The AtoZ of EOS_Optimism

April 18, 2016 / WriterlySam / 3 Comments

E O S_Banner

A new dawn is on the horizon, where boundaries are broken, diversity is embraced, and an optimistic, creative vision of our future on Earth takes center stage.

Fear takes us down an unexpected road in EOS, a revolutionary Solarpunk story from author Samantha Redstreake Geary, in collaboration with artist Jenny Vyas, featuring music by Really Slow Motion, and groundbreaking graphics via designer Koke Núñez Gómez! EOS tackles real-world issues concerning terrorism, prejudice, and diversity, to near-future technology surrounding sustainable energy that restores the balance between humanity and nature. This isn’t a defeatist tale. It is a look through the lens of positive futurism that showcases the courage, compassion and capabilities of humanity as equal partners in building a bridge to a better tomorrow.

Optimism

H O R I Z O N by Jenny Vyas

Solarpunk in an emerging sub-genre of Science Fiction that focuses on an optimistic, innovative vision of our future on Earth. Infused with positive futurism, Solarpunk challenges us to consciously turn away from the defeatist apocalyptic momentum as a global community.

It asks us to stop throwing our hands up and work towards restoring the balance between humanity and nature by transitioning into real world, near-future technology surrounding sustainable energy.

It dares us to defy the powers that be. The world’s most powerful people and corrupt corporations rely on maintaining the status quo. The greatest battle we face is confronting the ingrained greed invested in crippling the environment and controlling lives through a destructive cycle of consumerism. They build communities that use its people, where the value of the individual is directly tied to their profit margin, and opportunities are bound to the amount people bleed to feed the industrial beast.

It demands that we embrace diversity and foster universal respect across all cultures, creeds and chromosomes. Humans intrinsically deserve the support of one another. Every life matters. Everyone is worthy of freedom. A better future should be accessible to all. Prosperity is a right, not a privilege.

We share the fate of this planet. It will take all of us to save it. And if we begin by imagining a better world, no matter how fantastical, anything is possible.

Behind the Scenes
– Starring AtoZ rockstars –

Stay tuned for more Behind the Scenes this week!

Really Slow Motion – Battle Angel – Carry Us – Phillip Lober

EOS Commenting Contest

Swing by and leave us a comment for a chance to WIN a digital copy of RSM’s latest public album, Battle Angel!

Each Comment = One Entry

EOS Review Contest

Starting April 1st, I’ll reveal sensory-rich sneak peeks into the world of EOS, a futuristic sci fi solarpunk short story available on AMAZON for $0.99. Post a REVIEW of EOS on AMAZON by May 31st and you’ll be entered to WIN a signed copy of RSM’s Battle Angel and signed limited edition print from painter, Jenny Vyas!

Add EOS on Goodreads!

The AtoZ of EOS_Nellie Soñador

April 17, 2016April 18, 2016 / WriterlySam / 2 Comments

E O S_Banner

A new dawn is on the horizon, where boundaries are broken, diversity is embraced, and an optimistic, creative vision of our future on Earth takes center stage.

Meet the Characters

Adriana Barraza as Nellie Sonador

Peering down at the new arrivals from behind a wall of glass on the 48th floor, are a mother and son who share a tragic secret, and a girl who’s far more than she appears.

“More guests!” the silver-haired woman shouts over her shoulder. “That’s a lot of tamales,” she mumbles under her breath. Nellie Soñador, famous for serenades and well-timed sarcasm, was arguably the greatest tamale maker in all of Mexico.

A memory tightens Rafael’s throat. His wife, Zari, and daughter, Esperanza, sitting at Nellie’s weathered kitchen table, peals of laughter layered over a soaring soprano and the singing of guitar strings, their fingers sticky with masa as they fashioned savory forts from corn husks.

He would trade all the stars in the sky for one more meal together.

Nellie narrows her eyes. “Pfft, they wouldn’t know a decent tamale if it bit them in the—”

“Mamá! Language,” Rafael scolds, his eyes darting to the girl.

“Between the construction workers and your merry band of scientists, she’s well versed in expletives by now.” Nellie winks at the girl.

The girl stifles a smile.

“Besides, she’s no niña,” Nellie whispers, sending him a knowing look. “Remember that.”

No, Rafael realizes. He studies the girl’s translucent figure. She’s a ghost.

Behind the Scenes
– Starring AtoZ rockstars –

Stay tuned for more Behind the Scenes next week!

Really Slow Motion – Battle Angel – I Remember Now – Daniel Beijbom

EOS Commenting Contest

Swing by and leave us a comment for a chance to WIN a digital copy of RSM’s latest public album, Battle Angel!

Each Comment = One Entry

EOS Review Contest

Starting April 1st, I’ll reveal sensory-rich sneak peeks into the world of EOS, a futuristic sci fi solarpunk short story available on AMAZON for $0.99. Post a REVIEW of EOS on AMAZON by May 31st and you’ll be entered to WIN a signed copy of RSM’s Battle Angel and signed limited edition print from painter, Jenny Vyas!

Add EOS on Goodreads!

The AtoZ of EOS_Masako Yori

April 16, 2016April 18, 2016 / WriterlySam / 2 Comments

E O S_Banner

A new dawn is on the horizon, where boundaries are broken, diversity is embraced, and an optimistic, creative vision of our future on Earth takes center stage.

Meet the Characters

Sonoya Mizuno as Masako Yori

Dr. Masako Yori, artificial intelligence specialist, was unaccustomed to being left in the dark. The only child of YORI Technologies’ CEO, Masako was groomed to carry her father’s legacy into the future. Knowledge was a currency she learned to manage at an early age. If the devil was in the details, she kept it under her thumb. But with birthrights come burdens, and the weight she bears would crush a lesser being.

Behind the Scenes
– Starring AtoZ rockstars –

Stay tuned for more Behind the Scenes next week!

Really Slow Motion – Battle Angel – Legacy – Nick Road

EOS Commenting Contest

Swing by and leave us a comment for a chance to WIN a digital copy of RSM’s latest public album, Battle Angel!

Each Comment = One Entry

EOS Review Contest

Starting April 1st, I’ll reveal sensory-rich sneak peeks into the world of EOS, a futuristic sci fi solarpunk short story available on AMAZON for $0.99. Post a REVIEW of EOS on AMAZON by May 31st and you’ll be entered to WIN a signed copy of RSM’s Battle Angel and signed limited edition print from painter, Jenny Vyas!

Add EOS on Goodreads!

The AtoZ of EOS_Luminescence

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 / WriterlySam / 5 Comments

E O S_Banner

A new dawn is on the horizon, where boundaries are broken, diversity is embraced, and an optimistic, creative vision of our future on Earth takes center stage.

EOS is a powerful solarpunk story narrated by FEAR, who tackles real-world issues concerning terrorism, prejudice, and diversity, to near-future technology surrounding sustainable energy that restores the balance between humanity and nature. This isn’t a defeatist tale. It is a look through the lens of positive futurism that showcases the courage, compassion and capabilities of humanity as equal partners in building a bridge to a better tomorrow.

Bioluminescence

“Tell me,” Vanisa teases, “do the coffee beans glow, too?”

“No, not after they’re ground,” Rafael counters. “You like our sustainable natural lighting? Pretty cool, eh?”

“Cool doesn’t begin to describe it. Tell me about your unorthodox gatekeeper,” Vanisa prods.

“A bit temperamental, I know,” Rafael cringes. “We’re still working out the thorns.”

“This technology, it’s near future, not now future.” Vanisa leans forward. “All of this should be…impossible.”

“Leave impossible at the door, Vanisa, and anything can happen,” Rafael winks. “It helps, of course, to have an ambitious team of molecular biologists. They arranged a rather successful marriage between bioluminescent jellyfish proteins and our abundant native flora.”

“Sounds infinitely better than my marriage,” Vanisa clucks.

Behind the Scenes
– Starring AtoZ rockstars –

Arlee Bird, wordsmith extraordinaire, brushed past a patch of foliage on his way to the treetop bar and sent it flickering to life. After tossing out a startled expletive, Arlee, who’s seen his fair share of the bizarre living in LA, found the effect rather fascinating. He walked a littler further, and sure enough, the path pulsed to life with the vivid glow of a thousand leaves, like the blazing streets of Manhattan, but with infinitely fresher air and considerably less people breathing it.

Arlee saddled up to the bar beside AJ and ordered a Manhattan. AJ Lauer was jotting down her next interactive fiction adventure on a cocktail napkin. Inspired by her surroundings, she worked her creative magic around a bad batch of bioluminscent plants that were secretly plotting Armageddon.

Pam Margolis peeked over AJ‘s shoulder and snorted into her wine. She suggested an unconventional librarian as the hero, someone devilishly clever and of African, Asian, or Hispanic American descent. No one would suspect a badass bookworm to slay rogue weeds with her rapier wit and black thumb. Not that she intentionally killed plants. She was simply too busy running her Bad Girls Book Club to water them.

Tasha Duncan-Drake took a sip of her rum and coke and scanned AJ‘s napkin. She was thinking there might be a market for nefarious illuminating shrubs and such, especially if she throws in a fictional phantom or two. Tasha thought, what the hell, and offered to publish it via Wittegen Press and design the glowing cover–something decidedly spooky.

Really Slow Motion – Battle Angel – Revelation – Tanuj Tiku

EOS Commenting Contest

Swing by and leave us a comment for a chance to WIN a digital copy of RSM’s latest public album, Battle Angel!

Each Comment = One Entry

EOS Review Contest

Starting April 1st, I’ll reveal sensory-rich sneak peeks into the world of EOS, a futuristic sci fi solarpunk short story available on AMAZON for $0.99. Post a REVIEW of EOS on AMAZON by May 31st and you’ll be entered to WIN a signed copy of RSM’s Battle Angel and signed limited edition print from painter, Jenny Vyas!

Add EOS on Goodreads!

The AtoZ of EOS_Koi

April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 / WriterlySam / 6 Comments

E O S_Banner

A new dawn is on the horizon, where boundaries are broken, diversity is embraced, and an optimistic, creative vision of our future on Earth takes center stage.

Of Fortunes and Fish

Kumonryu

Masako holds up her hand. She looks at the water and points to a striking black fish with scrolling white markings. “Do you know this koi?”

EOS initiates a new search. “It is a Kumonryu, meaning nine tattooed dragon, which originated in—”

“No,” the woman interrupts. “I am asking about this Kumonryu.”

EOS hesitates, confusion wrinkling her translucent brow.

“Some things you cannot find in a database. Some things are held only in the mind,” Masako brings her hand to her chest, “in the heart. Stories that make something what they are, that make a person who they are.”

“How will I know these things?”

“By asking the right questions and listening to the answers.”

EOS pauses for a moment. “What do you know about the Kumonryu?”

Masako smiles and turns back to the water, a raven curtain falling across her face. “In my country, there is a legend about a Kumonryu that has lived for hundreds of years. Its markings change with the seasons, and every spring it reveals one’s fortune with love. For generations, it has predicted the soulmate for every member of its host family.”

EOS cocks her head, considering the answer. “What do you know about this Kumonryu?

“You learn quickly,” Masako laughs. “This particular fish bears the markings of a fortune.”

EOS stares at the fish. “I do not understand the markings.”

“The art of reading a Kumonryu is a family tradition passed down from mother to daughter.”

EOS understands. “You can read the fortune.”

Masako nods.

“What does it say?”

“Girl of light…follow love…across bridge.”

“What does it mean?” EOS asks, clearly puzzled.

“That, I cannot say.”

Behind the Scenes
– Starring AtoZ rockstars –

Vidya Sury walked alongside a school of vivid koi, a cup of Colombian warming her hands. She found Viridis to be a fitting sanctuary for mindful living–a place of peace and tranquility, where she and her son could set down roots and watch possibility flourish. She suspected a special kind of magic raced through the waters of Viridis, and she was more than happy to live under its spell. Vidya spied her friend Michelle across the canal and waved. Another beautiful smile to add to her collection.

Michelle Wallace sat near the waterfall’s edge where she tossed crumbs to a comical black and white koi and chatted about her favorite literary works from friends across the globe with Zalka. After an arduous journey from South Africa, she was relieved to see so many familiar faces attending the summit and couldn’t wait to meet up with them over bottles of wine and witty banter.

Rafael invited renowned Hungarian storyteller, Zalka Csenge Virág, to Viridis to discuss diversity and representation in traditional stories. Having recently returned from the whirlwind tour for her, Tales of Superhuman Powers, Csenge was thrilled to settle into such an inspiring setting for the duration of April.

Sitting across from Michelle and Zalka, having an animated discussion with the empty chairs beside him, was Roland Yeomans. He was, in fact, debating the challenge of writing via free association with the ghosts of Twain and Freud. They both agreed he should stick to something clever, like The Not-So-Innocents Abroad, and perhaps be a tad more subtle when talking to invisible friends. Even the fish were giving him a wide berth.

Really Slow Motion – Battle Angel – Reborn – James Minas, Lydia Davies

EOS Commenting Contest

Swing by and leave us a comment for a chance to WIN a digital copy of RSM’s latest public album, Battle Angel!

Each Comment = One Entry

EOS Review Contest

Starting April 1st, I’ll reveal sensory-rich sneak peeks into the world of EOS, a futuristic sci fi solarpunk short story available on AMAZON for $0.99. Post a REVIEW of EOS on AMAZON by May 31st and you’ll be entered to WIN a signed copy of RSM’s Battle Angel and signed limited edition print from painter, Jenny Vyas!

Add EOS on Goodreads!

The AtoZ of EOS_International Viridis Summit

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 / WriterlySam / 7 Comments

E O S_Banner

A new dawn is on the horizon, where boundaries are broken, diversity is embraced, and an optimistic, creative vision of our future on Earth takes center stage.

Welcome to the International Viridis Summit

In the center of the mountain oasis, surrounding a thousand foot waterfall, the world’s greatest minds assemble to meet their mysterious host.

“Welcome amigos, colegas,“ Rafael Soñador smiles warmly. “Many of you know me. We have a past, you and I, yes? We’ve shared dreams over meals, ideas over drinks. Some of you shared the stage with me after too many drinks. You know who you are.” Laughter ripples through the crowd.

Behind the Scenes
– Starring AtoZ rockstars –

Fond memories of channeling her inner-diva tugged at Amy Willoughby-Burle‘s lips, her cheeks blushing a shade darker than the fiery hair flowing down her back. Rafael had taken her out to celebrate A Soft and Thunderous Noise‘s debut on the international bestseller list. Five rounds of mojitos later, Amy had stormed the stage and delivered a memorable rendition of La Bamba with drinking partners, C. Lee McKenzie, Guilie Castillo, and Yolanda Renee, that rivaled the original.

C. Lee McKenzie, nursing a steaming cup of caffeine and a traveling hangover, winked at Amy from across the aisle. Lee, having recently returned from Cuba, was discussing Hemingway’s Hotel Ambos Mundos museum with Guilie. From the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of black and white in the algae-coated canal that cut through the floor near her feet. She wondered what other creatures lurked in its depths. An alligator perhaps?

Guilie Castillo sipped her coffee and stroked the fur of her four-legged travel companion, whose attention was drawn to the swimming jewels that winked from the water’s edge. He couldn’t believe his luck, really. He had spent the first empty years of his life hungry and heartbroken in a dingy back alley. Now, he had a warm home with regular meals, six siblings, and adoring parents. And as much as he yearned to dip a paw into that tempting pool, he would resist, for his mother’s sake.

Sitting behind Guilie, in the shade of a massive tree, Yolanda Renee made mental notes of the extraordinary surroundings. She was working feverishly on the sequel to her global smash hit, Murder & Obsession, and found the summit location an appealing setting for a thriller. Yolanda sensed a deeper mystery running through the veins of Viridis, and she would make every effort to uncover it.

EOS Commenting Contest

Swing by and leave us a comment for a chance to WIN a digital copy of RSM’s latest public album, Battle Angel!

Each Comment = One Entry

EOS Review Contest

Starting April 1st, I’ll reveal sensory-rich sneak peeks into the world of EOS, a futuristic sci fi solarpunk short story available on AMAZON for $0.99. Post a REVIEW of EOS on AMAZON by May 31st and you’ll be entered to WIN a signed copy of RSM’s Battle Angel and signed limited edition print from painter, Jenny Vyas!

Add EOS on Goodreads!