I take a deeper dive into into where ideas for stories come from. Hint: it might really be the stork if you are writing about avians. Beginning with my "movie theater" metaphor, I explore looking inward, looking outward, and just looking about and paying attention for inspiration for your Next Big Thing. I conclude with something which crushes many new writers: research to get it all right. Many creatives are, to be blunt, not rigorous thinkers and are often overwhelmed at the prospect of logic and consistency. I propose a possible solution for those in that situation.

Okay, it's been a while; we're not going to dwell on that. This is another 4-excerpt dive into my second novel, a direct sequel to "The Fourth Law." While that was about the love between friends, this explores family love and loyalty. Perhaps because it has been a certain time since my last podcast, this one is significantly longer. But it is also that much more interesting.

y original intent of these podcasts was to just talk about my novels. That, obviously, went off the rails for the last dozen podcasts. So, at long last, I turn my attention to pulling a few - well, four - excerpts from my first novel, and discussing it.

Another more technically oriented podcast where I tell the story of how I try to do something every time I make a book. I do not want to get stuck in ruts of characters or stories or even types of stories so over the years I've made romances, horrors, politics, espionage, war, and even children's books. I shall not allow myself to become a formulaic writer. This is the most fun I've had in years and I intend to keep having it.

Having covered politics and sex it was time to turn my attention to the last of the "not to be discussed" triumvirate of religion. More specifically Christianity and ever more so, Roman Catholicism. Only two of the machines are believers and I'd guess about half, barely, of the human characters who get a speaking role in my twelve books are. I and my characters are never preachy but it is a very important matter for many of them.

Nearly twenty minutes of a middle-aged ex-engineer talking about sex. Perhaps your time would be better watching your grass grow? In modern times, this very important subject is treated so lightly and co callously that our society finds itself confusing "gender" with sex and thinking there are scores of them. That's not how I roll. . Even in one of my earliest books one of the machines says, "Sex differences go all the way down in a way even we do not comprehend. The coders did not know that and many early models went insane." Never once does any character speak of gender. Even the co-creation byproduct of humans carries elements of their sexuality, leading to Thaad's most interesting development. . NOTE: more than any other podcast to-date, this one is packed full of spoilers. FYI.

A short introduction as to why so many countries in the future are monarchal in nature. Is it that I hate democracy or republicanism? No. I am just honest enough to understand that those forms of government do not scale up past the level of a city or county.

Building on last week's post about a machine or tribe of them made in China, I thought to address the nation-states of my future history. I break them out as "Failed," "Floundering," "Polar Alliance," and "Other." This is one of my longest yet, eighteen minutes, as I have to circle to globe to get everyone in. As I say at the closing, if anyone has questions or comments or wants more information about what I've mentioned, please let me know in the Comments.

A listener asked: "what if one or a tribe of machines had been coded in China?" I explore that question here.