Are We Sims?

When I was a kid, I read a short Science Fiction story that was part of a collection. I don't remember the author or the title, but the story itself had a twist at the end that was so cool. The world was a video game and in the last bit of story, we see the boy who's controlling the world and the people in it leave the game to go do something else.

Wow, I thought. That was a surprise. My understanding is that this isn't the only story that's pulled this twist, but at twelve or thirteen, I'd never seen it before.

In the past few years, I've started hearing about physicists discussing whether or not our universe is a simulation. A game. Apparently they have the math to make this a viable hypothesis. The first few dozen times I heard this idea, it left me disturbed. I'm not a Sim, damn it.

But after hearing it enough times, I've starting going hmmm. What if we are part of a video game? Characters in a universe filled with bits and pixels.

I enjoy Sims 3 a lot, and I wonder what if they became sentient in some future release? Sims 149 where they become aware. Here these characters are, trying to live their lives and out of the blue they find themselves playing chess to increase their logic level even though they've never played chess before.

It's an interesting idea, a great what if for a writer. In case you're wondering, the physicists have come up with an experiment that should provide evidence to whether or not we're a simulation game. It will be very interesting to see what the results are to that.

Influences Part 2

Last week I mentioned influences, but I realized I forgot some.

As a kid, I was fascinated by Star Trek reruns. I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm a Trekkie because I can take it or leave it now, but as a child? I couldn't get enough. Same thing with Star Wars. I watched it on television so many times that I had lines of dialogue memorized.

I think this formed a base for my love of science fiction. Before I even knew futuristic romance existed, I wanted to write it. And was told by my teacher that I had to pick either romance or SF because there was no such thing as a hybrid.

I also had a fascination with paranormal things, too. As a kid, I read a ton of stuff on ghosts, anything the library had...and spent time sleeping with the lights on because the books scared the heck out of me. But I also watched vampire movies and always sympathized with Count Dracula and wanted Harker and Van Helsing to lose. I also wanted the count to get the girl. :-) In fact, I never understood why anyone wanted Harker or Van Helsing to win.

I watched a ton of vampire movies and it didn't matter how bad they were. I watched Nick Knight and wrote my own story in my head of a female vampire from his past who returned to him and that he happily accepted what he was once his true heroine was there.

Lost Boys. I loved that movie. Loved! And I still thought Michael should have embraced being a vampire.

Well, you get the idea. I used to think I was alone. I sought out paranormal romance (and futuristic romance) once I discovered it, but there was almost nothing out there. I kept hunting out old titles so I could read more. When I first sold Ravyn's Flight in 2002 and was looking for an agent, a lot of literary agencies had a note next to their names: "No Paranormal Romance."

And then paranormal romance exploded and I finally had enough to read.