The Cosmic Codex

By: Brian Scott Pauls
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  • Living in a science fiction universe...

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    Brian Scott Pauls
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Art Literary History & Criticism Science Fiction
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  • How is gravity related to the other three fundamental forces?

    How is gravity related to the other three fundamental forces?
    Apr 3 2025
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in March and April: Expect the Unexpected: Fantasy and Science Fiction with Unusual Plot Twists!Over fifty short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.Maddie is the NPC with attitude! Buy a copy of Desert Runner by Dawn Chapman!Plagued by old injuries that won't heal, she's enticed into accepting a deadly escort mission. Of course, it's to cross the damned desert... and in the middle of Tromoal breeding season, no less. But the lure of enough cash to fix herself up and help out a close friend, too...? That's a siren's song she can't ignore. Puatera Online is a harsh world, even for the people who have to live there. Good thing Maddie is tougher than cured leather, because she may have just bitten off more than she can chew.How is gravity related to the other three fundamental forces?By Brian Scott Pauls with the help of ChatGPT 4oThe fundamental forces of nature, and how they interact, form the basic subject matter of physics. As a result, many science fiction novels and short stories consider the behavior of one or more of these forces in unusual situations.The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (1972)This novel explores themes of scientific discovery and cross-dimensional physics. The story revolves around the development of a device called the electron pump, which transfers matter between our universe and a parallel one to provide an inexhaustible energy source. However, this transfer destabilizes the strong nuclear force in our universe, threatening to destroy the Sun.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Dragon’s Egg by Robert L. Forward (1980)Forward’s book imagines a neutron star as the setting for an alien civilization. The novel follows the development of intelligent life called the Cheela, who evolve on the surface of the collapsed star, where the gravity is billions of times stronger than on Earth. Life is possible in this environment due to “nuclei bound by the strong force, rather than…by the electromagnetic force.”Long Leap by Derek Künsken (2012)First published in On Spec magazine, this story tackles the idea of a metal planet orbiting within the magnetic fields of a pulsar. “Tetracarbonyl base…life forms” inhabit the planet’s surface, and “everything carries an electric charge, making the magnetic fields function almost like cell membranes.”The Problem of GravityGravity is one of the four fundamental forces, alongside electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Yet, despite its pervasive influence on cosmic scales, gravity remains distinct from the other three, which are described by the Standard Model of particle physics. Understanding how gravity relates to these forces has been a longstanding scientific challenge.The Standard Model and General RelativityThe Standard Model details the three non-gravitational forces in terms of quantum field theory. They are mediated by particles: photons for electromagnetism, W and Z bosons for the weak force, and gluons for the strong force. The forces operate within the framework of quantum mechanics, which governs the behavior of particles at atomic and subatomic scales.Gravity, on the other hand, is described by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. General relativity views gravity not as a force mediated by particles but as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. This classical framework successfully explains gravitational phenomena from planetary orbits to black holes but does not align with the quantum description of the other forces.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! This post is public so feel free to share it.While the Standard Model has achieved remarkable success in describing particle interactions, it does not include gravity. Conversely, general relativity does not incorporate quantum mechanics. Bridging this divide requires a theory of quantum gravity, which remains elusive.String TheoryString theory is one of the most prominent approaches to unifying gravity with the other fundamental forces. It posits that the basic building blocks of the universe are not point-like particles but one-dimensional strings vibrating at different frequencies. These vibrations determine the properties of particles, such as mass and charge.A key feature of string theory is that it naturally incorporates a massless, spin-2 particle resembling the graviton, the hypothetical quantum mediator of gravity. It therefore offers a framework in which gravity can be described quantum mechanically.Moreover, string theory is inherently compatible with the other forces described by the Standard Model. It requires additional dimensions of spacetime—typically 10 or 11—to function mathematically, which has led to predictions about hidden dimensions that could even explain dark matter.However, string theory faces challenges. It has not yet produced testable ...
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    13 mins
  • Prospective stories for "Probability Amplitudes"

    Prospective stories for "Probability Amplitudes"
    Mar 8 2025
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in March: Up & Comers: Bringing You the Best in Speculative Fiction.Over fifty short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.Wars make unlikely allies.Get your FREE copy of Shadow Game by Caitlin Demaris McKenna!When his ship is damaged, retired assassin Gau Shesharrim finds himself stranded on a hostile world. To repair his ship, he will have to sneak into a jungle spaceport crawling with Terrans and their scaly Urd allies. An impossible task. Until help comes from an unexpected source. Arkk just wants to evade the Urd hunting him. A chance encounter with Gau offers him temporary refuge, and something more: a way to get justice for his slaughtered paddock. But first they have to get off-planet.Can Gau and Arkk work together to escape before their enemies catch up to them?For over two years, I’ve posted occasional updates on the development of Probability Amplitudes, my upcoming collection. Many of these have included my progress in terms of word count, but I’ve never shared a list of stories which might appear.Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.See below for a summary of what Probability Amplitudes may offer.”Chthonic Echoes”Stranded on a harsh world, seeking shelter until help arrives, three castaways wrestle with mysteries that may be critical to their survival.Originally published on Wattpad in August, 2019“The Paths of Time”She walked a world transformed by humanity, ever mindful of the acts and achievements of those who came before.Originally published on Wattpad in August, 2019“A Sea Like Glass”Isna Dahal is ready to kick back and toast a job well done on her first break from the project in five years. When she's called in to investigate an unusual problem, however, she uncovers a danger that could threaten the entire Array. The celebration will have to wait.Originally published on Wattpad in September, 2019“Voices of Dominion”The unexplained broadcast from a remote world was hauntingly beautiful...and stopped as abruptly as it had started. The “House of Wisdom” has traveled light years to find out why.Originally published on Wattpad in January, 2020Thanks for reading The Cosmic Codex! This post is public so feel free to share it.“The Play of Light in the Present Moment”Cutting-edge medical research offers Perla the possibility of a miracle--but does she want one?Originally published on Wattpad in January, 2020“Critical Impact Vulnerabilities”She's a cop with a job to do--bring in Seattle's most notorious hacker with an offer too good to pass up!Originally published on Wattpad in February, 2020“The Trouble Run”Li Jie Robinson thought it was just another haul through the Belt--but he didn't know how bad his day could get!Originally published on Wattpad in June, 2021“An Illicit Mercy”Infants in the Martian outpost of Basin have been plagued with birth defects for years--until recently. Corporate has dispatched Siwela and her team to find out why. What she learns will have profound implications for her job--and for who she wants to be.Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 12: Lawmen and Crimefighters”, Currently available for download with a free subscription to The Cosmic Codex“Long Night On the Endless City”On the vast ring habitat Ouroboros, Jel and her synthetic companion Marcus search for Arja, the third member of their triad. This quest leads them to a cryptic technology cult with questionable motives. When they suffer a vicious attack, Marcus and Jel join forces with one of Ouroboros’ most renowned computer and robotics experts to get to the bottom of the mystery.Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 26: Tomorrow’s Crimes.”“Nasty, Brutish, and Short”When the first expedition to the mysterious planet Janus takes a deadly turn, Lieutenant Carita Keahi must fight for survival against an alien ecosystem unlike anything humanity has ever encountered. As crew members fall victim to bizarre and lethal life forms, Keahi races against time to escape the dangers of this two-faced world.Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 28: SF Horror.”“Fire From Heaven”In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.Originally published in “Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.”“All One, All Glorious!”In a world where the embers of war never truly die, the totalitarian might of Tongyige Duniyaan tightens its grip on the last free nations. As brutal enforcers like Captain Xiang Gupta rise through the ranks with ruthless ambition...
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    7 mins
  • Daniel Suarez wins 2024 Prometheus Award for "Critical Mass"

    Daniel Suarez wins 2024 Prometheus Award for "Critical Mass"
    Feb 20 2025
    My novelette, An Illicit Mercy, is part of a new promotion in February: FREE Sci-Fi & Fantasy.Nearly 200 short stories, novels, samples and excerpts, available at no cost.When your only option is a man who can't commit, what is Plan B?Get your FREE copy of Time of Commitment by Kate Kyle!Greg ignored the doubt tugging at the pit of his stomach. The target was a poor choice, but if he wanted to get Rutger onto that ship, this was their only chance.So, his plan had to work. It was as perfect as he could make it. Step by step. Memorized. Practiced.Greg would accomplish his mission, because only success could earn him release from active duties and allow him to finally retire, back to a simpler life. He was getting too old for this. Too tired. Too cynical about the missions that brought more self-importance for the Brotherhood than progress to humanity.So, doubts aside. Time of commitment. GO.In July, Critical Mass by Daniel Suarez won the Prometheus Award for the best novel of libertarian science fiction published during the previous year. Critical Mass is the second book in Suarez’s Delta-V series.A Prometheus Award winner in 2015 as well, Suarez previously worked as a “...senior systems analyst for Fortune 1000 companies.” He’s the author of multiple “…techno-thrillers and science fiction novels on topics ranging from cyber war, autonomous robotic weapons, human agency, genetic editing, and private space exploration.”Penguin Random House describes Critical Mass as follows:When unforeseen circumstances during an innovative—and unsanctioned—commercial asteroid-mining mission leave two crew members stranded, those who make it back must engineer a rescue, all while navigating a shifting web of global political alliances and renewed Cold War tensions. With Earth governments consumed by the ravages of climate change and unable to take the risks necessary to make rapid progress in space, the crew must build their own nextgen spacecraft capable of mounting a rescue in time for the asteroid’s next swing by Earth. In the process they’ll need to establish the first spin-gravity station in deep space, the first orbiting solar power satellite and refinery, and historic infrastructure on the moon’s surface—all of which could alleviate a deepening ecological, political, and economic crisis back on Earth, and prove that space-based industry is not only profitable, but possibly humanity’s best hope for a livable, peaceful future.Have you read Critical Mass, or the first book in Suarez’s trilogy, Delta-V? Comment with your thoughts below!My latest novelette, “Fire From Heaven,” now appears in Boundary Shock Quarterly 29: First Contact.In the shadows of an alien world, terror awaits. On the radiation-blasted planet Janus, a team of explorers descends into Abbadon—an ancient mountain facility hiding unimaginable secrets. As they navigate bizarre chambers filled with cryptic carvings, they unleash a nightmare. But the true horror lies not in the alien ruins, but in the chilling implications of the team’s discovery.Fire From Heaven is the sequel to my previous novelette, “Nasty, Brutish, and Short.”This month, I’m reading Ryka Aoki’s Otherwise Award-winning novel Light from Uncommon Stars. I’m sharing my thoughts on Club Codex, where any Cosmic Codex subscriber can follow along, comment, or ask questions.From this week’s post:“So far I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm intrigued by the Faustian bargain, but unsure where it's going. There seems to be a skillfully crafted love story in here, but at the moment it's vying with quirky aliens for my attention. The mix of demons with aliens seems a bit awkward.”Click below to participate: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecosmiccodex.com
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    2 mins

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