It’s been quite a while since I set Mirror up so I thought perhaps it’s time to record a few things about what I’m developing:
First a rundown of the overall concept perhaps. There’s short term, medium term, and long term perspectives to it. In the short run I’m laying down the theory aspect of the title I’ve given the site. The theory in Science Fiction Theory is a collection of papers I’m working through where I’m taking existing ideas that have cropped up over the centuries and recasting them for science fiction. I have draft essays and then I have those I’ve built into the site already. I’ve been developing a process for illustrating them and giving them a consistent appearance.
By standardizing, potential users will be able to use each one in the same way. The main differentiating factor is the gist of the literary theory. Processing them so they all have similarities but also differences while I’m applying a consistency in methodology to the work. That means once you figure out what it is and how to use it on the first essay you’ll be able to use any of them in the same fashion.
Each of the essays will be using generative art (similar to what is used here) and some editing tasks will be done by AI because as I noted I’m working alone. I think working without AI it would likely take years but with AI it’s going to go a lot faster. Although at this point I have already spent a couple years experimenting and watching updates.
Currently I’m building the site out in WordPress but it’s my intention to convert it or upgrade it in the future as my coding gets better and/or I find other volunteers interested in helping with some of it.
I want this to wind up being in Web 3.0 on one of the major level II blockchains or a level I like Solana. As far as Ethereum and Bitcoin go we’ll see where the development of each goes. In particular if Level II’s on BTC prove viable it might be something to consider just like I’m looking at and watching it for NFT sets. To that end I’m using a cloud library and the assets are organized in way that will be conducive to a switch down the road. The longest element in it is the written content and getting the right images generated. Each of the essays is getting about two dozen science fiction themed illustrations.
Much like editing the essays and proof checking the editorial work being done by multiple AI’s for different written aspects, the imaging will take refinement. Initially I’m filling in the designs with mass generated works. In the end it will be the equivalent of about a fifteen hundred page book and it will contain roughly three thousand images give or take. In order to really get it right one has to generate far more images than that and I’m also using multiple AI’s on that aspect. It is editorial work I do have years of experience volunteering at the local art center and for local arts organizations so in terms of an aesthetic eye I think I’m pretty good at that angle too.
In terms of editing the writing my major as an undergraduate was actually in history and I majored in original source material research in graduate studies at the University of Minnesota at Mankato.
Most of my experience in that was twenty years ago and I applied the writing to turning out papers interpreting documents from the congressional archives at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul. Generally about 20-30 pages per paper and on average 2-5 of those per week plus verbal presentations. The final thesis was about 100 pages. It involved state politics surrounding the enactment of Medicare in the late 50s and early 1960s and evidence that Hubert Humphrey and labor organizers used it to defeat longtime congressman Walter Judd. An unknown named Donald Fraser beat Judd who was a well known missionary doctor and foriegn police expert who had gone to school at the Mayo Clinic (where I now work) before moving to Minneapolis and then getting elected to represent the congressional district there. Fraser went on to be in congress for twenty years himself and then became the mayor of Minneapolis for another 20 years. That story is more to explain where I got my training. I was not an English major I interpreted things and interviewed people. There may be some of both if I manage to launch this project.
One point to this article so far is to underscore it’s somewhat complex but in the longer time frame the rest of the site should dwarf it. The essays on literary theory are a foundational work that will probably never be completely done. There will be a number of other things going on beyond them though.
One overriding thing is the actual purpose and who the content is aimed at.
I hypothesize that amongst all the fans of science fiction (be it books, movies, comics, or whatever) there are probably a lot of people who would be interested in being content creators or are already. The purpose of literary theory is to give them ideas to layer into their work be it writing a traditional book, a screenplay, or a story for a graphic novel. The literary theories thus come from a wide range of genres but I’m reinterpreting them into common parlance and applying them in the SciFi context.
In addition to that another project is to build a Lexicon that lays out terminology. Like the papers they will be designed for both casual browsing and serious study. A thing that once you have an outline of a story you might look over from time to time for ideas and elements to add to the story. It might something you’ve heard of but just needed a writing prompt to remind you or possibly something entirely new. It is more of an itemology approach. Objects and technological concepts. A bit like a tool used to study languages but tailored for the science fiction creator.
Another Example: Worldbuilding.
To that end I’m going to use the tools above to layout a metaverse. It will serve more than one purpose. I plan to put it under an open source style of license. Copyrighted but free to use in some important ways. One will be to download and edit the model to fit your needs. Another use and reason for it’s development is to allow for the creation of fan fiction based on it. Rather like the Star Wars or Star Trek universes or perhaps more accurately the Dune Universe or that which Ender was based in. A geography with an accompanying lexicon of ideas and objects, ships, and technology. In that I’ll be making good use of my background in historical studies. Alternative history more or less but on a larger scale that what is generally seen. Again an open ended thing as if people actually use it and contribute stories they may become a part of the storyline. This is something that will benefit from knowledgeable developers of course in terms of organizing it.
Which leads to the next steps.
In about a week I will begin the Coding Bootcamp offered virtually by the University of Minnesota. I will be focusing on the philosophy of DevOps and combining disciplines in a non-silo’d way. They have full time and part time options and give I work full time at the Mayo Clinic these days I’ll be doing it part time in the evenings and weekends. I anticipate that much like this writing project this will be a lifetime endeavor. I’m 56 now but I could have another 20-30 years left to work on this maybe longer given my employer and the associated health insurance. Not to mention the futuristic research that’s taking place including of course the advanced use of artificial intelligence. Having completed this first bootcamp I’ll be looking to get certifications and continuing on. Security is a logical choice for most anyone looking at DevOps but there are other options.
Of course there is the fact that I’m a trained historian and researcher. I’ve reviewed the curricular for the Bootcamp and we’ll be coving HTML, CSS, and JavaScript initially before moving on to the backend. I already took about a year of website development during the 2020 Covid shutdowns. So I’m implementing it with a number of other volumes on Linux, React, TypeScript, and Rust. I’ll probably prioritize the TS to complement the JS but I’m already studying them all.
Another thing is markdown, that’s a factor in the bootcamp. Obsidian will be of use in this project as I’ve outlined it but also in studying website development using the Zettlekasten Methodology. It’s something I used in college but that’s been a couple of decades ago now and things have changed. I’m configuring a repository that I can access across all my various devices. It’ll prove useful beyond this project and the bootcamp as Mayo is funding a business class license for me through Udemy. In terms of where I’ll use the IT skills in day to day life my plans are with Mayo unless of course this project takes off and I need to tend to it full time at some point. Mayo is an enlightened place they will support me either way I’m sure.
