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Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 7: 'love'

I've posted a few snippets on that topic before, so let's cover the opposite. 😀

#ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

#TimeTravelAuthors
February 2026

1. Introduce your story (optional: use the word "love")
3. Is your work a standalone or a series?
5. Languages in your story
7. Saturday excerpt (optional word: love)
9. Does your story get "political"?
11. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: hug)
13. Love in your story
15. Comp titles?
17. Does your world have the butterfly effect?
19. How honest are your characters?
21. Saturday excerpt (optional word: listen)
23. A time travel book/movie/show that your characters enjoy or would enjoy
25. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: glow)
27. Author's choice/promo

All time-travel authors and published works, WIPs, etc. welcome!
To join, just answer the prompts on odd days, using the hashtag #TimeTravelAuthors
On even days, post what you like!

Questions? @juliebihn.bsky.social or @juliebihn.mastodon.social

Yolyku had another reason to worry. "What about the priestesses? They are going to love his story."

Everyone glanced at me. I looked uncertain, and flipped my palms up, self-consciously not shrugging. I hadn't followed what she'd said… and even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to help that my existence contradicted their theology.

February 8, 2026 at 4:38 AM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 7: redeem

Translation is always fraught. A lot of practical morals map across cultures, but the way they're conceived has a strong influence on the implementation, so to speak.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SFF

She hesitated, then said in Linachu, "Whatever the judgement of the magistrates, thou hast no mehshaychaikeh."[1]

[1] 'Your honor is unmarked' is closest. As I've said, 'neemayaro' as a concept is approximately 'moral voltage.' When it's out of balance, actions must be taken to restore equilibrium. The charge can be positive - mixes concepts we'd call 'honor' and 'duty.' Or it can be negative - a debt owed, a sin in need of expiation.

A 'mehshaychai' is like a wound, or a leak in a circuit. You could think of it as 'a mark of shame.' It meant you would carry a negative bias forevermore - you would have to strive actively to maintain your balance of neemayaro. A severe enough one meant 'edahpoineh,' 'damnation.' Irredeemably lost.

So, Atosho was saying I hadn't done anything seriously wrong. That even if I hadn't done perfectly, I'd done the best anyone could expect. But she meant in a moral sense, not a practical one.

February 7, 2026 at 1:38 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 6: sixth

The calendar system in this culture involves months made of three 10-day weeks. Jim's adapting.

He has to.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

The next day was a sixth day. So, a church day. I almost looked forward to it. A distraction from how wildly underprepared I was for tomorrow's [inquest]. Manayka didn't even bother trying to get a new outfit, I wore one from those early days in this timeline.

Y'know. Last month.

February 6, 2026 at 2:42 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 5: Languages in your story

If you change things even a few hundred years back, modern languages won't sound the same, if they even survive. When it's a few *thousand* years, there won't be familiar languages.

So it's lucky Jim took a couple linguistic courses getting his Ph.D. 😬

February 5, 2026 at 12:59 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 5: except

The way people live affects their whole culture.

#SciFi #SciFiBooks #ScienceFicton #SFF

Atosho's clan was in textiles. Baiyokee's 'bride price' had been some kind of economic interest for his mother. In the vein of shares, or a seat on the board? Maybe both?[1]

[1] I was surprised that they did a bride price and not a dowry. In my world, agricultural societies tended to go with dowries. It was pastoral or human-powered agricultural societies where the groom paid for the bride. I talked it over with Manayka and Atosho later. In my world, women did a lot of work in such societies. The 'bride price' was recompense for depriving the family of a laborer.

In large-scale agricultural societies, establishing a household took not just labor but wealth. More wealth than young people were likely to have. Women's work mostly didn't produce significant wealth in such societies, so her family would put up a chunk of money or goods intended to give the couple as good a start as possible.

At first blush, I'd have expected Cholama - with lots of agriculture - to go for dowries. (Except, of course, that the boy's family would cough up the dough.) However... here, men did a lot of work. It was their purpose in life. Apparently the 'deprive family of laborer' factor outweighed the 'start-up wealth' consideration. By their math.

February 5, 2026 at 12:40 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#FebruaryWorldBuilders 4: Geography of a notable mountain or range

In my WIP, Jim gets to visit a castle in what *had been* Spain. I'll let him tell it:

#SciFi #SFF #ScienceFiction

February 4, 2026 at 12:54 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 4: position

A handful of 'professoras' are trying to help Jim navigate the legal system of the new timeline. Unfortunately, he's been dealt a bunch of weak cards.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SFF

T'ramoi stood up, seeming only a little nervous. The younger magistrate took over. "At the prior hearing, you undertook to determine if his genetic abnormalities presented any urgent medical issues."

She tried for a while, she really did. "My ladies, this boy's genetics are truly unique, and of genuine scientific interest. Requesting input from other scientists has, I admit, drawn attention from more than the academic world..."

The senior magistrate interrupted, dryly. "Who would have imagined that so many talk show hosts would have such keen scientific curiosity?"

T'ramoi knew she was in a weak position, but persisted. "[Ahem.] However that may be, continued access is greatly to be desired..."

The junior magistrate interrupted this time. "Have you uncovered any complications that could not reasonably be managed at the Achapo facility?"

T'ramoi plodded on. "Not at present, my ladies. My analysis, however, is necessarily incomplete..."

February 4, 2026 at 12:42 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 3: Is your work a standalone or a series?

I still laugh at myself when I started writing SECONDARY, thinking it'd be one big book. Two weeks in it was clear it'd be a series. First, I figured two books. Now, it's settled on four.

Number two has a really solid ending, tho. 😀

February 3, 2026 at 1:27 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 3: confident

A bigger snip than usual for me, but this has both the word and the concept. Jim's becoming a contested game piece, and he doesn't get to make too many moves.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction

The administrator was clearly angry, now. "However narrow my vision, my authority is broad. I have no choice but to reassign you." A nasty smile. "We will place this matter in saner hands. Or at least, ones less in love with embarrassing themselves on TV." She leaned back, confident. "We shall look into this... 'Jeema's' stories." That was accompanied by a dismissive wave. "His genetics are more interesting."

I was sitting up in alarm. Atosho didn't even look at me, she just held up a hand, fingers spread, asking me to wait. "And how would you learn anything, without Jim's cooperation? You would not even be able to speak to him, let alone examine him, without my permission."

"Eerahno shall assume custody..." the Limafai began.

Atosho wore the nasty smile now, as she interrupted. "Inquirer Nusuku is his buzihloi, and brought him to me. The only reason this opportunity exists is because she is my friend." A tight grin. "In fact, she made me kumukai." The 'dean' blinked, and both women seemed at a sudden loss. "If you believe she would withdraw that, you are welcome to make the request of her." It was weird. A woman, I'd expect to ladle a little sugar on that savage smile. You know, at least pretend to be polite. Atosho was... well, it reminded me of dick-measuring bullshit between men.

February 3, 2026 at 12:59 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 2: perish

Lucky Jim isn't only accused of murder! He *also* gets to be accused of heresy. Of course, he can barely comprehend the theology of the local religion.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

"The truth must always dupehraikatoi[1] in disputation," Atosho said calmly.

Zuwasai's voice was sharp, her polite demeanor fraying. "Disputation has limits. If the scrolls can be so thoroughly denied, then Daymih must surely perish."

"Oh, I don't know if that's true," the religiously-garbed lady interrupted. "The faith did not collapse when the planets began to sing."[2]

"The Lahboganudeh[3] is not up for debate!" the Marquise snapped back.

"Nor did I say so. But the circuits that Goddess weaves are elaborate beyond Woman's understanding."

[1] 'triumph' - literally 'over-battle.'
[2] An allusion to the religious infighting about whether Jupiter sent out radio signals.
[3] A fancy theological term for Goddess' gift of koganu. A word with a long and complicated and deeply-argued history. Think words like 'Transfiguration' or 'Hypostasis' in Christianity.

February 2, 2026 at 12:46 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 1: Introduce your story (optional: use the word "love")

Jim wouldn't necessarily have said he loved Ellen. But maybe she loved him. After all, she made sure he'd survive when she and her colleagues rewrote history.

Though he's not sure he'll survive in the new world.

#SciFi

February 1, 2026 at 3:05 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 1: zeal

Close enough to 'zeal,' right?

Anthropologists don't live by bread alone. Even when working on a hugely important time-viewing project.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi #SciFiBooks

Ellen chugged an entire bottle of water when she was done eating. Then her eyes traveled up and down my body and she drawled, “Let’s go for a walk.”
“I’ve got a planning meeting. We’ve hardly even peeked at Australia and New Zealand, they’re almost at the range limit…”
“Blow it off. I haven’t seen you in weeks.” I think her belly was actually a little swollen, but now she looked hungry in a totally different way. Almost carnivorous.
I mean, y’know. The only other time she’d propositioned me like that had been right before I left for Peru. It was flattering… and it had been weeks. So I went with her.

February 1, 2026 at 2:23 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 31: academy

Vibing it, *plus* it also works for #TimeTravelAuthors! Summarizes the premise pretty well, in fact. 😀

("Koganu" means "woman-fire"; it refers to the electricity that women can generate. And use, for offense as well as defense.)

#ScienceFiction #SciFi #SciFiBooks

Atosho gave T’ramoi the summary, yet again. The strange boy claimed to be an academic from another universe–one where women had no koganu. Some kind of time-travel project had been used–abused?–to alter history, to give women koganu millennia ago. And somehow as a result, he had appeared in this world.

Saloro frowned. “Have you confirmed he was not talking about another planet? Or even Barotirakee?”[1] She threw a hand up. “I was almost ready to believe that.”

Atosho waved at the boy. “He was very clear about time travel being involved.”

[1] A fictional land from a work vaguely like Gulliver’s Travels. An underground population that had not been touched by koganu, kind of like the ‘hidden world’ fantasies of places where Neanderthals or dinosaurs still survived.

#TimeTravelAuthors
January 2026

1. Introduce your story (optional: start with "First..." or "At first…")
3. Saturday excerpt (optional word: deal)
5. What projects are you working on?
7. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: name)
9. Your goals for 2026
11. Time travel tropes you love
13. How realistic is your story?
15. The cost of time travel
17. Saturday excerpt (optional word: work)
19. A character's goal
21. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: count)
23. A favorite moment in your story
25. Problem/difficulty you had with time travel
27. Medical care in your story
29. What trigger warnings would you give?
31. Author's choice/promo

All time-travel authors and published works, WIPs, etc. welcome!
To join, just answer the prompts on odd days, using the hashtag #TimeTravelAuthors
On even days, post what you like!

Questions? @juliebihn@bsky.social or @juliebihn@mastodon.social

January 31, 2026 at 2:14 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 30: suggest

A footnote hit.

You have to convince people you come from an alternate history by describing our world in detail. How precise could *you* be?

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

She was nodding, and writing things down. “Now… this ‘cah-m’pu-tah-reh,’ this ‘ih-n’teh-r’neh-tah.’ Tell me about them.”

I did my best, but I had to admit I didn’t really understand how they worked. Thing is, something like Google or YouTube or Wikipedia sounds pretty unlikely on the face of it. Even someone from my world in the early 1990’s would probably have a hard time believing stories from my day.[1]

[1] I remember a quote I saw once. “The problem with Wikipedia is it only works in practice. In theory it can’t possibly work.”
They have an automatic voice-query system here that you can call by phone. It looks up, and reads from, what’s effectively a really good encyclopedia. Their libraries have neural-network catalogs that suggest good cross-references automatically. That ain’t the Internet, let me tell you.

January 30, 2026 at 12:38 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 29: What trigger warnings would you give?

Homophobia for one. Sexism, for another.

The big one is SA. I *really* wanted to avoid it, but a story about 'a major shift of power across genders' *can't* ignore that. Not #SciFi, anyway. #Fantasy can get away with more.

1/2

January 29, 2026 at 2:05 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 29: formation

Imagine there's a 'Time Eye' that can pull photons from the Early Bronze Age. Like an invisible, immaterial video camera to observe the past. How would scientists use that?

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

I arrived four months before ‘first light,’ as the astronomers say about their telescopes. I and the other anthropologists were reviewing proposals, working out which cultures we wanted to see, in which order, while clawing as much time away from the biologists and climate scientists as possible. The geologists were thirsty for precise infrared temperature measurements all the way down to Earth’s core. Even the astrophysicists wanted a shot at observing the skies–to calibrate their models of galactic rotation, stellar evolution, crater formation on the moon, that kind of stuff. (Actually, some other “big physics” proposals were complaining about a single project consuming such huge resources.)

January 29, 2026 at 2:03 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

Page 424 is coincidentally the start of a chapter. A *whole bunch of stuff* just went down, and not everybody is happy with it.

#HumpDay #WritingCommunity #writesky #booksky #SciFi

The ride was practically silent, for several sehta. Atosho, Baiyokee, Manayka, and me, with Nusuku driving. Then Baiyokee hissed, "That was disgraceful." The other Cholamans looked at each other, silent–and I wasn't sure what the fuck the social conventions were in a situation like this.

Which, if you looked at things a certain way, gave me some power. So I kicked him aside, conversationally, and tackled what was important to me, turning to Atosho. "Me believe, you say." This had to be in Lihnahchoo. Everyone on the same page.

She hesitated, then sighed, then bowed apologetically to Baiyokee. "My neemoyaro impelled me."[1] She gazed at me with a rueful expression. "My sympathies, that I could not declare this earlier."

She'd used 'Lobusay'–'(My) sympathies,' more or less–instead of 'tehkahpoi,' '(I) apologize.' And she fucking well could have said something sooner if she truly believed me. But I bit down on that, for now. The number of people who had publicly declared belief in me had doubled today. I needed to encourage such behavior. "I you thank." I backtracked. "Thee."

[1] She was saying that a positive moral imperative had required her to act.

January 29, 2026 at 1:11 AM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 28: procrastinate

This surely has some of the vibes. Jim's been fighting for his life for a couple weeks now.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

I sat back down on a chair off to one side after zaulee, the late-night treat. Before long I fell into a doze. Running on all cylinders 24/7 takes a toll.

I drifted towards consciousness out of strange half-dreams; gently, so I didn’t even open my eyes. I dozed there for a few minutes, holding off on the decision to sit up and do whatever needed doing. There was sure to be something.

“That boy is an eesihdeh”–antenna, I’d learned that word–“for picking up signals from another world!” Atosho, speaking loudly for emphasis. “No, more. He is a toowaywehdoi”–a word I didn’t know[1]–“that gives us a glimpse across millennia of possibility!”

[1] ‘Skywave.’ It refers to a phenomenon where sometimes radio signals bounce off a charged region of the atmosphere. (I assume the English word was ‘ionosphere’; it makes sense.) Anyway, if things line up just right, sometimes even a weak signal can ping-pong for thousands of kilometers and get picked up as if it were coming from next door.
Such things happened throughout history here, occasionally impacting events. Revealing covert military preparations, or allowing a warning to reach someone when it should have been impossible. 'Toowaywehdoikeh' have long been regarded as supernatural. Sometimes from good entities, revealing truth. Sometimes from evil ones, spreading lies.

January 28, 2026 at 12:27 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 27: Medical care in your story

Jim's not sure about all the reasons, but medicine in general is more advanced in the alternate timeline. Not just drugs. They have equipment that can scan antibodies and judge the health of the immune system.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi #SciFiBooks

January 27, 2026 at 12:59 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 27: storm

Jim's working with the local equivalent of anthropologists. While they were first exchanging languages, they wound up using a lot of mimes and gestures for clarity. It becomes almost a private language they share.

#ScienceFiction #SciFi #SciFiBooks

Atosho’s fiance stewed for a handful of [seconds], then hissed, “You will make a mistake. And I will make Atosho see.”

I didn’t fight my grin at the upspeak. I turned to Manayka for help. “In English, we would say, ‘I wish you good luck.’”

Manayka snorted, and threw the gesture for ‘no exact translation/alternate equivalent.’[1] He addressed Baiyokee, whose skin was flushing with anger. “I believe the closest translation would be, ‘May Goddess feed you charge.’”

Baiyokee’s fists clenched. I raised my eyebrows, pinched my lips: ‘You really want to try that?’

He stormed away, slamming the panel shut along its track. I shrugged and we spread out our meager supplies.

[1] Left hand, palm up, gripping an invisible egg. ‘Coming up empty’/‘nothing to give for that.’ Turns out Cholamans tend to wish ‘good fortune’ as a general blessing. When it’s used for encouragement, it’s intended for a difficult but worthy purpose, so saying that literally here would have sent entirely the wrong message.

January 27, 2026 at 12:58 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#ScribesAndMakers Jan 26: Tell us about a memorable live music experience.

Weird Al put on a great show last year at the local outdoor arena, and the backdrop of a passing storm in the distance didn't hurt. 😀

January 27, 2026 at 1:07 AM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 26: commit

Jim has learned (just) enough of the language to be able to tell someone that he comes from an alternate timeline. Not an everyday thing to say.

#SciFi #SciFiBooks #ScienceFiction

After the meal, they stepped away, across the atrium. But still in sight. They spoke low and fast, and I really couldn’t follow anything. Though at one point Manayka looked at me, shaking his head.

I sat and waited. I’d made my pitch. They’d either shut this down right now, or–if they were curious enough–they could entertain the possibility I was for real. I was committed, and I didn’t have any realistic hope of even guessing how they’d react.

After a while, they came back to the table. “Raijapo”–along with a quick gesture between the two of them, ‘we’–“want/request talk.” Sternly: “Much talk.” Then Atosho paused. “First, rest. Small time.”

January 26, 2026 at 12:05 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#TimeTravelAuthors 25: Problem/difficulty with #TimeTravel

I had a couple. First, whether to use it all! SECONDARY *could* have been set in the far future, and the MC get there cryogenically or something. But that would have required commenting directly on current controversies.

1/7
#SciFi

January 25, 2026 at 2:51 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

#WIPSnips 25: notice

Being *too* conspicuous can get you ignored. At least for a while.

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks

After that foray up on the walkways, I mostly stuck to ground level. If I needed to leg it, I wanted more options than ‘forward, backward, or jump over the rail.’ The crowd mostly took less notice of me.

No, that’s not quite right–there were a lot more people giving me dubious looks. The women definitely kept eyeballing me up and down. Everyone took less… concern about me, though. In the throng of pedestrians, I was ‘somebody else’s problem.’

January 25, 2026 at 1:59 PM

Ray Ingles

@ringles.bsky.social

🤣

January 24, 2026 at 9:41 PM

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