I started watching Alien: Earth and I’m already disenchanted with it. I am a fan of the franchise, and I consider the original Alien a classic in the horror genre, but this iteration is just not really appealing to me, yet.

I’m just tired of the bad corporation trope in general. I know that Weyland-Yutani is the big bad in the films – even way back to the original movie, but I would have liked to have anyone else, anything else to be the protagonist. Or no protagonist – have it all be a messy industrial accident. Anything but a corporation that seems to delight in corporate malfeasance.

I’m also tired of the ‘corporations run the world’ trope as well. Again, I know it’s a cornerstone of dystopic sci-fi, but it’s also been done to death. I know that this trope has historical precedent, but let’s not go for the low hanging fruit? Besides – you really think the government is going to let these companies run as rampant as they’re depicted in most dystopian sci-fi? No one is going to give up power. Share? Sure – but knowing that the first sign of weakness is going to be the signal to take them out.

The beauty of the xenomorph is that it is an animal at the end of the day. It is unthinking, unfeeling force of nature. It doesn’t care about your stock portfolio, it doesn’t want conquest. It wants to feed and procreate. No matter how advanced we get in this particular universe, it doesn’t care. It will terrify us, humble us, and it does it with no emotion. That’s the horror of the movie – dying because you were in the wrong place a the wrong time. The xenomorph has no agenda.

Another trope that figures in the show – and can be traced back to the original movie – is the malicious robot. I know, I know: the robot can only do what it’s programmed to do. It’s not evil, it’s made that way. Are you telling me that the world of Aliens had no one stand up and say: “I’ve been reading this Asimov guy…and I think he’s got some good ideas about programming robots.” Even roboticists nowadays are programming – hard coding – the Three Laws of Robotics into systems. I’m ready to see man’s inhumanity to man again.

I know I’m knocking at the main tropes in this show, and the franchise in general, but it can be really good if they head in different directions. I liked Aliens 3 because it was different. No Marines. No scientists. Just man versus nature.

That’s what I want in my movie, but who am I to argue?

This is not what I wanted to write about, but technology has failed me again. For some unknown reason, my Bluetooth keyboard can not connect to my PC. I know – for you this is Thursday and you came here for updates to whatever project I am working this month (Tribal ia atill coming along, I’m getting ready to make a major revision). Instead, I am going to complain about my keyboard because that is peak storytelling right there.

Sure, throw that in my face, Bruce.

When it comes to keyboards, I am very picky. I want to have a certain feel to the keys. I want a particular sound. I want to hammer at the keys and see words come up on the screen (or see my little character from BG3 move around). I used to have one of those portable keyboards that all rubber, and I got rid of it within a month of buying it. The keys were too stiff for me. It felt like I was using a training speedbag rather than typing. Maybe it helped my typing speed, but it was too laborious to use it.

Am I crazy? I mean – above and beyond the normal level of madness writers have. I liked the springiness of the keys on my Bluetooth keyboard. It made a nice, professional clickinb sound when I was in a good writing mood. Not to disparage the keyboard I am using now. It did come with the PC and the keys feel deep and responsive. As far as free keyboards go, it’s fine. Better than what I would expect, but it’s not my Bluetooth keyboard.

Don’t worry, I’ll skip all the other stages of grief and get to acceptance soon enough.

As I said earlier, Tribal is coming along. I’m writing a scene that I wanted to revise and try to subvert expectations. I want to show Edgar still has a long way to go in becoming a real part of the pack. So – he’s going to get a beatdown at work because…why not? Let’s be realistic here – he’s only been a part of this werewolf fight club (yes, you read that right) for only a couple of months and he’s only been a full member of the pack for a few days. There’s practical knowledge and there’s experience. Edgar has very little experience.

The outline for Unbroken is very slowly coming along. I think things are going to pick up once I get into new territory. As it stands right now, I am still in the stickball game scene and the tides have changed as far as who has the ball. I can’t wait to get a little further along.  I have so many ideas!

I think that is going to do it for now. This keyboard is starting to grow on me, but I am going to try to get the Bluetooth fixed. I am not going to give up! I am going to take advantage of this denial while it’s here!

Here’s the issue I’m having. I’m writing the outline to Tyro’s series, and I am judging myself harshly on what I am puuting down for the outline. I’m bored with it. To quote Happy Hogan: “There’s no new ground being broken here.”

I know why that is: This story has been in my head since 1997 in one form or another. It’s boring because I have been tweaking the story since I was a young man. I’m writing down the outline and thinking that this is the most boring step. I want to go ahead and start writing it.

So – you mad genius and literary light of Gen X – why not write it now? You’ve been blathering about it all this time. Isn’t it time to nut up or shut up? I can hear you say to your computer screen. There are a couple of good reasons:

1. I am still working on Tribal and trying to get that finished before year’s end. While I am working on Tyro’s novel, I am going to publish Tribal and a couple of other books over the following year so I can try to gauge interest in my horror offerings versus my urban fantasy. If I drop Tribal, I might not be able to pick it up. I’ve got two other novels planned after this one (The Crab Bucket, Serve Me Now) not to mention planning another horror novel and possibly a couple of cheeky romances.
2. I want Tyro’s series to be really good. I mean not self-published to die a lingering death like a Victorian Era orphan. I am going to put this out for mass market. So, I’ve got to make sure that everything is on point and that means outlining this thing to death.

I have to remind myself that I am not being judged on the outline. I am going to be judged on the final product. That final product relies on me having a good outline with a clear set of directions. I’m writing the second draft of Tribal because I got to the point with the first draft where I didn’t know where to go, and I still had story to tell. I’m not going to fall prey to that with Unbound. Same thing with Serve Me Now – I got to a point where I just summed things up and that didn’t satisfy me. I do have to get to the outline on that one, however. I just need to carve out some time and all that.

Well – I do need to get to work, so I will let you go. Wish me luck and don’t forget to feed your authors.