W4WS: Hi everyone, hope you all had a great weekend! This month for Writers4Writers (W4WS) we have Alex J. Cavanaugh and Isis Rushdan as the participants. So take a few moments, stop by their Web sites, and copy and paste those Tweets and help them spread the good word!
Or can also go to #W4WS on Twitter and Retweet something. You can do this once or all week long as much as you feel inspired.
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But wait, that’s not all. Click the W4WS Facebook Page and then share their links with your Facebook friends and writers groups.
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| How W4WS works |
Remember How This Works: The good people of Blogdom will promote the author’s book to their Twitter followers or Facebook friends, that is, to incredibly large new audiences the author could not reach on their own. Simple. Easy. Powerful.
Speaking Of Alex: he is a guest blogger here today to help promote his new release and concluding book to his trilogy CassaStar. The topic: Teleporting. Take it away Alex …
Beam Me Up Scotty! Those famous words, spoken almost fifty years ago, brought the idea of teleportation to the general public. What if we could actually teleport to another place or time?
The concept wasn’t new though. Science fiction literature had explored the idea for years. Technically, you could go back to stories like Aladdin, as the Djinns were able to transport themselves instantaneously from one place to another. While it was attributed to their magical abilities, it was in fact a form of teleportation.
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| I asked my local library to order Alex's books. |
The term itself didn’t appear until 1931. Writer Charles Fort used it to describe unusual and unexplained disappearances. He created the word by joining the Greek prefix tele- (distant) and the Latin verb portare (to carry.)
Many science fiction authors used teleportation in their books. Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series, written a hundred years ago, showed John Carter arriving on Mars via teleportation. Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov also used it in their stories and books. It’s also appeared in novels by Michael Crichton, Anne McCaffrey, CS Lewis, and Larry Niven.
The concept has also appeared in numerous films and television shows - Star Trek, Stargate, Thor, Back to the Future, Tron, Looper, Doctor Who, The Prestige, The Fly, and the new show, The Tomorrow People. We are fascinated by the concept of instantaneous travel.
Is it possible though? The website Sci-Fi Science – The True Science Behind Science Fiction http://www.scifiscience.co.uk/ explores the possibilities. Assuming man is made of carbon (although we are made of up many atoms), we’d need to know the coordinates of every atom in relation to time and how they’re located with other atoms at that time. The amount of information required just to teleport one type of atom would be immense. Recently scientists in Zurich were able to teleport information across a computer chip, but we are still a long way away from teleporting a person.
That doesn’t stop us from dreaming though! In my series, the Cassans can teleport their spaceships by using a device that is fueled by several unique compounds. The trigger comes from the mental powers of the Cassan race, as they use those powers to activate the device and teleport their ship. My main character, Byron, has the rare gift of being able to pour his own mental energy into the device and power it even when it’s been drained of energy. This unique ability comes into play numerous times in my series.
Whether possible or not, we’ll keep writing stories about teleportation while as scientists try to make it a reality. Perhaps one day we’ll get to experience it. I know it will make my commute to work a lot more pleasant!
Thank you Alex for your awesome post! And while you’re stopping by Alex’s Web Site for W4WS, check out all the relevant info regarding the author and CassaStorm.
What To Watch: There are a couple real cool shows definitely watching. Much more interesting than most of the mindless nonsense on TV these days:
How To Build A Planet: Join host Richard Hammond on the ultimate engineering project. How to Build a Planet uses stunning interactive CGI to reveal step-by-step how a world is put together. With a little help from the world's top scientists and engineers, Hammond will build the Earth and Solar System piece by piece. CLICK HERE for times and channels.
The Incredible Bionic Man: Meet the Bionic Man: a talking, breathing, walking man, made of the best prosthetic body parts and robotic technology available.
CLICK HERE to view the whole episode.
Advanced Review Copy (ARC): If anyone would like to read and ARC of Escalation, please email me at Stephen.tremp@yahoo.com and I’ll at the beginning of November I’ll send you a code to download a copy for free. I’m up to 300 pages edited or in the editing stage for ESCALATION. I really think I can finish this be October 31st. Such a push! I’m almost there. Check out the synopsis by clicking the ESCALATION tab at the top of the Home Page.
Question: Would you teleport if the technology was available today? Are you going to watch How To Build A Planet? Do you request libraries to carry friend's books? Are you interested in reading an ARC of Escalation?
Awesome we get to shout out about Alex this month. I'm amazed at all the history Alex knows about sci-fi. You can just tell from his post that he's done an amazing amount of research on teleportation.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephen! Honored to be one of the W4WS this month and your guest.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, thanks!
Must admit I never thought of asking my library. Will repair that omission immediately, well tomorrow. Of course they may have the books, yours as well as Alex's but I have never asked as I bought them for my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteLoved Alex's take on teleportation, if only. I certainly would be delighted to use the system although maybe not trying it out at the beginning. I am reminded of a story by Isaac Asimov (I think) about doors and how kids used to be teleported to school but one young man didn't go and discovered the great outdoors. You named some of my favourite authors Alex. I guess making a magic gate is the same kind of thing.
As for How to Build a Planet, not sure if it is being shown in Canada, not heard of it.
Jo, would appreciate that! If you enjoyed those authors, must be why you like the way I write. Wouldn't want to try teleportation in the beginning either.
ReplyDeleteAnd for got to say thanks for requesting my books, Stephen!
CassaFire was out and CassaStorm is on order. Should be in soon. If I can get all three in at the same time I'll take a pic and post it!
DeleteAfter the movie, THE FLY, I would definitely stay clear of teleportation! My Stetson's off to you for your knowledge of Sci-Fi, Alex. :-)
ReplyDeleteOne of the stories in the sci-fi unit of my 5th grade English class was called "It's a Beautiful Morning," about a boy named Richard who has grown to dislike teleportation. People think there's something wrong with him because he wants to walk instead of teleporting, and to take walks without "protective" plastic covering over his clothes. I've read that we won't have the technology to teleport humans till at least 2100, when I could feasibly still be alive, albeit very old. I'd love to teleport, if the technology were established and there were no danger of part of one's molecules being lost or reappearing in another location.
ReplyDeleteI think teleportation would be one of the BEST inventions!
ReplyDeleteAlex is everywhere and why not? much deserved. Excellent author, great friend and a credit to the blogging world.
ReplyDeleteLoved your post Stephen, good to read.
Yvonne.
Lovely to see Alex's books on a bookshelf!!!!! Yay!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh wouldn't it be great to teleport to work to be in on time! LOL!!!
Take care
x
Carrie-Anne, losing one's molecules would be bad...
ReplyDeleteKitty, that would be great!
I'd love to teleport! Much better than car travel or flight delays. Sign me up!
ReplyDeleteI would love to teleport, but not if it would end like The Fly.
ReplyDeleteTwo movies have left their mark or scar on me regarding teleportation: The Fly and The Prestige. The way teleportation was used in both movies gave me a sense of awe and horror. I think I'll steer clear.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support, Stephen and Alex.
Great post, Alex! I would love to teleport, but I don't know if I'd trust the technology if they build it today. I'd have to wait for several years after it's been used a lot by people. I haven't heard of that Science channel show. How fascinating! I definitely want to watch it.
ReplyDeleteI would think the most important function of teleporting would be going to work. Who wouldn't want to avoid rush hour traffic and fighting for a parking spot.
ReplyDeleteDidn't realize that the concept of teleporting has been with us for so long. Sometimes, I wish it was reality.
ReplyDeleteHope you get Escalation done to deadline. Forgot to post for W4W, but I'm tweeting.
The whole concept is fascinating - it's even in children's books.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the ramifications would be if teleportation was easily available. No more shipping charges, perhaps?
ReplyDeleteHow to Build a Planet sounds very useful! I'd like to check that out.
Teleportation would be cool, I just can't ever see it happening for live subjects. The best thing about writers is we can dream and in our minds it can come true!
ReplyDeleteChristine, I lean heavily in your direction. Teleportation would be one of the last things science would find a breakthrough in, if ever. But yeah, as writers, it opens doors for some awesome epic classics stories to write!
DeleteI'm with Roland. Teleportation seems iffy to me...
ReplyDeleteIsis, both had serious consequences.
ReplyDeleteStephen, amen!!
Sandra, that would be a plus. And you will really dig that site.
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ReplyDeleteRegarding teleporting, I'd be afraid I'd leave an important body part behind. Or like in Spaceballs where Mel Brooks is teleported and he ends up with his head on backwards.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love that we're seeing so much Star Trekkian technology these days, er, decades. Even if it's just in it's most infantile form. I've not doubt that we'll get there eventually, and scifi writing can only help us out with that. I totally loved the way you handled teleportation in CassaStar, Alex. It wasn't a single person--like Harry Potter--or a group of people--like Star Trek--but a ship with a specific amount of energy at it's disposal. Never would have thought of teleportation in those terms. Tons of fun, though! :D
ReplyDeleteLiesel, it is unique niches like what Alex did that makes a story fun to read. Perhaps there have been other books where teleportation has been used on such a grand scale. But for the most part, it is used in individuals.
DeleteI love the idea of teleportation. Great informative post, Alex ;)
ReplyDeleteTeleportation would be awesome. I could live in Europe and work in the States!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could teleport myself without technology. I'd be all over the place. Wait a minute! I'm already over the place. But in a different way.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
HAhaha. Lee, I think you are secretly using teleportation and not telling anyone. That would explain a lot of things.
DeleteWoo hoo for W4WS! It's fun to celebrate our friends. Teleportation would be awesome. Only they say we actually die before put back together. I think I read a story somewhere about someone degrading from that. Shrug. I'd still prefer that to sitting in traffic.
ReplyDeleteMary, I think the problem here is the matter of the soul. Sure, the physical makeup of a human could be put back together. But what about the soul. What about the spirit?
DeleteI'd let everyone else try it first, then if they didn't turn into something strange or rearrange the wrong way, I'd be game.
ReplyDeleteLike many of you, I'd first wait and let a lot od people try it out first. The next best thing to teleporting may be the tubes used on Futurama. It may not be instant, but it looks a lot safer.
ReplyDeleteI saw one "How To Build a Planet." I don't know if there are more but I liked it.
ReplyDeleteMichael, glad to see others are enjoying the show!
DeleteTeleportation would be amazing but also scary. Technology can be both good and bad.
ReplyDeleteTraveling in any fashion is fascinating to me. I'd love to cut the commute time and teleportation would definitely do that. Off to do some more W4WS business!
ReplyDeleteStephen, that's right!
ReplyDeleteLiesel, thanks! I didn't realize it was so unique.
Lee, we do that now on the Internet...
Mary, that's a creepy thought...
Thanks, everyone!
Hi Stephen and Alex .. Teleporting around would give us so much more time to connect and enjoy life - actually perhaps it would be a little fly on the wall time .. now I'm not so sure! I'd to check things out for myself more easily ... and I'd love to avoid the traffic, and getting wet ... I've had a tube under the Atlantic for a while since I've been blogging with some friends ... my imaginery travel ..
ReplyDeleteCheers to you both - and I loved finding out more 'Beam Me Up Scotty' .... Hilary
Hilary, I think that's a great idea. I wonder if the Trans-Atlantic Cable is still there. And if so, does it still work?
DeleteTeleportation would be so cool. I would definitely give it a try if they need volunteers though I wouldn't go first. Think what it would do for pollution and energy costs.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I think it will be a while before teleportation is a reality. In the meantime, it gives fiction writers a lot of leeway :)
ReplyDeleteSusan brings up a great point regarding pollution and other ill effects of burning fossil fuels and using nuclear energy. We could even teleport our garbage into another dimension. Of course, we could irk a trans-dimensional civilization real bad too by dumping our garbage into their world.
ReplyDeleteZurich is ahead of the pack. Teleportation would change the world and glad you got featured Alex. W's version of The Tommorow People deals with teleportation so that's another show.
ReplyDeleteI'm particularly wary of the teleportation theory that they make a copy of you and destroy the original. Very unsettling.
DeleteCool stuff! I use teleportation in my upcoming story too. So fascinating!
ReplyDeleteWe missed you on our time trip bloghop Wednesday Stephen! :D
Pk, I owe you as you helped me with my Cover release. Just let me know what I can do to help and I'm in. I really needed to take last week off.
DeleteHilary, blogging does give us a great way to connect.
ReplyDeleteSusan definitely had a great idea!
Teleportation is a cool concept, but I'd be scared to do it in real life. I'd be afraid I'd come out on the other end completely messed up, or not come out at all.
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff! I'm not sure what I think of it all. Thanks for continuing to enlighten us! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Steve and Alex. Teleportation is an interesting idea and makes for a great story, but I wouldn't care to be a guinea pig for researchers. I'd be afraid all my atoms would be put back together in the wrong order.
ReplyDeleteThe first time teleporting would be Scary! But I'd definitely try it! :)
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer magic to teleportation! Don't trust the science! LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'll be watching the How to Build a World - whether I want to or not - Hubby loves all that science stuff - me, murder mystery' would win out every time! LOL
Sounds like my household. Fortunately, my kids love the science stuff too.
DeleteSherry, you wouldn't want to come out half fly?
ReplyDeletePatricia, can you imagine being the first one?
Yolanda, on Monday nights, I'm watching football...
I remember a news story regarding a department store in a third world country that one day installed the first escalator in the area. No on had eve seen one before and the people were afraid to ride it. All they saw were steps rising, then disappearing.
ReplyDeleteIt's a funny story, but shows how new technologies can be scary at first. But once that first brave soul tries it, then others will begin to follow.
There was a Stephen King short story about teleportation...and it didn't go so well for the characters in that story. I think not all of the person arrived in the other destination because they avoided falling asleep or something? I think I'll pass and stick with traditional transportation.
ReplyDeleteActually, the idea of mental energy playing a part in teleportation really appeals to me ... teleporting things like space ships and supplies is one thing, but a person? If we are nothing more than molecules and energy, how are we special? (I have a lot of trouble with the concept of cloning too ...)
ReplyDeleteBecause we are special, you know. :)
Great topic. I think I'll go write a story now!
Oh how well I remember Star Trek taking over our home, right as mom was putting dinner on the table, growing up. I didn't appreciate it too much as a little girl, but I sure do appreciate it more now. Gotta love the series and concept of teleportation.
ReplyDeleteHappy to help with W4WS via Google +. It's the social I use the most and have the best following on. Thanks again for hosting this Stephen.
What a great topic, and the history lesson Alex gave was pretty cool too. I think the future is unlimited. People keep thinking about impossible things that end up becoming a matter of reality; it just takes time. I think that by the time fusion is figured out and black or dark matter (black hole stuff) is figured out, they will both play a part in the development of teleportation. Even if we never figure it out, I'm sure some other wonderful discoveries will be made in the process. Humans are blessed with very creative minds.
ReplyDeleteEinstein's famous and cult-like equation of E=MC2 tells us our mass can be converted to energy. Although not teleportation,energy can travel real fast, depending on what kind of energy it is. Different forms of energy travels at different rates. Light energy would be great in this instance. But the trick is to convert from energy back to mass again the same as you started out.
ReplyDeleteKirsten, I may joke about clones, but I don't think a person can really be cloned.
ReplyDeleteToinette, that's true! People a hundred years ago never even imagined what we have today.
Wow! This was so informative! I never knew ANY of this- about the origins of the concept in science fiction, I mean. What a great read, thanks Alex!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, Stephen, for featuring the ninja captain and spearhedaing the whole W4WS campaign!
I don't have the guts to do laser eye surgery, I doubt I would ever step on a teleporter! I am not the sort of gal who puts sky diving in my bucket list, can you tell?
ReplyDeleteI fear if faced with the prospect of teleporting, I'd be like Bones on Star Trek. He never did accept the concept gracefully.
ReplyDeleteBeverly, now you know!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I wouldn't either.
LD, no he didn't.
It would be such a big time saver, but I hope it wouldn't mean people walk and generally move less. There would be more atoms to transport then!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure one day teleportation will be possible. I've always been interested in it since I watched The Fly, despite the gruesome ending.
ReplyDeleteNick, good point!
ReplyDeleteMedeia, we don't want to eat like Brundlefly...
Thanks Alex for stopping by and for your post on teleportation! Fascinating stuff. And thanks everyone for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteAlex deserves all the warmth, love and success that he gets. He is one of the most generous and genuine people I have met. Liked your post on teleportation, Alex.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post on teleportation.
ReplyDeletehad to read an article by alex on teleportation! love the extra pieces of info! and yay for escalation too!
ReplyDelete