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"Oye, Beltalowda. Listen up. This is your Captain, and this is your ship. This is your moment"

"You might think that you're scared, but you're not. That isn't fear. That's your sharpness. That's your power. We are Belters. Nothing in the void...is foreign to us. The place we go...is the place we belong"

"This is no different. No one has more right to this, none more prepared. We are the Belt. We are strong, we are sharp, and we don't feel fear. This moment belong to us. For Beltalowda!"

One of the best speeches of the series.

From E309

#TheExpanse #SciFi

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CHANUR'S HOMECOMING (1986)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 30" X 18"

This is one of my all-time favorite cover paintings. 1/3

#sciencefiction#scifi #scifiart #sff #illustration #cjcherryh #hani

A tall alien in dark hooded robes points across a cavernous, futuristic space, giving directions to a group humanoids with cat-like heads. The Kif has gray skin, a long dragon-like snout, and red eyes. The Hani have muzzles like lions and ears pointed back. The hair draping from their cheeks forms modest manes, falling flat at shoulder length. The most prominent Hani stands with regal bearing while the rest of the group is poised for action on the ramp behind it. Exposed from the waist up, the lithe musculature of the Hani is covered in short golden fur. Its red pants are cuffed above the calf, and it holds a snubbed nosed laser pistol at its thigh. Accents of gold can be seen in a simple thin band around its upper arm and a thicker bracelet around its wrist. A dark furred ape-like humanoid stands above the pack with eyes lost in thought, closely following the directions of the Kif, while a bearded blonde human glances sideways toward the viewer.
A tall alien in dark hooded robes points across a cavernous, futuristic space, giving directions to a group humanoids with cat-like heads. The Kif has gray skin, a long dragon-like snout, and red eyes. The Hani have muzzles like lions and ears pointed back. The hair draping from their cheeks forms modest manes, falling flat at shoulder length. The most prominent Hani stands with regal bearing while the rest of the group is poised for action on the ramp behind it. Exposed from the waist up, the lithe musculature of the Hani is covered in short golden fur. Its red pants are cuffed above the calf, and it holds a snubbed nosed laser pistol at its thigh. Accents of gold can be seen in a simple thin band around its upper arm and a thicker bracelet around its wrist. A dark furred ape-like humanoid stands above the pack with eyes lost in thought, closely following the directions of the Kif, while a bearded blonde human glances sideways toward the viewer.
#WritersCoffeeClub 26: Do real-life events inspire your writing? Share an example.

As Ken Macleod remarked, "history is the secret weapon of the science fiction writer".

Not every time, not for every story element, but it's an *amazing* toy box that you can borrow from whenever you're stuck for an idea! Because fiction illustrates the human condition and humans get up to some really weird shit, for values of "you can't make that up" weird.

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@cstross
These #history deep-dives by #IsaacAsimov are great reads and illustrate your point about using our actual world for #worldbuilding in #SciFi.

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PEEKABOO FUZZIES (1983)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 16" x 22"

The Fuzzy Sapiens created by H. Beam Piper first appeared in the early 1960's and they were a welcome contrast to the menacing aliens that seemed to dominate science fiction of the day. 1/2

#sciencefiction#scifi #scifiart #sff #illustration#hbeampiper

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LAST LOOK BACK (1989)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 36" x 24"

The way to the far horizon can only be made by transcending the red hill...beyond is only sky. 1/4

#sciencefiction#scifi #scifiart #illustration #robertheinlein

Portrait of author Robert Heinlein standing boldly in profile to face the twilight of an alien world. White hair recedes back on his forehead. A thin mustache traces his upper lip. He looks debonair, with the air of a mystic as shadow falls across the back of his coral robe. He holds a cane loosely in his right hand; his weight doesn't rest on it. Baked by strange light, papers and a half buried book lie discarded on the rippling sand behind him. A shiny silver rocket, suggesting a Hugo award, points skyward. Caught in a moment鈥攅ither taking flight or landing, with wings unfurled鈥攁n owl curls its talons about a curl of branch set on a plaque. Just beyond the shore where Heinlein stands, pearlescent blue water undulates and churns. A pair of islands, flanking him on either side, sit the horizon. A striped moon hangs over a mountainous peak on one isle; a square arch sits on a longer stretch of land to his right. Higher up, two gibbous craggy moons hang overhead.
Portrait of author Robert Heinlein standing boldly in profile to face the twilight of an alien world. White hair recedes back on his forehead. A thin mustache traces his upper lip. He looks debonair, with the air of a mystic as shadow falls across the back of his coral robe. He holds a cane loosely in his right hand; his weight doesn't rest on it. Baked by strange light, papers and a half buried book lie discarded on the rippling sand behind him. A shiny silver rocket, suggesting a Hugo award, points skyward. Caught in a moment鈥攅ither taking flight or landing, with wings unfurled鈥攁n owl curls its talons about a curl of branch set on a plaque. Just beyond the shore where Heinlein stands, pearlescent blue water undulates and churns. A pair of islands, flanking him on either side, sit the horizon. A striped moon hangs over a mountainous peak on one isle; a square arch sits on a longer stretch of land to his right. Higher up, two gibbous craggy moons hang overhead.

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Naomi: "Detonation confirmed, two of ours for two of theirs"

Holden: "Copy that"

Naomi: "Our other six are protecting the Razorback"

Alex: "Hell of a plan, cap. You must've aced tactical warfare at the Navy OCS"

From E302

#TheExpanse #SciFi

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Because I other things in life have kept me stupidly busy recently and there has been no new art for a while. Here are the pieces that made up my Jumpgates series, completed between 2019 and 2021.

A mix of 2d and 3d techniques were used in creating these.

#ThrowbackThursday #DigitalArt #MastoArt#ArtOnMastodon#ArtByAlastairTemple#Scifi#ScienceFictionArt #spaceship

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Amos: "In case I have to kill you, I just wanted to say thanks. You were always trying to be a good man. Not everybody does. Thank you. It was nice not having to worry about being on the right team"

From E213

#TheExpanse #SciFi