Tomorrow Sage

I’ve been absent for far too long from TomorrowSage.com, especially given it is a site so near and dear to where I want go as an author. There are a variety of reasons for this absence, but the main one is the realization that what I want to do with TomorrowSage.com isn’t (and hasn’t been) compatible with the form and functionality of either traditional blog sites or author websites.

Chinese villagers build a bridge across a tributary of the Yangtze River.

So after burning up an appropriate amount of time and grey matter pondering how I could accomplish my vision for this website, I’ve realized I need to build something from the ground up that will turn TomorrowSage.com into much more of a canvas for conveying knowledge and stories. Or rather, a series of canvases upon which each article or story can be communicated in its own unique way.¹

Ultimately what I envision isn’t just a different approach to a website, but a different way tell stories (and ultimately for me, a broader creative experience).

I will do my best to bring about the new TomorrowSage.com as quickly as possible, but given other demands (professional and personal), it is likely to be a matter of weeks (or months) rather than days before everything goes live. And finally, while I don’t intend to provide any new posts on this site until after the reimagining is complete, I do promise to read and respond to any thoughts or comments you share below on this new direction. I’ll also remain active in my other online domiciles and quite possibly provide the occasional update about TomorrowSage.com in those locations. So please stay in touch at:

• twitter.com/tomorrowsage
• www.kevinabarnes.com

1. A quick clarification: When I say, “build something from the ground up,” I don’t mean lovingly code every line of every single web page. My intent is to develop a custom, highly-flexible content management system that will allow me to create and communicate in the way I envision. And no, I currently have no desire or intentions to sell the resulting tool — it is being designed and built for my unique needs and to meet my creative vision. [↩]

Wolfram|Alpha¹ has been available to the general public for seven weeks now, allowing plenty of time to test drive it and uncover its strengths and weaknesses. What I’ve found is that it’s a surprisingly powerful tool for the science fiction writer.

Where traditional internet search engines like Google return a list of links that may or may not lead to the answer the user seeks, Wolfram|Alpha attempts to cut out the middle steps and deliver the actual answer directly to the user. Wolfram|Alpha really shines when you’re seeking specific factual information. Let’s look at a couple of examples of what might arise when conducting research for a science fiction novel.

47 Ursae Majoris b Wolfram|Alpha search

Extrasolar Planets
Assume I’m working on the next Nebula-winning novel and I’ve set the story on 47 Ursae Majoris b (an exoplanet I vaguely remember hearing about when it was discovered in 1996). I plug the planet’s name into Wolfram|Alpha and immediately get a wealth of information. I now know that 47 Ursae Majoris b is 45.86 light years from Earth and it is located in the constellation Ursa Major.² About the only thing it doesn’t tell me is whether the planet is inhabited. (Some things have to be left to the imagination of the writer!) (more…)

1. If you’ve somehow missed all the hype, Wolfram|Alpha calls itself a “computational knowledge engine.” It essentially is a new kind of search engine. Its ambitious goal is to provide all objective data in a way that allows users to crunch, convert, compute and compare that data. [↩]
2. In fact, Wolfram|Alpha provides a star map and tells me the exoplanet’s exact location in the sky based on the fact I’m in Milwaukee at the moment. [↩]