The Last Ship

It seems there is no lack of post-apocalyptic dystopian disaster television shows and movies and books to choose from today, what with The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Walking Dead, Contagion, etc.... The list goes on. Dystopian disaster stories are very popular right now, and it's no wonder when you look at what the aforementioned titles have done for the genre as a whole.

That being said, I'm always reluctant to branch out and explore new programs, books, or movies that deal with a subject that is deemed "popular" by society. I've been hurt by you before, publishing industry. The booksellers, commercials, and trailers said it would be, but it wasn't. I still shudder thinking about horrible reading or viewing experiences that seemed to have gone through no more of an editing process than, "Hey, this looks just like that, let's throw it out their and tell everyone it's just as good. They won't know the difference.

We know. Believe me, we know.

So, it was with some trepidation that I decided to give The Lost Ship a try. And, almost surprisingly, I wasn't disappointed.

Oh sure, it's a little rough around the edges, there're some plot holes that don't make sense, the budget may be lacking in areas, and heaven knows that the rules behind the plague are baffling. I mean, it's airborne, but walking outside makes it ok to take off your mask?

Those minor points aside, it's really pretty enjoyable. I feel like I did when I started getting into Battlestar Galactica.There's a very fun and exciting sense of impending doom that keeps moving the plot forward. In the case of Battlestar Galactica it felt as though I were living through the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor. That sense of dogged determination met with defeat at every turn, upset plans, assuming you could get them going at all, all tied up by the wonderful sense of camaraderie that we are in this together. In The Last Ship, I find this sort of cathartic experience to be akin to a lost world story, but instead of finding a hidden world, there's a Planet of the Apes staring at the Statue of Liberty in the sand moment that brings it home that the world itself has changed, and what you thought you knew, you didn't.

I've really enjoyed the first few episodes on hulu and look forward to many more. If you're on the fence about watching this show, don't be. Just watch it. It's cheesy in places, but it's also fun in places, and it does it's job of carrying you along for a ride in the world it's created. What more could you ask for from a story?

As to writing, I feel like my plans to continue have been met with obstacle after obstacle. Not that it's all bad, quite the contrary, most of the obstacles have been placed there by my awesome job and I wouldn't trade the experience. But I have been doing some pensive, inward style thinking of late and decided that it's time to start moving on getting my work published and on producing new content and works. To that end, I am beginning a new project that I am very excited about. I am in the outlining portion of the work now, planning on finishing that by the end of April. After that I will go full boar into completing it as soon as possible. I may post some things here, so watch for those, but I will be in need of Alpha and Beta readers. If you are interested please let me know in the comments section. As to the genre, I can tell you it will be epic fantasy/steampunk, and that's all I'm going to say for now. More to come, check back later.

Arizona

For those of you who don't know, I recently relocated to Arizona for work. This is a big move for me, and perhaps an even bigger move for my little family. Through it all though, I have to say that I am excited to be here. To that end, I thought I'd liven things up with a top ten reasons to live in Arizona that I've discovered since moving in February. So buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

1. No Daylight Savings Time. Do I really need to say more?
2. London Bridge, yes, the real London Bridge, is in Lake Havasu, AZ. 
3. Hunting Camels is prohibited. Camel lovers, rejoice. At last, a safe haven for America's roaming camel herds.
4. It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine. The real stuff though, that must be ok.
5. There is a corner in Winslow, AZ, where if you drive by you will see these guys:
   
6. Arizona is known as one of the driest states with the warmest temperatures, despite having the water from seven states pour through the Grand Canyon.
7. The world's largest flowering rosebush resides in...you guessed it...Tombstone, AZ. At last, we know what that business at the O K Corral was all about. 
8. A misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask qualifies as a felony. Iron Man, Daredevil, and Flash, beware.
9. If you melted down the dome on the State Capitol Building, you could make 4,800,000 pennies with the copper. Also true, if you did so, it would cost you more than 4,800,000 pennies.
10. And finally, it is illegal for donkey's to sleep in bathtubs. Just don't. You don't want to know. 

Arizona really is a great place to live and we're very happy here. I know that summer is just around the corner, and I've been told by every Arizonan that I will hate it, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. More updates to come.