Earth 2100

28 Captivating Visions of a Sci-Fi Future

by J. Scott Coatsworth

Earth on the Cusp of the Twenty-Second Century

Just think how the world has changed in the last seventy-six years. In 1948, scientists ran the first computer program, and "the Ultimate Car of the Future," the futuristic, three wheeled Davis Divan, debuted. Since then, a succession of inventions—the personal computer, the internet, the World Wide Web, smart phones and social media—have transformed every aspect of our lives.

How might the next seventy-six years change us, in ways we can barely even begin to imagine, as culture, climate change, politics and technology continue to reshape the world? Earth in 2100 will be as unrecognizable to us as today would be to someone from 1948.

Eighteen writers tackled this challenge, creating an amazing array of sci-fi possibilities. From emotional AI's to photosynthetic children, from virtual worlds to a post-urban society, our writers serve up compelling slices of life from an Earth that's just around the corner.

So dive in and and take a wild ride into these amazing visions of our collective future.

Published:
Publisher: Other Worlds Ink (https://www.otherworldsink.com)
Editors:
Jaime Lee Moyer
Cover Artists:
Sleepy Fox Studio
Genres:
action-adventure, cli-fi, dystopian, fiction, gay, lgbtq, M/M, sci-fi
Tags:
artificial intelligence, cyborg, handicapped, virtual reality
Excerpt:

Suck a Little Happy Juice

An Irreverent, By-the-Skin-of-Your-Teeth Guide to Being an Indie Author

by J. Scott Coatsworth

Being An Indie Author Can’t Be That Hard, Right?

So you want to be an indie author. Or maybe you're scared to do it all yourself and are looking for a publisher, but want to know more about the nuts and bolts of the book business. Either way, this book is for you.

Scott is a thirty-year small press veteran who shares his knowledge—from the snarky to the sublime—and answers your questions: What should you consider before you start to write? What about when you get stuck? And what can you do when you start doubting yourself?

This book is filled with practical advice, candid explanations, and emotional support for any writer navigating today's complicated publishing business, helping you to stay sane and define for yourself what being a “successful writer” means.

In your career, you’ll have highs and lows. It’s important to put all the highs in a bottle and save them. And when the publishing world gets you down, pull it out and suck a little happy juice.

“If I ever go off course, I will refer back to this guide to keep me going. The book's strength lies in its ability to demystify the writing and publishing process, making it a trustworthy companion for writers facing challenges. 5 Stars.” -Jaqueline Neves, Readers’ Favorite

"Suck a Little Happy Juice is the kind of advice title one wishes every aspiring writer had in hand. Whether it's addressing getting ready to write or giving concrete examples contrasting tepid writing with captivating alternative approaches and revisions, Coatsworth sets aside ethereal advice in favor of the concrete examples writers need in order to prove more effective and hone their skills.. If libraries and readers were to select just a few titles on the subject of becoming an author, Suck a Little Happy Juice should be at the top of the list." --Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

Published:
Publisher: Other Worlds Ink (https://www.otherworldsink.com)
Editors:
Allison Behrens, Jaime Lee Moyer
Cover Artists:
Sleepy Fox Studio
Genres:
non-fiction, writing
Tags:
writing
Excerpt:

So you probably saw this book on the shelf, or on a website somewhere while searching for some advice on how to be an indie author—someone who publishes their own work—and thought “Suck a little happy juice? What the $%#@!does that mean?”

Let me enlighten you.

I started my professional writing journey in 2013, and in May of 2015, I launched my own blog—a place where I could talk about life, the universe, and share with my readers the meaning of being a writer and an author.

A few years later, I transitioned from having a publisher to being a hybrid author, meaning I publish my own work and have some titles with by a traditional publisher.

In the last decade or so, I have written close to 450 columns on the blog, many of them about the ins and outs—emotional, spiritual and practical—of being my own publisher.

READ MORE

One of those columns in particular really struck a chord when I wrote it, and I knew it would eventually become the title of this book. It was called “Suck a Little Happy Juice,” and it was an exploration of the need to hold on to all the good things that happen during your indie author journey—reviews, kind words, great sales—and using them as a fuel and a panacea to keep yourself going when things get rough. From that chapter in this book:

We need to bottle up all those great things and put them away, ready to be opened at a later date when things don’t seem quite so rosy. When imposter syndrome runs us down, it’s time to grab that “bottle” of “all the great things,” off the shelf.

Got a rejection? Open that file and relive some of those wonderful things folks said about you and your writing.

Latest book sales in the gutter? Take a ride on the happy memory train.

Hit with a horrendous edit? Suck a little happy juice.

With life and the world in such a weird, precarious, and sometimes downright awful place, you have to grab the good when you have it.

This book a celebration of the joys of being your own publisher boss, a balm for those difficult times when it doesn’t seem quite so glorious, and a warm blanket for when you feel left out in the cold by the book business.

I hope that it makes your indie author journey just a little easier and more enjoyable.

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Jaqueline Neves on Readers’ Favorite wrote:

“If I ever go off course, I will refer back to this guide to keep me going. The book's strength lies in its ability to demystify the writing and publishing process, making it a trustworthy companion for writers facing challenges. 5 Stars.”

Diane Donovan on Midwest Book Review wrote:

"Suck a Little Happy Juice is the kind of advice title one wishes every aspiring writer had in hand. Whether it's addressing getting ready to write or giving concrete examples contrasting tepid writing with captivating alternative approaches and revisions, Coatsworth sets aside ethereal advice in favor of the concrete examples writers need in order to prove more effective and hone their skills.. If libraries and readers were to select just a few titles on the subject of becoming an author, Suck a Little Happy Juice should be at the top of the list."


Transform the World

14 Si-Fi Writers Change the Planet

by J. Scott Coatsworth

Fourteen Ways to Change the Planet

Income inequality is worse than it was in the Roaring Twenties. Corporations are moving fast and breaking things, and the social contract seems to be falling apart, aided by social media disruption and division on steroids.

There has to be a better way.

We asked fourteen sci-fi writers to come up with innovative ways the world could work better. Universal basic income, smaller communities, AI voting, and learning to live in harmony with nature are just a few of the ideas explored inside these pages. So buckle up and settle in for a look at the world of the future.

The world’s not going to transform itself.

Published:
Publisher: Other Worlds Ink (https://www.otherworldsink.com)
Editors:
Jaime Lee Moyer
Cover Artists:
J. Scott Coatsworth
Genres:
action-adventure, cli-fi, fiction, gay, hopepunk, lgbtq, M/M, sci-fi
Tags:
climate change, future, gay romance, lesbian, MM, series
Excerpt:
Reviews:D. Donovan on Midwest Book Review wrote:

“A satisfyingly diverse set of visions of the future that come from a single question: how could the world work better?... Libraries and readers looking for especially diverse, thought-provoking sci-fi forays into not only what works, but why, will find Transform the World a potent gathering of forces that juxtapose tales of hope, social inspection, and a feeling of peaceful opportunity into the sci-fi short story world.”