Author: Bob Beard

  • The Flea: Where Speculative Art and Rocket Science Meet

    Rik Allen is an artist and sculptor who works in glass and metal. We previously talked to Rik in this interview about creating a retrofuturist sculpture, and were thrilled to hear about his recent work at NASA’s Langley Research Center. I caught up with Rik via phone to talk about his visit to NASA, the…

  • Imagining An Alternate History Space Program

    “Imagine a world where the Space Race has not ended. Where space agencies were funded a lot better than military. Where private space companies emerged and accelerated development of space industry. Where people never stopped dreaming big and aiming high.” -The Space That Never Was Mac Rebisz is a Polish concept designer and illustrator working…

  • Over at io9, Charlie Jane Anders on writing science fiction in the 21st century

    Last week, our friend and Hieroglyph contributor Charlie Jane Anders published her new novel All The Birds in the Sky. Reflecting on her experiences as a science fiction author, critic, and community member, she penned a fantastically thought-provoking essay for io9 that echoes the work we try to accomplish here at Project Hieroglyph. Some choice…

  • Hard Science Fiction is Mapping our Future – But Are We Ready to Go?

    Here at Hieroglyph, we do our best to abide by Neal Stephenson’s 3H rule: no holocausts, no hackers, and no hyperspace. It’s a good guideline for the work that goes on here. After all, how can we learn to make a better future when we’re burdened with hopeless dystopias, magical-but-unrealizable dream technologies, and only ad…

  • Interview: Talking Atompunk and retrofuturism with Hieroglyph Community Member John Maly

    John Maly is a Hieroglyph community member who works in patent law and enjoys exploring the atompunk scene through art and visits to mid-century landmarks like Atomic City, Idaho and the Dymaxion House in Detroit. I caught up with John over the phone about his travels, John Steinbeck, and the Fallout video game series. Note:…

  • Announcing The Tomorrow Project’s Journeys through Time and Space anthology

    “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it.” -Doctor Emmett L. Brown, Back to the Future Part III I was nearing my thirteenth birthday when I heard that line — a call to action from a character that embodied scientific curiosity, exploration, and DIY. Unfortunately for me,…

  • Hieroglyph Contributors Featured in New Climate Fiction Anthology

    Climate fiction is a burgeoning genre in the crowded literary landscape – but it has been making waves lately. Think pieces on the growth of this particular flavor of storytelling abound, films like Snowpiercer use “cli-fi” as a backdrop for action and adventure, and earlier this summer the award-winning digital magazine Matter featured a series…

  • Interview: Author and Hieroglyph Community Member John C. Havens

    John C. Havens is a Hieroglyph community member, a contributor to Mashable and The Guardian and the author of the book Hacking Happiness. I had a chance to read John’s new book, Heartifical Intelligence (to be published February 2016 by Tarcher/Penguin) and chat with him about his work studying the intersection of emerging technology and…

  • Spotlight on the Community: April Davis

    April Davis is a new member of the Hieroglyph community. She is studying geophysics and astronomy at Cal Poly Pomona and can be found doing field work in the Arctic, Hawaii, and at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. I caught up with April over email to talk about her latest adventures and how…

  • Hieroglyph Anthology Recognized by Association of Professional Futurists

    We were surprised and honored earlier this week with the announcement that our anthology Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future was honored with an award for Most Significant Futures Work (MSFW) by the Association of Professional Futurists. Established in 2007, the MSFW Awards honors works that advance the work of foresight and futures…