How I became a LEGO Sci-Fi designer.

My new way to tell stories.

If you’ve been here for long enough to read three or more of my posts, you will probably have figured out that I am one of those difficult multifaceted writer types who confuse algorithms.

Smart people like you enjoy it, which is why you’re here.

At once I can be a serious science fiction author, a stand-up comedian, a poet, and a game designer. Outside the diversity of my writing I have also started a new career as a Streamer, and at the time of writing have at least 163 Minecraft clips to upload to my dedicated Minecraft Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. To top it all off, I -never- use AI to help (or really, hinder) me with this, I do it all myself, including the book cover design, video editing, marketing.

If it sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is.

I have comedy and book friends who’ve advised me to cut one or two things down, but I cannot. For in my head it is all branches to the same tree. That tree being, storytelling.

And now I have a new method of storytelling.

I have been building.

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Do you remember playing with Lego?

I still do it. Here’s something I made, the Trader’s Wagon Encounter.

LEGO Trader’s Wagon Encounter

I don’t write much FANTASY, but I do build it. What you’re looking at here is my new LEGO set. It comes with five figures, a tent, a stables, four horses, a bat, an owl, a pigeon, a fish, and of course the trader’s wagon itself. It is absolutely crammed with fun features, sort of like my books.

The wagon opens up to reveal a precious array of treasures from various adventures. There are loads of other features, and I will link the project below.

And, because it’s me, the carriage that carries the wagon is packed with features.

• Working suspension using rubber parts

• Two side-mounted chests for extra storage

• Wagon can detach and become its own building

• Carriage is detailed with diagonal parts, emulating age

• Lift up the boards to reveal a secret treasure

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“But that’s not Sci-Fi!” you say.

Quite right. It isn’t. This next thing is.

You might be here for SCI-FI specifically. If so, I’ve got something for you, too.

LEGO Space Train

Say hello to the SPACE TRAIN. Three carriages long, and packed with features of its own, this formidable moon machine is designed to fit with both existing Lego City train layouts (fitting under tunnels, etc) and to feel at home in sprawling Sci-Fi layouts also.

The SPACE TRAIN is inspired by Lego’s classic 1980s space theme, and features brick-built classic space logo, working volcano (which erupts as the train drives past it) and a robotic arm to pick up space rocks.

You can vote for this (for free) and turn it into a real Lego set, right now.

I was on channel 4’s LEGO MASTERS in 2017, owing to some spaceships and robots I designed. LEGO is part of my creative DNA.

Hello, Phillip from the future here. I am now thanking you for your (free) support in voting for these projects. Because of your votes, I fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming a Lego designer, and this unlocked so many new opportunities for creating cool things for you all.

Voting closed on FEB 18TH 2026, but luckily, you all saw this and were able to vote on time!

You can vote for both of these projects, and you can check out other projects by other people too. I have a lot more on the way when it comes to Lego, and a lot more coming here to Substack also.

The spaceships flying around me in this author photo are actually built with Lego. They are the Intersect Ships from Who Built The Humans? / Earthloop.

It all connects.