Science fiction has long been noted for its ability to predict, sometimes with uncanny accuracy, things that will come into being in future years. Recently, though, technology has been catching up - it's very hard for writers to stay ahead of inventors, so fast are things changing.

This was brought home to me very personally yesterday. Over at LinkedIn, members of that network's science fiction group, including yours truly and e-buddy Dave Dunn, have started a "never ending story board". You might've done something similar; one person starts a story and each person in turn adds a paragraph in rotation, continuing until the story comes to a natural end or the writers give up on it (usually the latter, in my experience!)

In the first part of the story, Dave brought in a trio of robots, each fashioned in the image of a giant Jack Russell terrier! I thought they were very funny, so I added to the description when my turn came. They are metallic, probably put together out of bits and pieces of scrap. And they can give anyone who messes with them a nasty electric shock. How original, I thought. How very clever and creative we are!

HA! the very next day, Dave found this article about fire-breathing robot dogs. Someone had beaten us to it!

More imaginative writing can be found at a new site created by ROR (wRiters-on-the-Rise). The group, which includes top Aussie talent such as Richard Harland, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Dirk Flinthart, Marianne de Pierres, Trent Jamieson, Rowena Cory Daniells and Maxine McArthur, has started this site so you can download short stories and even chapters of their books. When I tell you that in recent months, Rowena has sold King Rolen's Kin, a 3 book fantasy series, to Solaris; Tansy has sold Power and Majesty, also a 3 book fantasy series, to Harper Collins; Richard has sold Worldshaker, a children's book, to Allen and Unwin and Marianne has sold Tara Tasse, a paranormal crime/romance, also to Allen and Unwin, you will understand the calibre of work I'm talking about. Go over there and taste for yourself!

Oh, and you might want to look at Edward II (Alianore's blog)
again, too:-) She has uploaded another lot of funny medieval names for our delectation and delight!