Ectogenesis

A SciFi poem

I wrote this Science Fiction poem in 2015, for a university assignment. I will be publishing a poetry book soon, and this will be in it.

Ectogenesis*


A glass ovoid at the centre of a metal web
A tube is filled, the process induced
Choices made as a backlash to fashion 
Eyes: Blue, brown, grey, green

Months later he closes the book, stares into the fire
This is not his own, the edit                                                Extraneous
It will choose its own path in good time
He hopes as he watches the flames

The ovoid opens, flowerlike 
A human falls into silver arms
Fed and washed while he is at work
Life: Dull, interesting, short, long

He reopens the book, sips his tea
Eyes scan the pages.                                                                   Error
The author is contacted
“What did you want from this? Where is this child going?”   

The omission of a gear in a machine, a word in a sentence, a presence in a crowd
Can either chance function or meaning
Buttons are pressed, paperwork is signed, a child cut free
A triangle with two sides folds in on itself

The universe implodes




*Ectogenesis – The development of an organism in an artificial environment

END

This is a really old poem. It’s been on my computer for ten years now, and I feel it fits well with ECHOES ON SILK and A GLINT OF SUNSET, two poems which are stylistically related and from the same period of my life.

What did you think of this poem?

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Behind the scenes

I am planning to get the book out eventually, but of course my aversion to becoming a lazy bastard suckling on the AI teat means I am doing all the hard stuff myself. I think that makes for a better product. I am the juicy ribeye steak looming heavy above the limp and lacklustre mcdonalds mcsomethingorother. Also I am levitating and firing lasers out at my enemies. Imagine that, giant spaceship steak. Delicious. Also it’s a vegan steak if you want it to be. That’s cool. Mushroom steak. Even cooler.

Anyway, I am still figuring out the kinks (not those kinds) with the distribution to physical bookstores. Once I’ve resolved that, I’ll feel more confident about bringing the poetry out, as I feel it would really benefit from being outside so I can dress all pretentious and book reading events. These are much easier to get approved for if you’re in stock at the venue.

I have merged two older, smaller poetry books (Branch Density and False Vacuum) into one volume, and added some newer poems also. The full book looks like it will be finished -before- WHO KILLED THE HUMANS? but it might not come out before. I really want to get WKTH out before 2026, so I am focusing heavily on the editing now. We’re at 87,000 words, and I want to cut back a bit (not least to fit it into conventional story collection lengths, but so only the best bits remain).

I am also working on another short story collection… but more about that some other time.

The reason I am writing multiple books simultaneously, of course, is that that’s just the sort of person I am. I’ve also been designing Lego bookends, statues, making Minecraft content, and writing that 90-minute Sci-Fi comedy show, which people told me they felt they should have paid for.

What a compliment!

So working on multiple things makes my work better. I don’t feel like I have to justify my process to you of course, you’re smart and you get me, but sometimes these newsletters escape my target audience and I’ve noticed in the outside world people can sometimes be confused when they hear I am working on multiple books at a time. So this is why. They all inform each other and become richer as a result of their simultaneous creation.

Anyway, polls aren’t working right now, so if you want to suggest a genre for my next post (comedy, poetry, scifi, WKTH excerpt or something else) do so by commenting! I’ve got loads in the drafts.

And before I go, signed copies of WHO BUILT THE HUMANS? are now available on eBay. Shipping worldwide. I don’t see the shipping money, all goes to eBay.

https://linktr.ee/Phillipcarter