The FWS 13th Anniversary and a Big Announcement

 

On a hot day in 2010, I published my first blogpost on this site, giving birth to Future War Stories. For half of the operational life of FWS, big topics were researched, articles published, and I even got a book deal (and it died)…and then my life changed when I started teaching. For the second half of FWS, the articles got better, but the pace slowed and my mental health crumbled as my jobs came and went. Some of the darkest years of my life were there and I nearly did not survive them as I battled with thoughts of a grim nature. In the last 18 months, the pace of FWS publishing has been sloth slow. This is in part to my last job and my current job needing much attention that caused me to look to playing more video games (Destiny 2) for relaxation rather than reading or writing. I am coming to the cold hard realization that FWS, in its current form, cannot continue. The traffic and views are terrible.  That is my fault and I should have converted FWS over to a YouTube channel years ago...but lack of space, time, money, and talent prevented me from that critical juncture. Times have changed in 13 years. With the ease of other media forms on the internet have caused the downfall of more traditional websites and especially blogs. While FWS was never a "blog" in the true sense of the word, it is hosted on Blogger. That is one of the issues. Blogger is dying and Google seems not to want to support it anymore. There have been a number of issues that are not being fixed or addressed. 

It is time for a change. 

Currently, there are two article topics on this cycle that are various levels of production and I want to finish them in the current form of FWS. And then...I will be launching the FWS Podcast. Yep, a podcast. How original. Now, this is an experiment. I have written 10 scripts based on some of the best articles on military sci-fi topics within the FWS inventory along with an introductory podcast on military science fiction in general. I will NOT be shutting down the blogger site and will use it to link to the FWS Podcast along. The struggle currently is how to translate the research and presentation of FWS articles to an audio format. I have been on a few podcasts over the years along with some work in narration for my previous job. I have recorded a few test podcasts and it seems to works. 

Then the big question: what if this podcast fails? Then we do to Pan B and I launch a website and continue the articles on my own site until the sun burns out. I just cannot see with my current situation and life that shooting videos would be possible. Maybe one day. I will keep everyone posted on the progress of the FWS Podcast and I hope that you lend me your ears when it launches. 

In closing...I wish to thank everyone that has read, commented, and shared the work done here. FWS has directly impacted my life and the wider world of Military Sci-Fi. I wish to give big and warm thank you to Yoel and Duke for their impressive help. I could not have done with without you and you are kings among men. 

Have a Better One and Stay Frosty...FWS Will Continue.