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The Cosmic Codex

Written by: Brian Scott Pauls
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  • Living in a science fiction universe...

    www.thecosmiccodex.com
    Brian Scott Pauls
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Episodes
  • Ninety degrees from everything

    Ninety degrees from everything
    May 16 2024
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in May and June, Science Fiction & Fantasy Reads.Check out over 75 books available for free.My latest novelette, “Long Night On the Endless City,” appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 26: Tomorrow’s Crimes:On the vast ring habitat Ouroboros, Jel and her synthetic companion Marcus search for Arja, the third member of their triad. This quest leads them to a cryptic technology cult with questionable motives. When they suffer a vicious attack, Marcus and Jel join forces with one of Ouroboros’most renowned computer and robotics experts to get to the bottom of the mystery.This thought-provoking sf tale explores artificial intelligence, religion, and the ties that bind families together in a fast-paced story full of action, intrigue, and heart.Get your FREE copy of Designating the FutureThe newest colony, Merocius, represents hope for a brighter future, away from the overpopulated Homeworld. But landing a spot on “The Aspire” is difficult.They need the best of the best on this mission because there’s no room for mistakes. The ship is the largest, the distance the farthest, and the solar system the most unexplored. Nothing can go wrong.To say they’re being highly selective would be an understatement.Meet the crew of The Aspire before they find out if their post’s approved and see how close some come to being left behind.Join my newsletter and get Designating the Future today!by Brian Scott Pauls with the help of ChatGPT 3.5The quest to understand the fundamental nature of our universe has been a driving force in human exploration and scientific inquiry for centuries. One of the most intriguing questions that have puzzled scientists and philosophers alike is the true dimensionality of the space we inhabit. While we experience the world in three spatial dimensions, theoretical physicists have proposed the existence of additional dimensions beyond our conventional perception.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.A number of science fiction writers have based stories on the concept of additional dimensions:“‘—And He Built a Crooked House—’” by Robert A. HeinleinYoung, eccentric architect Quintus Teal designs a house based on a tesseract, a four-dimensional geometric shape. However, when an earthquake strikes, the house collapses, but not in the way one might expect. Instead of crumbling to the ground, the structure folds in on itself, creating a bizarre and mind-bending labyrinth of interconnected rooms and corridors. As Teal, his friend Homer Bailey, and Bailey’s wife Matilda explore Teal’s strangely distorted creation, they must grapple with surreal challenges posed by its now four-dimensional shape. With wit and ingenuity, Heinlein crafts a tale that explores the boundaries of perception and reality, challenging readers to rethink their understanding of space and dimensionality.“Mimsy Were the Borogoves” by Lewis PadgettThis captivating tale, written by C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner under a pseudonym, begins when a box of futuristic toys from the future is accidentally sent back in time and ends up in the hands of two young siblings, Scott and Emma. Unbeknownst to the children, the toys are designed to enhance intelligence and perception, in part through the understanding of non-Euclidean and multidimensional geometry. As their minds expand and their perceptions shift, the children's newfound abilities lead them to uncover secrets that reshape their understanding of reality. Through its blend of science fiction and fantasy, "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" explores themes of childhood innocence, the nature of intelligence, and the transformative power of imagination.A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’EngleThis young adult novel is a timeless tale of adventure, courage, and the power of love across the dimensions of space and time. The story follows Meg Murry, her brilliant brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe as they embark on a cosmic journey to rescue Meg's father, a scientist who has disappeared while researching interdimensional travel. Guided by three mysterious beings—Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which—the children traverse the universe, encountering strange worlds and confronting dark forces that seek to enslave entire civilizations. "A Wrinkle in Time" invites readers of all ages to ponder the mysteries of the universe and the infinite possibilities that lie beyond the confines of ordinary reality.Thank you for reading The Cosmic Codex. This post is public so feel free to share it.In this article, we delve into the fascinating realm of multidimensional space and explore the various theories that attempt to explain how many dimensions may make up our universe.The Three Dimensions We KnowOur everyday experience of space is defined by three spatial dimensions: length, width, and height. These dimensions allow us to navigate and ...
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    10 mins
  • When minds collide

    When minds collide
    May 4 2024



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
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    6 mins
  • "Probability Amplitudes" has a new cover

    "Probability Amplitudes" has a new cover
    Apr 26 2024
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in April and May, Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy.Check out nearly 75 books available for free.My latest novelette, “Long Night On the Endless City,” appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 26: Tomorrow’s Crimes:On the vast ring habitat Ouroboros, Jel and her synthetic companion Marcus search for Arja, the third member of their triad. This quest leads them to a cryptic technology cult with questionable motives. When they suffer a vicious attack, Marcus and Jel join forces with one of Ouroboros’most renowned computer and robotics experts to get to the bottom of the mystery.This thought-provoking sf tale explores artificial intelligence, religion, and the ties that bind families together in a fast-paced story full of action, intrigue, and heart.Get your FREE copy of The Great Asteroid TheftA Star Lawyers Series PrequelThe Great Asteroid Theft – Murder, conspiracy, clash of rival star nations over vast wealth from mining asteroids. And sizzling romance on the frontier world of Olathe-5.Alien claim-jumpers are robbing asteroid miners of their hard-won discoveries in the vast, four-belted Olathe System. These pirates are carting off high value ores while officials of the Terran Commonwealth take bribes to look the other way.Meet young attorneys Tyler and J.B. Matthews long before they launched Star Lawyers Corporation. You’ll also encounter the spicy East Indian Lieutenant Varuna Singh, attorney with the Energy Consortium who teams up with the Matthews brothers to stop the Great Asteroid Theft.The Star Lawyers series starts at Olathe-5. Be there when Tyler and J.B. launch their careers in this 32nd century, crime and punishment legal thriller.I’m a visual thinker. Pictorial representations of my work serve as both an inspiration and a motivation to write.In previous posts about my upcoming collection, Probability Amplitudes, I’ve used the following image of the cover:I purchased this image in 2021, when I first began working on my first collection in earnest. I saw it available online and grabbed it before someone else did. I also wanted to see what my as-yet-nonexistent book would look like. Seeing it helped me believe I could do it.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Since then, the length of Probability Amplitudes has increased, both in overall word count and the number of stories. This calls for a change in the subtitle. As any modification requires me to go back to the cover creator and pay a change fee, I’ve been holding off until I’m certain how many stories the book will contain.In the meantime, three years have passed. Tastes change. Even when I bought this cover, the image may have been on the outer edge of what the market preferred. Now I’m concerned it may be completely out-of-date.While I’ve been working on my stories, I’ve also been experimenting with artificial intelligence tools. These include Midjourney, which I use to create digital illustrations for The Cosmic Codex.Thank you for reading The Cosmic Codex. This post is public so feel free to share it.I realized with Midjourney and an affordable BookBrush subscription, I could make custom book covers using BookBrush’s cover creation tool. I tried it, and was more impressed with the fonts available from BookBrush than I had been with those on the cover I bought. I also felt Midjourney did a respectable job producing a background image, allowing me to specify elements I liked about the purchased cover. And if I change my mind, I can create new mock-ups myself, whenever I want.See the result below:When I shared both covers with a few prospective readers, asking which they preferred, sentiment was overwhelmingly in favor of the new cover. I plan to use it for the book when I’m ready to publish.As far as that goes, I’ve made a little progress chipping away at the amount of new material required. It’s down to 46% (from 47%) of the anticipated 160,000 words. But I noticed I had mis-categorized some material as “Final Draft” which was really “First Draft.” I’ve corrected this in the following chart:I still have long way to go, but I’m encouraged by what I’ve accomplished so far. The end is in sight.See below for links to three short stories (and the excerpt of another) which I plan to include in Probability Amplitudes.Short Stories* “The Play of Light In the Present Moment”* ”Critical Impact Vulnerabilities”* ”Chthonic Echoes”Excerpt* Long Night On the Endless CityQuestions or comments? Please share your thoughts! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
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    3 mins
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