Matthew Stienberg

Worlds of the Sojourn Having gushed about how much I loved the first season of this independent science fiction saga, I’m now most of the way through Season 2 so far, and I’m loving it just as much! One thin…

While I'm working my way through Season 2 of @thesojourn.bsky.social I just want to pause to praise the awesome work they've done in the world building! Extremely unique worlds and systems you should really read about!

matthewstienberg.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/w...

Unfortunately, I don't think any of our health care systems have been really adequately tested for war or any large-scale crisis even since the pandemic.

We need to fund and staff our health care as though we are facing a string of crises.

Get more from Sean McKnight on Patreon Creating Artifacts from Alternate Worlds

Do you like what I do? Do you like maps/flags/stories of #alternatehistory and #scifi?

Well *jingles tin cup* maybe help a fella out. Consulting gigs flamed out with the shutdown and the job hunt is dragging on.

#patreon

Stay ignorant my friend 🤣

Some shows I'm forgiving with, but others don't have any excuse in my mind.

I'm super critical of The Last of Us giving us nine episodes in Season 1 then just seven in Season 2 with a now presumably 2-3 year wait time between now and next season!

HotD is frustrating because Season 1 (with two exceptions) used the 8 episode format well! Season 2 less so. Hazbin was a similar example - but the writing and plot is YMMV if you don't like musicals 🤣

Hadn't seen some of this work of yours! Very nice!

My current ire re-watching House of the Dragon where some characters and plots in Season 2 get single line mentions or barely any development.

But the show Hazbin Hotel in its second season has suffered from the 8 episode format because it can barely give any development to its cast this season.

There's some definitely amazing short miniseries (CBC's adaptation of Alias Grace wasted not even a minute) but something sprawling like House of the Dragon shoehorning in so many arcs and characters to eight episodes loses its depth.

I've got no problems with miniseries that are shorter, legitimately some amazing shows with short seasons, but larger shows that suffer from cramming six story arcs into eight episodes which have clearly had story elements cut to save time and end up robbing shows of depth.

Sue me if I love a bottle episode where SG1 is puppets or where Sisko crushes the Dominion as baseball.

Let's get those irrelevant character stories.

I understand that there can be limitations, especially in animated formats, but we are constantly getting longer production periods with less output.

It's maddening as a fan!

I am becoming quite sick of 8 episode seasons from major shows. It condenses plotlines and makes unnecessary cuts to stories. Even 2 more episodes would be preferable with 10 episodes stretched out across a longer release schedule.

"Doctor McCoy. If she is a Barbie girl, is it not logical to presume that she might be found in a Barbie world?"

"Damn your green-blooded logic, Spock! Can't you see that a life in plastic is fantastic?"

Having just had a Second Breakfast I completely understand why those Hobbits were so in love with the idea.

Hobbit life is great!

I mean I definitely did that in high-school. Maybe with only sticks picked up from beside the road waiting for the bus or behind the football field...

The Star Carrier series (author politics aside) probably handles that idea the best out of most science fiction I've read.

But the distances involved do present unique problems. Either you fight only at Lunar distances, or you create systems and circumstances that allow for huge range engagements!

Low Earth Orbit is probably a wild card! The ever present problem of Kessler syndrome is going to impact how war in LEO develops.

If future wars are pushed to beyond LEO, well I think no one will worry about Kessler over Mars!

Probably a sharp truth!

Tragically I did fencing in university and then became a kendo lover for a while so I only know the most pretentious things!

(Outside academic studies)

Honestly I'd support dueling if people still had to use swords. Might smarten a few people up.

Blades scare people more than guns for some reason.

How The 1930s Imagined Space Combat

Extreme @thespaceshipper.com areas here.

Fascinating video on 1930’s scifi and space combat.

youtu.be/agWW7S9emvQ...

I'm of the opinion that near future space warfare (next 100 years or so) will be far less sexy than people think.

More satellites, lasers and missiles, less humans or Battlestar Galactica.

No it doesn't what the fuck are your talking about?

Personally I like writing ideas up to the time of dreadnought because I'm better at those scenarios!

I sadly know the steel castles will never be useful once we get good aircraft!

My best ideas always come to me when I'm going to bed or at work!

Worlds of the Sojourn Having gushed about how much I loved the first season of this independent science fiction saga, I’m now most of the way through Season 2 so far, and I’m loving it just as much! One thin…

While I'm working my way through Season 2 of @thesojourn.bsky.social I just want to pause to praise the awesome work they've done in the world building! Extremely unique worlds and systems you should really read about!

matthewstienberg.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/w...

In a controversial statement, I prefer boneless wings when I'm eating wings 🪽

Christianity in the US in a way that will take generations to repair. The gross eagerness with which the supposed moral leaders embraced an adulterous criminal is a stain that will mark US religiosity for a long time. 2/2

U.S. faith levels plummet to lowest on record The U.S. is rapidly becoming more secular.

With a massive decline since 2015, I don't think it's a coincidence that's when the evangelical movement began embracing Trump, which has seen a flood of young women leave church at the same time. I can't prove it, but I think the embrace of Trump damaged 1/2

www.axios.com/2025/11/13/g...