I grew up watching re-runs of the original Star Trek series. I think that set me on the path of looking at the universe differently with the intention of seeing its diversity, the uniqueness of its culture, and the understanding that we as a species can be more than just groups fighting over pieces of the planet we were all born on. The series soaked into my brain. I distinctly remember watching it every Saturday as my mother got my brother and me out of the bath and ready for bed. It was as much of a part of my childhood as afternoon cartoons, Sesame Street, or The Muppet Show.
I went to see Star Wars in a re-release in 1978 at the very impressionable age of 5. I will never forget right after the opening crawl when the camera pans down to the limb of Tatooine and Princess Leia’s ship, Tantive IV, streaks by overhead followed by the pursuing Star Destroyer. My brain chemistry changed forever. I was hooked and never wanted to be free.
Later that same year, my mother’s boyfriend and I sat down on a warm summer evening, ordered a pizza, and put on PBS for a special 15th-anniversary screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey. After that, I could not get enough. I grew up consuming as much of the classics of Sci-Fi as possible. My opinions, of course, are deep and complex. I am so happy to see this branch of speculative fiction have this renaissance it is currently enjoying.
I grew up in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from New York City. Here I spent my youth running barefoot on concrete and unsuccessfully avoiding trouble. Ever the wanderer, I have traveled the world in search of new experiences but I have always lived within a few hours’ drive of home.
As a former software developer and college professor, I have been writing and explaining complex scientific and technical issues for the last 25 years. But its really been my whole life. I’ve never stopped learning and relaying what I’ve learned to anyone who will listen.
A lifelong creative streak had me writing fiction for myself and various audiences since I could hold an oversized crayon. My first traditionally published short story, “Inquefish” appeared in the now defunct e-zine “Raygun Revival” way back in 2008. I released my first self-published work, “Dreams of a Freezing Ocean: Volume 1” on April 6, 2021.
I currently live with my wife, daughter, and two rescue cats in suburban Virginia. My heart is always in my native New Jersey and I get back as often as I can.
