More about “Crossing the Uncanny Valley”
Inspiration
A few weeks before the deadline for submissions, the story I had started working on for the Colfax theme flopped pretty badly at my critique group. The next day, I was trying to think of what would make a better short story–something like Twilight Zone or Dr. Who, but with a PG-13 touch of naughtiness–when I picked up the mail and saw our new subscription to Sports Illustrated included the swimsuit edition. Great. One look through the pages and I knew I had to hide it where the kids wouldn’t find it. That sparked an idea for me–something hidden away on Colfax Street. Someone’s naughty little secret.
Binge-watching the Alien, Matrix, and Riddick movies last summer had provided plenty of background for a futuristic sci-fi setting. Nagging origin questions I had after reading Wool by Hugh Howey filled in the impetus for my characters. The golem in The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker had me thinking about a being created to someone’s specifications. And I credit the vorgs in Alastair Reynold’s Terminal World as my reference for the creepy things carnivorous machines might do.
But the heart of the story involves basic human issues–responsibility, humanity, and trust. All of which I find are more fun to explore in the context of a futuristic sci-fi world.
The Research Behind the Story
Cheyenne Mountain Missile Bunker
Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant on Colfax Avenue today
Survivalist Bunkers
How to spot a Bunker
An airlock straight out of Fallout: Mars Colony
Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant on Colfax Avenue today
An Oxygen generator
The Uncanny Valley Effect
Crossword Puzzle Design
Grenade launchers, fired at under 30 ft.
Sounds of a Mech
Lightning Capacitors
Science Experiments with Oxygen and Hydrogen
7-Eleven on 14th Avenue
Minimum Viable Population