This time I have an actual goal...
I've written a few articles in the past about the sci-fi story I'm writing, but it was all pretty random and didn't have any direction. I've put together little pieces of history and explanation over the past few months but never articulated my actual goal. So what appears below is my goal for the universe I'm creating... why I'm writing it and what I hope to get out of it...
Lost Galaxy is a universe where humanity faces a number of challenges stretching from it's first reach for the stars, to its encounters with alien races, to its final ascent to become a member of the Great Galactic Commonwealth.
LG is connected with a computer game under development by the same name*. The events of the game take place during the "Reclaimation" period, a time after the Great Dark Age of Man, where all human worlds were cut off from one another and Earth was lost. The events of the game, hopefully driven largely by the players, will chronicle the gradual reunification of Humanity and the beginnings of the journey into the larger Universe.
In LG, there are no malevolent aliens out to erradicate all other life in the Universe. There is no evil robotic AI that is manipulating humanity. Time travel isn't an element either. There may be alien races which humanity goes to war with, there may be issues where AI threatens or significantly helps the human race, but they will be individual moments in the greater story. Humans are the enemy, the ally, the savior, and the destroyer. Aliens and robots are merely instigators that may nudge humans forward in their progression. Some things I write going forward may be very much centered on an alien conflict, or robots taking over the world, or a super-virus, or some other calamity that is so often used in Sci-Fi, but I intend them only to be the catalyst for larger changes and movements throughout the greater timeline
LG is my attempt to expand the bits of humanity that interest me to a galactic setting. How do we treat each other when we are no longer just separated by national borders, but by the lightyears between stars? What does religion look like when scattered among the many points of light in the sky? How do we cope with the loss of home? How do we cope with the knowledge that we aren't alone in the Universe? When it becomes Man against All of Creation, do we unify and work together, or do we splinter and try to salvage our own little plot of land and forget everyone else?
I am not a scientist. I do not know physics, chemistry or biology beyond the basics taught to me back in High School (and that I hardly passed). The science used subsequently in my writing will be guesswork based off what I've read in the news and my own limited understanding of the Universe. I am merely a fan of Science Fiction and have in my head a wealth of little ideas I always wish someone combined into a story. My favorite SF author of all time is Asimov, not because of his skill with the English language (he was arguably only an average writer in that respect) but because of how he built an expansive universe within the pages of his countless books.
I am also not a writer... or at least not one of any real talent. My grammar and spelling are pretty bad, I can't paint the clearest picture with my words, and I absolutely can not write dialogue to save my life, but my goal isn't to turn out the next bestselling novel. I don't think anything I write will ever make it to any real form of print. I am merely trying to tell stories that are interesting to me. If in the process, someone else enjoys them... great. I welcome constructive criticisms and suggestions to improve my writing, but I can do without the typical "You suck!" comments so often found on the net.
I will infrequently come back to LG and chip away at this topic, or that aspect of the Universe I'm creating. It'll often look like I've left the project behind, neglected it or forgotten, but it's only because this is a hobby, a part-time thing I do when I have a few spare cycles from work and life and get bitten by the writing bug.
Welcome to the Lost Galaxy... enjoy your stay and please mind the dust, it's always under construction.
-Mike Crassweller
Feb. 13th, 2006
* Lost Galaxy is a space sim/RPG with limited MMO features in part time development by my friend Tim using the Torque Game Engine. Additional information on the game can be found at http://lostgalaxy.oldport80.com/