Author: j.k.ullrich

Author, adventurer, athlete (and alliteration addict). I write science fiction stories about climate change that I hope won't come true, and archive Earth's wonders through nature photography in case they do.

Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 2)

June 5, 2015

This post is part two of a seven-part series discussing my experience writing climate fiction in my novel, Blue Karma. Challenge #1: Packaging Prophecy Sometimes I think “science fiction writer” is a euphemism for “hack prophet”. We see the future in our mind’s eye and set down the vision before it comes to pass. But a setting … More Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 2)

Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 1)

June 4, 2015

Climate fiction, like the global average temperature, is on the rise. If you haven’t heard of this genre, you’re probably not the first. Themes of climate change and ecological disaster have appeared in contemporary fiction since the mid-20th century, but the concept of these as an independent genre is relatively new. The term climate fiction … More Environmental Hazards: Five Challenges of Writing Climate Fiction (Part 1)

They Went Boldly: Farewell to Pioneers of Science and Science Fiction

March 8, 2015

Science fiction fans around the world mourned the February 27 passing of Leonard Nimoy, who made Star Trek‘s Mr. Spock a cultural icon. Nimoy played Spock on television from 1965-1969 and in eight films, earning three Emmy nominations for his portrayal of the starship Enterprise’s science officer. Spock’s struggle to reconcile his hybrid heritage—Vulcan logic … More They Went Boldly: Farewell to Pioneers of Science and Science Fiction

Review: Neverwhere

February 22, 2015

I was fully prepared to like Neil Gaiman. His 2013 lecture to the Reading Agency inspired a kindred affection in me, with a perspective that warmly recaptures my own experience with reading. And what sci-fi geek didn’t smile to see him introduce Ursula LeGuin before her own excellent speech at the National Book Awards in … More Review: Neverwhere

Ink-Stained Cassandras: When News Steals Your Sci-Fi

February 12, 2015

New climate analysis, published today in the inaugural issue of Science Advances, indicates the drying of the US will be much more extreme than expected, bringing the worst droughts in a millennium. And our current water strategies may not be sufficient to manage the change. Severe drought a thousand years ago is probably what drove ancient Americans to abandon … More Ink-Stained Cassandras: When News Steals Your Sci-Fi