My latest posts

  • storycraft – grounding sci-fi tales of wagon trains to other worlds
    10-23-2026 [draft essay] The entertainment paradox I am struggling with the entertainment paradox. A contrast of two narrative engines. It’s like spitting into the wind. In tales where hope is fragile and desperation abounds, do we celebrate individual exceptionalism—witty, charming […]
  • Three Sages and the Stone – mute void or crowded room
    Remember pet rocks? Did anyone try to teach their stone to talk? Was there any point in listening? The Three Sages and the Stone An homage to Annie Dillard’s Teaching a Stone to Talk. © Copyright 2026 John P. Healy […]
  • Calliope’s Reach … snippets
    Calliope’s Reach(do magpies dream of Calliope?) © 2026 John Healy Ongoing worldbuilding, research, and scene sketches for Calliope’s Reach may be viewed on my writing workshop page. Notes on framing, context, characters, throughlines, homages, scientific and literary references, phrases, and […]
  • Space capitalism – build it, own it
    At the beginning of August, I started writing a story – Calliope’s Reach – set in a future around 2150 – 2200. The narrative is grounded in a landscape of space capitalism. The following week, I ran across the book […]
  • Calliope’s Reach … pathfinder
    Teaser Calliope’s Reach(do magpies dream of Calliope?) © 2026 John HealyDraft 8-23-2026, 9-6-2026 Table of Contents EpigraphPrologueAct 1a: at anchor – ready roomAct 1b: anchors aweighAct 2: ShakedownAct 3: the sea of AzoresEpilogue NotesGallery Epigraph Here rise to life again, […]
  • Clara’s world – context and characters
    I’m still building out Clara’s world: framing, context, characters, throughlines, homages, scientific & literary references, phrases & terms. And sketching out scenes (sort of story boarding). Gemini chats are helpful (sort of workshopping). Much of this background (like a story […]
  • Clara’s world … the sky sucks
    © 2026 John HealyDraft 7-28-2026 Epigraph “Whether good or evil, something wicked has come to stay, changing the face of night and day.” — Clara Tulegrass, “the stars still so true,” Beyond a Backyard View Teaser Introducing Clara’s world Chapter […]
  • AI’s taken my job blues – song
    a contemporary homage to Jim Croce‘s song Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues Intro AI’s taken my job blues (AI’s doing my job now blues)(AI’s going to take my job blues) Well, …I had just got out from my jim-dandy […]
  • Casting out images of holy battle – dueling without dualism
    Holy battle – on earth and in the heavens – is a familiar way to depict clashes between cultures and countries, divisions between moral values and spiritual virtues. Especially in turbulent times, riled by social grievance and religious offense. The […]
  • Beyond A Good Place 10.0 – workshop blueprint
    [A chat with Gemini – executive summary] Beyond The Good Place (The Architecture of 10.0) by nobody+0 Workshop Blueprint [2.0] I. Executive Summary: The Structural Critique of The Good Place The Good Place achieved a rare feat in network television […]