers. They should recognize you at a book signing without needing dental records.

Why Every Author Needs a Professional Editor

 

There comes a magical moment in every writer's life when they type those two glorious words: THE END.

Unfortunately, that's usually when the real work begins.

You've spent months, maybe years, crafting your novel. You've rewritten chapters, murdered your darlings, wrestled with plot holes, and convinced yourself that your characters are actual people. You've read the manuscript so many times you could probably recite entire passages in your sleep.

And that's precisely the problem. I have seen more and more first-time authors say they don't need a professional editor. This is a huge mistake.

You're too close to your own work to see what's wrong with it.

Your brain knows what you meant to write, so it conveniently fills in missing words, overlooks awkward sentences, and ignores inconsistencies. That character whose eyes mysteriously change from blue to brown halfway through the novel? You probably won't notice. Your readers certainly will.

That's where a professional editor earns every penny.

A good editor does far more than correct spelling and punctuation. They spot pacing problems, expose plot holes, question character motivations, and flag passages that make perfect sense to you but leave everyone else scratching their heads.

Most importantly, a good editor doesn't rewrite your book in their voice. They help you tell your story better, in your voice.

And yes, professional editing costs money. Sometimes a painful amount of money. But consider the alternative: spending a year writing a novel, investing in cover art and marketing, and then releasing a book filled with avoidable mistakes.

Readers will forgive a lot. A poorly edited book isn't necessarily one of those things.

What about AI editing tools? They're useful. I use technology wherever it makes sense. But software can't reliably replace a skilled human editor's judgment, experience, and storytelling instincts. It can catch a misplaced comma. It might not recognize that your protagonist's emotional breakdown in Chapter 17 hasn't been properly earned.

An editor is not your enemy. An editor is your book's best friend.

You don't hire an editor because you're a bad writer. You hire one because you're serious about being a good one.

And if your editor sends back a manuscript covered in red marks, comments, and questions?

Congratulations.

You probably hired the right person.

Now comes the hard part.

Listening.