From Fantasy to Science-Fiction: 

How my fantasy story became a science-fiction series. 

By Ron Blacksmith 

In 2017 I began working at a foundry in Cleveland, Ohio. I had worked in steel manufacturing of several types all my life. This was aluminum. And for those who do not know; aluminum is just as heavy. Large, molded parts that are cast, cooled, and cleaned. That and I wasn’t getting any younger. The effects of arthritis were already causing me more pain than I was able to handle. 

During my working day I had plenty of time to think. Mostly about books that I thought I might write someday. Each employee worked alone. It was hot, physical, and tedious work. It was also very loud. Having to wear all the safety gear and ear plugs helped my focus on the work and my thoughts.  

As time went by, one of my co-workers, Michael Millspaugh, approached me asking if I had ever played Dungeons & Dragons. I had. Over 40 years ago. A fun game if you had plenty of time to invest.  

Mike played with a small group once a week and wanted me to join. I sighed to myself. There was no way that I was getting wrapped up in this. Besides work and family obligations at the time, I wasn’t that interested anymore. I told him that I would think about it. 

The next day during break he asked if I had thought about it. I groaned inside my head. I told him that I did, and the answer was ‘no.’ 

And then he asked me what if I was the Dungeon Master? I laughed. The Dungeon Master was the key to playing the game. They created the maps and the story, each scenario. But then something clicked in my head, and I told him that I would consider it. 

Later, after break and back to work, I started thinking that I could write the outline of a story. That outline would be the structure I could use for the gameplay. I would record the game and later, write down what the players did, using the game itself to write a fantasy book!  

Once I got home, I started to flesh out the idea. I began by drawing a very rough sketch of a continent where the game would take place. I divided it up into regions that were held by humans, elves, dwarves, orcs. I included an area near the center called the ‘Freelands’ where a mix of the races lived.

I began working on names of characters and how the races interacted. I created a humanoid-cat that would play a key role in the story having witnessed the murder of a royal family member. 

Over time, the story grew; but it also slowed down. Work was killing me. The pain in my back and shoulders was driving me crazy. My doctor at the time offered pain medication and therapy to help me try and work for a few more years doing the same thing.  

It was only going to get worse. I was crippling myself. 

Returning home on a Friday after work in 2023, I spoke to my mother and sister about it. They both told me that I could not or should not go back. I did, on Monday. I spoke to HR. I cleaned out my locker. I said no good-byes to those I worked with in my department, not wanting to cause a scene. I left telling myself that wouldn’t do another job like this again. 

That was the end of June 2023. It was weird. I was still waking up early but going nowhere. I would get a text or two from one of the guys at work asking me how I was doing. I was doing great! The stress and ache were subsiding. And I had time.  

I went back to the story I had started for the Dungeons & Dragons game. I stopped and just looked at it. I had a map opened showing the names of cities, towns, and villages. A list of names for characters and who they were. And the more that I thought about it the more I thought of how much I loved science-fiction, and that I should be authoring a sci-fi novel just as I had always wanted to do! 

But which story? I had plenty that I had written notes about over the years. And I still had the fantasy notes opened in front of me. What if I took these characters and put them into a futuristic science-fiction story? If I used fantasy characters as sci-fi characters, giving them actual roles in the universe? I could turn my map of the continent into a map where the names of cities became planets, moons, or space stations. 

And that’s what I did. The continent of Boricia became the Realm of Planets. The group of adventurers from the fantasy story and game I was working on became the Rangers. 

I grew up a fan of the TV series Lost in Space and the movie Forbidden Planet. Each had a robot, and I was determined that my story would as well. Mine was HRV-13 or, Harvey. He was named after the 1950 movie rabbit, Harvey, staring James Stewart. Harvey was an invisible rabbit that stood six feet tall. My robot stood twelve feet. 

The fantasy world cat became Kat, the human-cat female created by project Chimera. She would aid the Rangers in my story. And, while people will find similarities with my stories to Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, Lord of the Rings and others, I try to keep my universe in its own box and adhering to its own laws. The writings of great authors, amazing television shows and movies molded me into what I am. Their influence cannot be helped. 

As for my stories, there are more to come. There are plenty of ideas in my head.

(The above reviews will not be found as the current versions of the books have been updated in order to keep the series in a more uniform condition)