Allan Dyen-Shapiro
The Science Fictional Middle East Part II: the uncertain paradigm of Kurdistan
What would you say about a science fiction plot in which the US was providing money and training to a group of former Marxist-Leninists...
top of page
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
Science Fiction Author
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Aug 28, 2017
Envisioning a science fictional Middle East
Ever been struck with an idea that won’t leave your head and the gift of time to muse over it? Well, with Hurricane Harvey keeping me...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jul 23, 2017
Your thriller plot is dumb. ISIS did not almost kill with radioactivity.
Some of us root for the bad guys in the movies. They get to be much more ingenious than the good guys, most of whom are either corrupt or...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jul 1, 2017
Alternative facts: what we can learn from Holocaust denial
I recently came across a TED talk from historian Deborah Lipstadt, in which she relayed her insights from a study of Holocaust deniers....
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jun 15, 2017
On the Everglades Part VI: The Sugar Scumbags Strike Back
As I was too low-tech with this website to have credits scrolling that looked like Spielberg’s, you’re going to have to use your...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- May 21, 2017
Doctor Who just updated Descartes
For the last nine years, my day job has been teaching high school science. People outside of education ask how I handle creationist...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- May 8, 2017
Writing about social class in America
This weekend, my wife and I went to see the premiere of a new play being rolled out in four cities, Doublewide. Admittedly, the first act...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Apr 2, 2017
The moments that establish character
A couple weeks ago, I attended the annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival. My wife insists on going every year. As a teacher of...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Apr 1, 2017
On the Everglades Part V: If there is consensus on what needs doing, why isn’t it happening?
I must admit to a bias in writing this post. Back in 2004, when I was being recruited to come to Florida Gulf Coast University as an...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jan 7, 2017
Why Americans question climate science
Most of the planet looks at the US and wonders how it is that Americans don't "get it" when it comes to climate change. The science is...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Dec 3, 2016
Things are worse than assumed: sensible numbers on carbon fluxes from soil and limits of discourse
Imagine you are appointed to a committee of wizards, meeting in some dingy (and likely dragon-infested) back room in Hogwarts, tasked...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Nov 19, 2016
Tech that matters: those concerned with climate change-induced famine should pay attention to this
I like the New York Times. I like getting their free headlines in my inbox, and I like linking to my ten free articles per month. And my...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Oct 24, 2016
Can you still go "Down to the Twist and Shout"? Should you?
My wife is outstanding at winning radio contests. And all sorts of other contests. As such, much of our entertainment is free. With free...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Sep 25, 2016
Mister Robot, a recollection of Chomsky, and a reflection on Robespierre
And the award for pretension in blog post titles goes to ... yeah, bear with me on this one. I recently binge watched the first two...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Aug 25, 2016
"Everything's up to date in Kansas City," and now my blog will be too.
Yeah, I certainly could have started with a cheesy quotation from Wizard of Oz, but the Rogers and Hammerstein lyrics were running...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Aug 14, 2016
Sanity is relative, reality is consensual, and SF readers and writers are the only ones who notice
A colleague in my non-writer, day job, a Moroccan immigrant, delights in discoveries of American pop culture that I had encountered so...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Aug 4, 2016
My Schedule for WorldCon
Okay, at this point, I've seen lots of other folks on panels putting their schedule for MidAmericon II, August 17 - 21 in Kansas City,...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jul 28, 2016
Broken or still fighting?
A enthusiastic young woman phoned me recently, reciting from a canned script that I knew would culminate in a request for money. An...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jul 10, 2016
Writing about racism: ignoring white people who told me I didn't know what I was talking about
I have one short story that has been an absolute bear to write for various reasons. It has undergone multiple revisions. However, I...
Allan Dyen-Shapiro
- Jun 10, 2016
If the Witness exists, is he God, or is time the only deity: thoughts from SF television
This week's 12 Monkeys delved very deeply into philosophy, with Cole as the week's prophet. He reminisces about a boyhood scuffle when he...
bottom of page