Author: Margaret Babcock
-
Wondering about Curiosity
I read an article recently about keeping our minds sharp as we age. Instead of recommending walking and blueberries, this one had five easy ‘micro-habits’ to keep the brain healthy. None of these were hard, and I have done most of them often, if not consistently. You can read the article here: https://superage.com/the-5-microhabits-that-rewire-your-brain-for-longevity/ The micro-habit…
-
Wondering about Thinking the Thoughts of God
Have you ever wondered who wrote the first science fiction novel? I recently happened on the name Johannes Kepler who authored The Dream, a book about a man who traveled to the moon, written in 1609 and began wondering a lot about him. I found an interesting blog about him in the Marginalian (https://www.themarginalian.org/2019/12/26/katharina-kepler-witchcraft-dream/) and,…
-
Wondering about the word ‘Believe’
This is a meditation which I wrote for the February 8th edition of St. Philip’s Daily Bread (a meditation blog you can sign up for here https://stphilipstucson.org/community/daily-bread/.) As I wondered about the word ‘believe’, I recalled someone who reacted to a popular science fiction novel by saying incredulously, “This could never happen! I can’t believe…
-
Wondering About White-Outs
When we lived in Idaho and Wyoming, I had jobs which required a lot driving as I visited far-flung congregations. Traveling in good weather was a joy, as these states have some of the most beautiful scenery in our country. However, in the winter months, I often found myself in snowstorms, sometimes at night, praying…
-
Wondering About the Color of Emotions
I’ve been thinking about the story of the tower of Babel. It’s a short tale in the Bible (Genesis 11:1-9) which tells of a time when all humanity spoke one language. In the story, it doesn’t end well. The people came together to build a city and a tower which would reach to heaven, but…
-
Wondering about the Power of Stories
I reread Gareth Higgins’ and Brian McLaren’s little book, The Seventh Story: Us, Them and the End of Violence this week. In it, the authors lay out a theory that people use basic story lines, made up of experiences in all aspects of our lives, to make sense of the world. These stories we tell…
-
Wondering about Ageism in Science Fiction
I read Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon this month. WOW! If you haven’t found this author yet, check her out. This novel ticked all the boxes of things I love in a sci-fi novel: deep believable characters, aliens who are complex and surprising, and conflict that mirrors some of my own struggles. I don’t know…
-
Wondering about Recovery VS Resurrection
I’m writing a short story in which the setting is a future where our planet is struggling to recover from a catastrophic event after seventy-five years. The descendants of the people who in my first novel, Eden.2, escaped as Earth grappled with a terrible plague, return. The history stored in these refugees’ computers fails to…
-
Wondering Why I Write Sci-Fi
I suspect my family (and perhaps most of my friends) ask themselves or each other behind my back, “Why is she writing science fiction?” It was not what they expected me to do after a career dedicated to congregational development as an Episcopal priest. Most retired priests, after all, find substitute preaching or part-time ministry…
-
Wondering about Daks
In the sequel to Eden.2, (which is coming out in late 2024 and I’ll let you know the exact date as soon as I do…), another form of flying creature has appeared: the daks. I wondered for a while where they came from. In fact, while writing the book, a little whisper in the back…