A Return to the Idea Mill

I had a great time having D. S. Nelson read my tea leaves. There’s still time to check out my reading and make comments here.

I also owe you guys my own post today. Regular readers know me as a writer of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy stories. I’ve also blogged about getting ideas from Zite magazine and things I subscribe to in my RSS reader. There’s been some interesting news lately and I decided to share it with you guys.

This is an Idaho headline. Strange black blobs have formed along the Snake River. No one seems to know what they are, but they appear benign. Read the news blurb here: strange blobs.

I can absolutely think of several science fiction stories and maybe even a fantasy based around this. For some reason, Creedence playing It Fell Out of the Sky is running through my head. What about you guys?

In this story, an artist used genetic material from a Van Gogh ancestor along with a laser printer. He created a replica of the artist’s severed ear that people can talk into. He says they can keep the ear alive for several years. Read the blurb here: Genetic ear.

My mind works differently, and I was taken back to The Boys From Brazil. This was a great Gregory Peck movie many years ago regarding the cloning of Adolph Hitler. As a writer, why not Genghis Kahn, Napoleon, or Torquemada.

This one is one of those list type articles that I call mad science. There are eleven technological “advancements” noted. Here’s the link: Super Powers.

Not all of them jump out at me, but I can see a stalker/rapist type with high tech invisibility clothing. I can also see computers that lead to the fall of man by cataloging all of human learning and thought. People no longer have to think for themselves, evolution takes us another direction, the power fails…

And finally, it wasn’t uncommon to cover books with human skin at one time. Harvard University confirmed they have one such book. Someone just helped them self to the skin of a mental patient who passed away. I remember hearing of a pair of shoes made from a Wild West criminal at one point. Read the book article here: Book.

So what if the unfortunate skin donor was really cursed or possessed? I can see a paranormal story where the book is some kind of religious or political artifact, but no one knows the curse is still there. Some centennial event is marked by a politician or Pope reading to the masses from the original book. Where could you go with that one? (Kind of makes me want to see Army of Darkness again.)

I’m sure there are more things out there. I like to post these on occasion, not as writing prompts per say, but to illustrate how I get my ideas. Where do you guys get ideas to write about? If one of these articles inspires you tell us all about it.