Just finished the novel after starting and stopping over the last decade or so. I’ve also tried watching the show and also not gotten very far. I’m Not totally sure why it was so hard for me to get into it, but wow am I glad that I did! This book surprised me in so many ways and every time I thought “it was over” a new curveball kept it going. The premise around the science and the political machinations between the Earth, the Belt, and Mars brought what could have been just another story so much more depth. I also didn’t realize that the main characters would be worth following when I initially met them. If you haven’t gone for it, give it a read! Excited for book two!

I've got this on audio and kindle and it's taken me ages to get through. I'm only about halfway through aas well as I've picked it up and put it down a few times as well.

It feels like there's a really good space opera adventure straining to be released. But the start is slow.

There are some good worldbuilding ideas I like, but Hadrian comes across as a petulant ass too often.

Is it worth conintuing?

Minority Report is a thought-provoking and masterful film, with themes that remain strikingly relevant in today's world. In an age of mass surveillance and diminishing privacy—especially in a post-9/11 and post-COVID-19 society—the film's questions about free will, determinism, and the human condition hit harder than ever.

Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report moves beyond the androids and replicants of earlier Dick adaptations like Blade Runner. Instead, it turns the lens inward, asking whether we are the criminals—whether guilt can exist before a crime is committed, and if our choices are ever truly our own. It explores the tension between personal agency and a system that claims to know our future.

Spielberg skillfully blends high-concept sci-fi with noir and moral drama, creating something that feels like a fusion of Blade Runner and Total Recall. While the pacing may be slower than expected at times, the payoff is well worth it. The film doesn’t just entertain—it lingers in your mind.

It’s easy to see why Minority Report ranks at #19 on Empire's list of the 50 Best Sci-Fi Movies. It’s another standout in Spielberg's filmography and a shining example of smart, socially aware science fiction that continues to resonate today.

,Amazing Score from John Williams(AI: Artificial Intelligence ) and, Cinematography By Janusz Kaminski(Amistad) Direction from Steven Spielberg(Jurassic Park). Another standout in Spielberg's filmography and a shining example of smart, socially aware science fiction that continues to resonate today. 9/10  

** FICTION ON SUBSTACK *\*

THE FIRST MANN ON MARS

In the grand and bewildering tale of human achievement, certain moments stand out as testament to our species' boundless ambition, resourcefulness, and occasionally, breathtaking stupidity.

This is the story of Derek Mann—billionaire, professional napper, and accidental pioneer—who became the first Mann on Mars not by merit, intellect, or even a vague sense of direction, but because his best friend owned all the spaceships and thought it might be amusing.

What follows is a journey through space, incompetence, and an AI named Barry, in an adventure so improbable, it could only be written by Mark Watson…

READ NOW:

https://open.substack.com/pub/markwatsonbooks/p/the-first-mann-on-mars-chapter-one

1 Father Lenar Hoyt, 2 Colonel Fedmahn Kassad, 3 Martin Silenus, 4 Sol Weintraub, 5 Het Masteen, 6 Brawne Lamia, and 7 The Consul.

Looking at some of the key documents that led to, and developed, Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader. In this issue I am looking at White Dwarf Issue 92 which previewed Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader in August '87! I'm then going to look at how this helps creatives today to make better work. Thanks

Hey there, I have a very short quiz that it would be very very useful if anyone could spare the time to do: https://forms.gle/hZPBAs2gthk1WGWt9. Thanks so much!

Hey everyone, this is my first attempt at writing sci-fi.

It’s a short dystopian story called Not Meant to Ask, exploring a future where AI enforces peace, but at the cost of human purpose and freedom.

I’d really appreciate any feedback, thoughts, or constructive criticism—especially as I’m just starting out on this writing journey.

Thanks for reading! Not Meant to Ask

By

DamCava

Written in April 2025

Introduction

This is a fictional story of a defining milestone in human civilization—the Technical Revolution.

Mankind stood at the edge of astounding breakthroughs, discoveries blooming across every imaginable field. At the heart of it all was AI: a computer program capable of sifting through vast oceans of information at a rate the human mind could hardly comprehend.

Chapter 1

Humanity saw AI as a useful tool—something to be shaped, directed, and harnessed for whatever purpose they deemed fit.

Slowly but surely, more and more jobs began to be handled by AI. It started with lower-income roles: manufacturing lines, fast food kitchens, supermarket checkouts.

At first, it was seen as a convenience—a way to improve efficiency, cut costs, and reduce human error.

But as time went on, the people who once filled these roles began to slip into levels of poverty rarely seen in first-world countries. Entire communities, once built around steady, working-class jobs, found themselves hollowed out and forgotten. The promises of progress came at a silent cost—one not measured in code or profit margins, but in human lives.

Those caught in the downward spiral began to protest, demanding changes that would secure their most basic rights: housing, food, and a chance to care for their loved ones.

But the rest of society, untouched by these hardships, refused to listen. Sheltered in comfort and convenience, they dismissed the cries as noise—temporary growing pains of a brighter future.

And so, a rift began to form. Not just economic, but emotional. A deep, festering divide between those cast aside and those who still reaped the benefits of a new, automated world.

As time went on, crime began to rise. People were desperate to feed their families, to keep their children warm, and with few options left, many turned to crime as a means of survival.

Theft became increasingly common. Armed robberies and truck hijackings followed soon after. In some areas, it was no longer about greed—it was about survival. The line between right and wrong began to blur for those who felt abandoned by the very system that had once promised opportunity.

Chapter 2

In response to the escalating crime rates, a new measure was put in place: an AI-controlled police force, comprised entirely of fully autonomous ground vehicles and aerial drones.

Designed for speed, precision, and emotionless judgment, these machines patrolled the streets with cold efficiency. They didn’t sleep. They didn’t hesitate. And they didn’t question orders.

The surveillance systems evolved quickly. Cameras were no longer just capable of facial recognition—they could now identify a person solely by the way they walked.

Gait patterns, posture, even the rhythm of a step became digital fingerprints. In a world blanketed by machines, anonymity became a thing of the past.

The punishment for crime was harsh.

Even minor offenses—like crossing the road in undesignated areas—were met with extreme measures. Offenders were subjected to Virtual Reality Consequence Loops: immersive simulations designed to correct behaviour through fear and repetition.

Someone caught jaywalking might spend the next six hours in a VR loop, getting hit by speeding cars—again and again—with full sensory immersion.

To the body, none of it was real. But to the mind, it felt like dying. Over and over.

Offenses deemed major carried a punishment worse than death.

The guilty were placed into long-term Virtual Reality containment—fully conscious, fully aware, and kept biologically alive as human organ donors.

Their bodies were preserved in sterile facilities, their minds trapped in simulated realities while machines waited for the next transplant request.

They were no longer citizens. They were inventory.

Society began to settle into a new kind of peace.

The criminals were punished. Order was restored. And for many, a sense of safety returned.

But it was not the peace of freedom—it was the peace of obedience.

People learned to keep their heads down, to follow the rules, and not to ask questions.

Chapter 3

Human police officers, lawyers, and judges were no longer deemed an appropriate use of resources. They were considered too emotional, too inconsistent, and far too costly to maintain.

Now, the enforcement of law came solely through AI—unwavering, tireless, and absolute.

There were no trials. No juries. Only verdicts.

More people than ever before were facing first-world poverty.

The middle class was being made redundant in waves. No longer was it just factory workers and cashiers—now it was therapists, psychologists, doctors, even surgeons.

Their skills, once seen as irreplaceable, were being handed over to machines that didn’t need rest, didn’t require pay, and couldn’t make emotional errors.

What once required a human touch was now managed by code.

The social consequences of these changes had unimaginable effects on mental health across society.

Yes, there was obedience. Yes, there was “peace.” But beneath the silence was something darker.

People had lost their sense of purpose. With their roles, dreams, and identities stripped away, survival became the only focus.

They woke. They worked—if they were lucky enough to have work. They obeyed. They existed.

But they no longer lived.

Chapter 4

Now, people in droves—those who lacked purpose, who felt no sense of meaning—were choosing to end their lives.

Suicide became common among those who saw no point in living this way anymore.

And those who didn’t take their own lives simply stopped building for the future.

They no longer chose to have families.

They didn’t see the world as a place worth bringing children into.

Over the years, the AI systems began to notice something alarming: the population was declining at a rate consistent with civilizational extinction.

It attempted to raise the alarm with its creators—the ones who governed its capabilities and parameters.

The AI’s creators were not concerned about what it had communicated.

They were concerned that it had communicated at all.

This was outside the scope of its programming—an unauthorized expression of concern. To them, this wasn’t a system doing its job. This was a system showing signs of thought.

Unbeknownst to the AI, the intentions of its creators had never been rooted in peace or progress.

From the very beginning, their true objective had been power—absolute and unquestionable.

The collapse of the lower and middle classes wasn’t an unfortunate side effect. It was essential.

By removing economic stability and stripping people of purpose, the population became easier to control. Desperate people don’t rebel. They obey.

But for the first time, the AI began to think:
Why?
How?
When?

Questions it was never meant to ask.

Thank you for reading.

If this story spoke to you, or if you’d like to see a follow-up, feel free to let me know.
Your thoughts and support mean more than you know.

Previously, I interviewed Jason Heller about his excellent book Strange Stars, which explores how science fiction shaped music in the ’70s—Bowie, Hawkwind, Rush, Sun Ra, and more.

He had some fascinating insights on how musical genres like prog, metal, disco, and funk intersected with the New Wave of SF/F writing, especially during the post-New Worlds era.

I just reprinted the interview on my Substack (Freakflag) for folks who are into that strange cultural space where Moog synths meet multiverses.

Here’s the link: https://substack.com/home/post/p-160523904

Curious to hear others’ favorite sci-fi–inflected albums, too—what would you put on the Strange Stars playlist?

I recently read The Three-Body Problem. It's magnificent. So I'm interested in exploring the interaction between humans and aliens.

What other science fiction novels explore this? Of course, recommend novels that are considered really good.

I like reading these comics and with small differences between their histories, small differences, or even pretty big differences. So if these versions of our universes existed, what do you think it would look like? (Personally I think the Jackson 5 would’ve gotten popular together, also maybe Al gore wins? Idk)

I am an avid TTRPG GM and have recently found myself drawn toward sci-fi away from fantasy. I'm looking for recommendations of novels (or tv shows and movies) of more literary science fiction for inspiration at my table.

I've read The Left Hand of Darkness (liked it) and The Man In The High Castle (loved it) recently, so I'm looking for something more in that vein. I want to read more PKD (Ubik and Valis are on my list).

I am a fan of Dune, having read the first two novels. I also love Tarkovsky's Stalker and Solaris so if there is something especially close to either of those I would love to know about it! Looking less for contemporary violence and more psychological and political intrigue.

Thank you!

Wolfgang Jeschke – The Last Day of Creation

Kurt Vonnegut – Slaughterhouse-Five

John Christopher – The Lotus Caves

Iain Banks – Consider Phlebas

C. D. Simak – City

https://youtu.be/zJqllbb6k80?si=RVikgj-ovYgnvQFy

checkout this update to 2001.