All fiction really boils down to the author's interest in what could be. It is with that grand fascination that this project is born: What is the fate of our planet, our home? I believe this is a question we have all asked at some point. The truth, however, is that nearly anything is possible, and given enough time, anything is probable. I'm asking for your ideas. What lies ahead for us? After us? After everything we know?
[skip if science bores you]
In the strictest sense, this project is a grand work of science fiction, so I think I should start with a bit of science fact. The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old (4,500,000,000) and it is made mostly out of debris from the sun's formation (the moon is believed to be a chunk of the earth that was pushed out in early formation). Life has existed on the planet for 3.5 billion years. Humans (genus Homo) evolved about 2.5 million years ago (2,500,000) in Africa, but spent about 90% of that time evolving into modern, Homo Sapien, humans. That's right. Our true story really only begins 300,000 years ago and doesn't even get good until 10,000 years ago when we figured out how to farm. The rest, you probably know.
There is also a little about the future that you definitely need to know. The Earth will most likely be here for about 5 billion more years before it is swallowed by the sun when it goes red giant. Life, on the other hand, has a bit shorter of a time frame. The sun is continuing to age with our planet and as it ages, it will get brighter. Eventually, it will boil the oceans and evaporate the atmosphere (in fact, it already started doing all that). Life on the planet will be completely wiped out in a little less than a billion years (1,000,000,000) but substantial life, like puppies and kitties and people has about half that long. That's still a long time alright, but life has existed for seven times that long already so we're definitely on the butt end of our time here. If you think about it though, that is enough time for (generously) 200 different species to reach the stage we are currently in. Odds are it will be astronomically less, but anything is possible.
[science talk mostly over]
Ok, now to the bare bones of the project. The project will be an anthology of work detailing different stories that take place in our planet's remaining billion years. The only requirement is that they take place on Earth or refer to it. The moon is also acceptable. But that's it, that's the only requirement. They can be any length, genre, form, or size. Do whatever you want as long as it can be printed or posted on the internet (keep in mind videos obviously won't make it into print). All you have to do is submit it to me in some form. That's not to say that anything you submit will be in the final version of the project. I am the editor and as such, I will be choosing from what works and what is the best, obviously. The final product will be an anthology book of substantial length with an introduction by myself and arranged chronologically (or as best as I can) with a timeline.
I want you to think creatively. I don't want fifty submissions of "post-apocalyptic future with werewolves, zombies, and vampires." There's an almost limitless range of possibilities for stories. In a hundred million years, there could be a race of sentient sponge colonies. The stories can also be as minute or grand as you want. From the fate of an entire race or the details of a rabbit-deer-hybrid's bad day. I would prefer it if the stories weren't so grand that I would have trouble fitting them together, but don't let that discourage you from telling the tale you want to tell. In the end, I want a huge range to pick from so that the anthology will have as much variety as the Earth itself.
SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE ON THE PLANET
I'm tentatively setting the deadline for submissions somewhere in January, but I would prefer to be notified much earlier if you are planning to submit. I will be posting the submissions on the blog as I receive them as well as updates and my own work. Please feel free to ask questions as I'm sure to have left a ton of info out as well as let me know what you think.
notes:
- this is not a comic-only project
- any orientation or shape for your submission is acceptable
- color is an option, but will drastically alter printing options
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