In this episode of the Mind of Sai Marie, I dive into Rick Partlow’s compelling novel, Contact Front, a gripping adventure that thrusts humanity into its first, high-stakes encounter with alien civilizations.

With a career spanning dozens of novels, Rick has become a defining voice in modern sci-fi, successfully blending tactical realism with visionary speculation. We explore the fundamental elements that make his stories so immersive and resonant:

* The Craft of Immersive Worlds: Rick shares his process for building believable, complex worlds—from political structures to technological limits.

* Science Meets Imagination: We discuss the intersection where scientific plausibility fuels boundless creative speculation.

* The Enduring Power of Speculative Fiction: An exploration of how science fiction challenges our current perspectives and inspires us toward future possibilities.

Join us for a deep look into the courage required to face the unknown and the enduring power of storytelling to capture the future.

Follow Rick on Social Media:

Instagram: Rick Partlow

Pick up Contact Front: Contact Front

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In this episode of Out of the Encyclopedia of History, I unravel the stormy summer of 1816 that birthed Frankenstein and ignited a literary revolution. Through the lens of Mary Shelley’s radical feminism—not misandry—we explore her elopement with Percy Shelley, the infamous ghost story wager with Lord Byron, and the philosophical undercurrents of duality and monstrosity in Gothic literature.

I also draw parallels to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, spotlighting how women like Mary Shelley and Fanny Stevenson shaped the moral architecture of horror.

With nods to Guillermo del Toro’s cinematic homage, this episode honors the legacy of literary rebels who dared to write the darkness within.

A living tribute by yours truly.

This is where we decolonize the narrative.

I explore what it means to be Mixed Native—not as dilution, but as a sacred, complex inheritance. Discusses ancestral echoes, insurgent storytelling, and the daily practice of restoring kinship and collective memory.