What Kind of SCI is Your FI?

SPACE…
The final frontier.
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
Its five year mission:
- To explore strange new worlds
- To seek out new life and new civilizations
- To boldly go where no one has gone before.

So… what kind of Science Fiction do you write/do you like?

Do you love the western cowboy in space stories?
Are you all about the starship and its voyages?
Me? I’m more of a strange new world and seek out new life kinda author.

All this to say that there are tons of approaches to Science Fiction, and even more ways to categorize them.

Here’s a fun list of science fiction subgenres. Which are closest to what you write or read?
Let me know or post in the comments.

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-and-orange-galaxy-illustration-41951/

WATER'S BREAK

What if fear itself is the deadliest undercurrent of all? 

Nica would do anything to avoid the hassles of her sister’s bonding ceremony—the wrap fittings, hairstyles, and braided fire coral—but she never imagined that the waters covering her planet would be broken. As the heavens rained fire and stone, mountains erupted from the sea and dry ground was birthed on the Deep, dividing the water—and the Olomi people—for the first time in their history.

In the wake of her world’s violent re-formation, Nica’s family is shattered. When the rookie Guardian leaves the safety of the Deep to find her sister, she is abducted by strange landwalkers who possess strength and technology beyond her imagination. Nica realizes that the disaster from above was by their design—a calculated plan to terraform the water planet and conquer her people. All Nica wants to do is find her sister and swim home to safety, but with the landwalkers closing in, escape may not be possible. And if Nica can’t save herself,  how can she hope to save her sister—or her people?

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Christmas Crack

In the event an event calls for you to have treats in tow, consider this crowdpleaser.
The trifecta of impossibility—Cheap, Fast, and Good.
Christmas Crack meets the above requirements and never fails to satisfy the tastebuds. 

PREP & COOKING TIME: 30 MIN

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Ingredients:

Saltine crackers 1 cup sugar 1 stick butter Chocolate chips Peppermint candy (I used candy canes) - crushed

Directions:

1. Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Butter the foil, and fill with saltine crackers. Place them as closely together as you can.

2. Bring one cup sugar and one stick butter to a boil. Pour this over the crackers.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes in a 400* oven.

4. Remove from oven and pour one large bag of chocolate chips over them. After a few minutes spread the melted chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy.

5. Cool in refrigerator, and mark in squares. (Do this before it gets too hard.)

NOT

I am not the strongest

but Your strength is made PERFECT in my weakness

I am not the smartest,

but Your wisdom confounds the wisest of men

I am not the fastest

but the race does not always go to the swift

and you make my feet like the hind’s feet so that I can LEAP to higher and higher heights

I am not the richest

but You own the cattle on a thousand hills

and have freely given me ALL things in Christ Jesus

I am not the most powerful

but the same power that raised Jesus from the dead

that defeated Death itself

dwells in me

I am not a person of great importance

but You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords

and I am Your child, and Your Bride

I am not influential

but You hold the hearts of kings in Your hand

I am not

…

much

But You, O God, HAVE CHOSEN ME

not because I am strong

or beautiful

or wise

or rich

or influential

or even good

or kind

or patient

or helpful

You have chosen me because You love me

You KNOW me, and you love me

You are with me, I am not alone

You created me. I am known

Sophia L Hansen
2013

Sausage & Peppers

Sausage & Peppers is an easy-peasy one pan recipe that is sure to please!

SERVINGS: 6

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 30 MIN

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Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 pkg Sweet italian Sausage (links or bulk)

1 large Onion (I prefer sweet)

3 Bell Peppers **

splash of cooking wine to deglaze

1 can diced tomatoes w/ Basil, Garlic & Oregano

Directions:

1. Coat large skillet with oil on med high

2. Slice links into bite-sized pieces and brown in pan. (If you are using bulk sausage, just break up into large chunks.) Brown.

3. Halve and slice onion into thick slices. Throw them in the pan once the sausage is browned.

4. Slice peppers thickly, roughly same as onions. If you have multi-colored, start with green, then yellow, orange and red, last.

5. Throw in a splash of cooking wine if you need to deglaze. Scrape up any stuck bits off the bottom of the pan before they start to burn.

6. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and cook for another 5 min or until the vegetables are tender enough for you.

**frozen veggies can do in a pinch, but instead of cooking them, thaw in a sieve under hot tap water. This helps avoid over-mushy veggies.

I like to serve this with crusty Chicago rolls from Publix's bakery, but it's also great over rice or your favorite pasta.

Beef & Broccoli

Some days you just want some comfort food. Beef and Broccoli does the trick for me.
Here's a tweaked recipe - Enjoy!!

SERVINGS: 4

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 30 MIN

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Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli florets or crowns (slice peeled stems--so delicious!)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp minced garlic**

1 tsp grated (fresh) ginger**

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp cornstarch, divided

1 tsp baking soda

1 pound flank steak (or sirloin, whatever you have)

1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

2 tsp rice wine (sherry works too)

1/4 cup oyster sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Microwave fresh broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap, (poke holes for ventilation,) for 1-2 minutes. (**Frozen will work, but just toss them in the finished product.)

2. Slice the beef against the grain into 1/4 " thick strips and rub well with sugar.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, baking soda and 1 tsp cornstarch. Add scallions, and beef to your marinade and let it sit for at least 20 minutes, then add the sesame oil and mix well. (This can sit up to overnight in the refrigerator.)

4. In a separate small bowl, stir together the stock, rice wine, oyster sauce and remaining 1 tsp cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.

5. Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat and add the oil. When a wisp of white smoke appears, toss the marinated beef and garlic into the pan. Cook for about 1 minutes, continually moving the beef so it browns on all sides, but is still rare. Once the beef is seared, add the broccoli and cook for an additional minute.

6. Stir in the sauce and keep it all moving. scrape up any stuck bits off the bottom of the pan before they start to burn. Throw in a splash of sherry if you need to deglaze. Once the sauce has turned into a nice thick glaze, about 1 minutes, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

**keep minced garlic and tube ginger in the fridge, its serves as well for fresh in these preparations without the work or waste.

**frozen veggies can do in a pinch, but instead of cooking them, thaw in a sieve under hot tap water. This helps avoid over-mushy veggies.

This is my adaption of Jet Tila's Beef and Broccoli Food Network recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beef-and-broccoli-3872568