
Colossus. If you’re a surfer the name will terrify you. Although it is a fictional surf break on a fictional planet in my book Songs of Thalassa, the giant of all monster breaks. The largest wave in the galaxy. Cortes Bank and Nazaré all in one.
The orange-red sun glows in the crimson fog. Ash rains down, the smell of smoke on the air. The streets are sparse, only a few walking cautiously with black face masks, looking sinister. The setting for a futuristic dystopian scientific fiction novel? Unfortunately no, it’s now.The future of our nightmares is with us. Armageddon? Not yet, this is the beginning
We perceive the world through five senses– sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. That is our universe. But maybe it’s more than that. Snakes see heat, dogs smell fear, elephants hear clouds and manatees feel tides. Since perceptions create our world, perhaps there’s another universe we don’t see because we can’t. Enter the world of plants.
When I first saw the giant waves in the latest Star Wars movie, Rise of Skywalker, it took my breath away. Massive, huge and slow-moving they appeared as menacing grey-green monsters creating a terrifying barrier to the ruins of the second Death Star and the key to Rey’s search for Emperor Palpatine. Real or fantasy? How big were those waves? Could a small moon of the planet Endor create such surf? Let’s check it out.
PIPELINE. Just the name shoots fear through my heart. Insanely hollow tubes breaking over a shallow coral reef. The steep drop, crazy speed, and all the while the fear of the dark reef gliding below, always reminding you of what happens if you fail. Conquering that fear is the ultimate challenge. And for many years it prevented anyone from riding it. It still does today.
Waves of Change. In a future where sporting competitions take place on distant planets, a Hawaiian surfer seeks to reclaim her fame and followers while defeating her nemesis once and for all. But once she hears the songs of the Thalassa, she’ll discover that winning might not be the most important thing.