David Sheley

Photographer, VoiceOver Artist, Writer

[davidsheley]

Cyberpunk: Man versus the Machine

Explore the world of Cyberpunk, a genre that pits man against machine in a dystopian future. From classic examples like Blade Runner to mode

Explore the world of Cyberpunk, a genre that pits man against machine in a dystopian future. From classic examples like Blade Runner to modern hits like Cyberpunk 2077, discover the key characteristics, aesthetics, and themes of this gritty sub-genre of science fiction. Dive into the impact and influence of Cyberpunk on literature, film, video games, and fashion, and share your thoughts on your favorite Cyberpunk books, movies, and games. Join the conversation and delve into the dark, neon-lit world of Cyberpunk.

[davidsheley]

Nuts and Bolts: An Introduction to the Steampunk Genre

Discover the world of Steampunk in this in-depth article that delves into the origins, key characteristics, visual elements, themes, and inf

I currently have two publications on Substack. The Artifact is my collection of science fiction stories (with original narration). The Airship is a collection of nonfiction thoughts, essays, and articles about all the things that I'm interested in learning about. Today, I'm launching a series of articles for The Airship that are designed to help me learn more about "punk" genres in literature. I figured Steampunk was as good a place as any to start.

[davidsheley]

That's Just Cold

When Ice Pirates and Betrayal are just another Tuesday

I just wrote this story about ice pirates. It sounds like it should be funny, right?! Maybe next time.

[davidsheley]

David, Where Are You?

You know me, I'm always trying new things. Except for food. I always get the cheeseburger. Take a look inside this post to see what I've been up to for the past few weeks, and to learn about an exciting new project I'm working on called The Artifact.

Busy, Busy, Busy! The sound of crickets can be calming in some circumstances, but in others, it’s a sign of uncomfortable silence. I suppose in the case of this blog, the sound of crickets may have left you wondering, are we going to get anything new here? Short answer: “Yes.” Long answer: Life has been happening lately. My wife recently had surgery and then promptly got sick. One of my sons…

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I just published the first part of a short story on The Artifact, a collection of short stories, written by yours truly. Follow the link in my bio to read part one.

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David Narrates Books

Selections from Chapters 4 and 5 of Dance of the Nutcracker by Paul Thompson and Crazy Faith by Michael Todd Things are really starting to heat up in Dance of the Nutcracker! In Chapter Four, Fritz plans his escape from prison, and in Chapter Five, he has an unpleasant encounter with the Malregent, the tyrannical ruler of Delysia. Then, we go in a little bit of a different direction as I…

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[davidsheley]

Let me ask you a question.

On the topic of Substack publication names...

[davidsheley]

Freedom, But At What Cost?

So, getting this ready by Saturday morning at 7:00 hasn't worked out too well, but better late than never!

In Chapter Three of Paul Thompson’s Dance of the Nutcracker, Fritz experiences the slow passage of time as he works on a building site with other prisoners. One day, General Bazra arrives, and the soldiers guarding the site take Anthony away to be a gladiator. Fritz is left with a feeling of dread and promises to tell Anthony’s family what happened to him. Then, we take a little detour over to…

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[davidsheley]

Time to PIVOT again. It's been six months since I last made a big change to my blog. Last time, I let you know that fellowbibliomaniacs.com would become davidsheley.com, a personal blog, and website hosted on WordPress.

WordPress is a great tool, but for someone like me who writes as a hobby, paying $50-$100 per year for a site like this isn't very cost-effective. With that said, I'm going to be focusing my efforts on davidsheley.substack.com.

My SubStack will contain all of the archives from davidsheley.com, and I will continue to post similar articles there. You'll be able to enjoy my writings, photos, audio, and video ramblings ad-free. That's one of the really cool things about SubStack - there are no ads. It's a place to read great writing from newbies like me to professional authors and journalists.

I'm excited to announce a new project that I'm working on called The Artifact. This will be a collection of short stories. Most will be science fiction, and at least initially, they will all be written by me. Eventually, I hope to invite other talented authors to join me.

Sounds interesting, right?

Come subscribe to my newsletter on davidsheley.substack.com to see where I end up with all of this.

At the time of this message, The Artifact is but a mere placeholder. Subscribe to theartifact.substack.com to receive a notification when the first story becomes available. I really hope to see you there!

I should mention that I'm going to be removing all other social media from my phone. My goal is to focus. I want to create something worth your time, which will be hard to do if I allow myself to be continually distracted by the myriad of social media available at my fingertips. I'm not closing any of my accounts - I just won't be looking at them from my phone. I'll check in from my desktop computer from time to time - probably to remind you about what I'm doing on Substack.

David Sheley

[davidsheley]

Riding a bicycle

Daily Prompt: (from a few days ago...) What's the most fun way to exercise?

What’s the most fun way to exercise? My absolute favorite way to exercise is to ride a bicycle. I’ve had times in my life when I’ve been very diligent at it and other times where I only wish I were riding. Now is one of those times. Ever since we moved from Illinois to Oklahoma, I have struggled to make riding a regular part of my life. Unfortunately, the area we live in doesn’t have sidewalks,…

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Keeping Track of all these Voices is Hard!

I may be running a bit behind, but I finally have Episode 3 ready for you!

A day late and a dollar short. I kept trying to work on finishing this video, but life kept getting in the way. I did, however, get my seedlings planted, three chapters of DOTN** recorded, and my dishwasher repaired, so I’ll count this weekend as a victory. Here is Episode Three of David Narrates Books, in which I read a section of Chapter Two, whine a little bit about difficult character voices…

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Home Photoshoot

You don’t have to go anywhere special to take great photos. Here are a couple photos that we took right outside our front door!

The kids and I did a photoshoot the other day outside the front door of our house. It was early afternoon, so the sun was high and the light was harsh. The entryway to our home provides some shade, so we decided to try to take the photos there. Still, the reflections of the sun from the ground and the brick wall of the house, made it almost impossible to keep eyes open longer than a brief…

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[davidsheley]

Why do I have so much spit?!

Ready for another podcast episode? You are?! I knew I was posting this at the perfect time!

Join me in my recording studio again as I work on narrating the next chapter of Drosselmeyer’s story. In Chapter One of Paul Thompson’s Dance of the Nutcracker, Fritz finds himself in another world. Is he in the Watcher’s Realm, or is this somewhere else? Will he find new friends here or new enemies? Episode Two Episode Two: Chapter One Prefer Audio? This podcast is currently available on…

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A Podcast, You Say?

It's time to hit record on another audiobook! Follow along as I read Dance of the Nutcracker by Paul Thompson.

I’ve just started narrating book three in, you guessed it, The Nutcracker Trilogy. This time, I’m taking you along for a ride. Each time, I record, I’m going to record a few minutes of the process – giving you the behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the audiobook. Check out the first episode below. Want to tag along on this journey? Be sure to subscribe to my blog via email so you can be…

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[davidsheley]

Don't Be a Caroline!

I decided to read this book for myself after listening to the Team Friendship podcast in which they discuss this story. Let's be honest, this is not a good book. It's a storyline that probably too many people will relate to, and that's sad.

Do you mean “Karen?” No, I mean a “Caroline.” Keep reading, I think you’ll see what I mean. If not, let me know in the comments. Jacob Have I Loved Jacob Have I Loved By Katherine Peterson ⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5. Synopsis Sara Louis Bradshaw was always the stronger one when compared with her twin sister Caroline. Sure, being strong can have its advantages, but in Sara’s case, it was her…

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How Fast Can This Thing Go?

Do you have a need for speed? Check out Anthony Hopkins in The World's Fastest Indian.

The World’s Fastest Indian (2005) Directed by: Roger Donaldson Starring: Anthony Hopkins ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. The World’s Fastest Indian is based on the true story of Burt Munro, a man from New Zealand who dreamed of taking his motorcycle to the Bonneville Salt Flats. With his health failing, Burt decides he can’t wait any longer. He saves the money needed to transport his motorcycle to…

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[davidsheley]

Hey, Cool! Thank you for liking what I’ve shared here!

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