Sylvia Spruck Wrigley

About Sylvia

Sylvia
Sylvia
Sylvia Spruck Wrigley was born in Germany on the 7th of March 1968. She spent most of her childhood in Los Angeles but escaped at the end of the 1980s. After a few years of drifting, she moved to England where her accent was irretrievably damaged. She somehow ended up in Estonia with no good explanation. You can contact her by email at [email protected].

Newsletter

I'm 55 years old and five foot tall and my knee aches when it rains. I write about embarrassment and passion and anger. I write about conflict. Sometimes that conflict is not wanting to overpay for garlic, other times it's trying to enter a foreign country without any paperwork.

Social media

Press Kit

News

Transitions (Tartu Prima Vista)

6 May 2024

I am in Tartu! I'm attending Transitions, the 2024 annual conference of the Science Fiction Research Association. Tartu is also hosting Futures Better and Worse as a part of the Tartu Internationa Literary Festival, so it promises to be an action-packed week.

My presentation will be on Friday, the 10th of May at 15:30.

Navigating the Final Frontier: The Journey into Old Age in 'Star Trek: Picard'

This paper explores themes of leadership, legacy, and the human aging process in 'Star Trek: Picard'. Traditionally, Star Trek has suffered from persistent ageist tropes, most blatantly celebrating old age in alien races while depicting human elders as frail, emotionally unstable and unfit for leadership. 'Star Trek: Picard' explores human old age through the character of Jean-Luc Picard, who is forced to confront the challenges of aging: loss, regret and the need for reinvention. As he reunites with the crew of 'The Next Generation', the series has the opportunity to explore many facets of old age and aging across a range of personalities. This analysis focuses on the first series and whether 'Star Trek: Picard' promises a a more nuanced view of old age or reinforces those very stereotypes that have dogged the Star Trek universe from the beginning. The author seeks seeks to contribute a deeper understanding of how popular science fiction influences and reflects societal attitudes towards aging. 'Star Trek: Picard' may not have broken the barriers of ageist stereotypes, but the first series undeniably sets a course for new discussions.

If you are in Tartu this week for either of the events, please let me know; it'd be great to say hello!


Exploring AI, Ethics and Snarky Conversation

18 January 2024

I'm pleased that I will be presenting on the subjectof Murderbot and AI at Estcon 2024. The conference is taking place in July at Udu Talu and I will post full details under events.

This is a fun presentation and I'm pleased for the opportunity to revisit it.


Navigating the Final Frontier at SFRA 2024 Transitions

21 December 2023

I am pleased that my proposal was accepted for Transitions, the SFRA 2024 annual meeting. I will be presenting my paper on The Journey into Old Age in 'Star Trek: Picard.

The conference takes place in Tartu in May and I'm very happy that I'll be attending in person. For more information on the conference, please see their website: SFRA 2024 | Transitions.


SFRA/GfF: Disruptive Imaginations

13 November 2023

I'm very pleased that my report on Disruptive Imaginations, the joint annual conference of the Science Fiction Research Association & the Gesellschaft für Fantastikforschung Joint Annual Conference was published in the November issue of Locus magazine.

Report on the Disruptive Imaginations Conference

There remains a story I didn't tell, about going hiking in a nightgown, but that will have to wait for another day.


Heading to Switzerland

22 September 2023

I’m going to be attending the AXALP ’23 Air Force display next month! This is a flight display and live-firing exercise run by the Swiss Air Force every year. The spectator areas are 2,200 metres amsl (7,200 feet) and although there’s a shuttle taking me from Briez to Axalp, I’ll be hiking the final 708 metres (2,320 feet). I cannot tell you how excited I am about this.

If you are interested in more detail, please read my newsletter post about it here: Wheels Up for Raclette


6 May 2024

Transitions (Tartu Prima Vista)

18 January 2024

Exploring AI, Ethics and Snarky Conversation

21 December 2023

Navigating the Final Frontier at SFRA 2024 Transitions

13 November 2023

SFRA/GfF: Disruptive Imaginations

22 September 2023

Heading to Switzerland

Sylvia's Books

Pilot Error

Without a Trace 1970-2017

Without a Trace 1881-1968

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2003

Domnall and the Borrowed Child

The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2002

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2001

You Fly Like a Woman

Pilot Error

Pilot Error

Buckle up for an exhilarating ride through the world of aviation mishaps in Pilot Error! Aviation expert Sylvia Wrigley provides an eye-opening exposé of mistakes made in the cockpit, ranging from comical blunders to catastrophic consequences.

Read more…

Without a Trace 1970-2017

Without a Trace 1970-2017

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 in 2014 is considered the greatest aviation mystery of our time but it does not stand alone. How could a military pilot chasing a glowing unidentified object disappear from radar in an instant? How did India's military misplace five fighter jets? Did a young Australian pilot flying over the Australian coast really get abducted by aliens? These questions and more are explored in Volume 2 of Without a Trace.

Read more…

Without a Trace 1881-1968

Without a Trace 1881-1968

For many, aviation still brings with it an air of mystery, a century-long magic trick. Though most of us will board an aircraft at some point in our lives, we know little about how they work and the procedures surrounding their operation. It is that mystery that makes these losses, such as the vanishing of Malaysia Airlines flight 370, so terrifying.

Read more…

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2003

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2003

Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2003 follows eleven aircraft disasters from 2003, detailing how the accidents happened and how they might have been avoided. This "CSI for aviation enthusiasts" series examines both the history and the current climate of aviation to unravel the instigating events which led to these catastrophes.

Read more…

Domnall and the Borrowed Child

Domnall and the Borrowed Child

The best and bravest faeries fell in the war against the Sluagh, and now the Council is packed with idiots and cowards. Domnall is old, aching and as cranky as they come but, as much as he'd like to retire, he's the best scout the Sithein court has left.

Read more…

The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

In this age of constant surveillance, it shouldn't be possible to lose a Boeing 777 carrying 239 passengers. It's inconceivable that the aircraft flew for seven hours without anyone noticing that it was up there, completely off track. Yet, that's exactly what happened.

Read more…

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2002

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2002

The second book in the Why Planes Crash series covers incidents and accidents in 2002, including two in-flight suicides, the Sknyliv airshow disaster, how to write off a Saab 2000, an aircraft collision over the runway, a dramatic river landing, Air China 129’s flight into a Korean mountain, and finally, an in-depth view of the Überlingen mid-air collision.

Read more…

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2001

Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2001

This, the first of the series, deconstructs eleven of the most interesting incidents that the world saw in the year 2001. These include a detailed analysis of the disastrous runway incursion at Linate, the passenger interference leading to the Avjet Aspen Crash and why an Airbus A300 disintegrated over Queens.

Read more…

You Fly Like a Woman

You Fly Like a Woman

Getting a pilot's licence was the furthest thing from her mind – until an ex-RAF instructor suggested that she wasn't competent to do so. The thing is, he could be right. Sylvia has just a few weeks to prove that she can fly as well as any man.

Read more…

Events

Mar 2024

Old School Hrísey Residency

May 2024

Transitions (SFRA annual conference)

Jul 2024

Estcon 2024

1 to 31 March 2024

Old School Hrísey Residency

Hrísey, Iceland

Writer in Residence


7 to 11 May 2024

Transitions (SFRA annual conference)

Tartu, Estonia

10 May 15:30-17:00

Presenter
Navigating the Final Frontier: The Journey into Old Age in 'Star Trek: Picard'

Lossi 3-326


19 to 21 July 2024

Estcon 2024

Udu Farm, Jõgevamaa, Estonia

Presenter
Exploring AI, Ethics and Snarky Conversation



17 to 19 October 2023

AXALP '23 Flugvorführungen der Schweizer Luftwaffe

Axalp, Switzerland

Attendee


15 to 19 August 2023

Disruptive Imaginations Joint Annual Conference

Dresden, Germany

15 August 18:00-19:30

Chair: "Future Work"

ABS/114


17 August 09:30-11:00

Presenter
Murderbot: Exploring AI, Ethics, and Snarky Conversations

ABS/114


17 August 11:15-12:45

Chair: "Human-Machine Disruptions"

ABS/214


18 August 13:45-15:15

Roundtable discussion: "Disruptors to full!"

Main auditorium


21 to 23 July 2023

Estcon 2023

Udu Farm, Jõgevamaa, Estonia

monthly 2022-2023

Tell Me A Story

Heldeke! Tallinn, Estonia

Storyteller


5 February 2023

Narrative, Creative, Lyrical Flash

Rambo Academy for Wayword Writers

5 February 2023 9:30-11:30 Pacific

Instructor


7 to 8 January 2023

Coffee and Cigarettes Improv Comedy

Tallinn, Estonia

11 to 13 December 2021

Iceswim festival

Noblessner Harbour, Tallinn, Estonia

11 December 2021 17:10 (UTC+2)

Swimmer: Men vs. Women relay race


12 December 2021

Swimmer: 25 metre breast stroke


3 December 2021

Tell Me A Story

Heldeke! Tallinn, Estonia

3 December 2021 19:00 to 21:00 (UTC+2)

Storyteller


16 to 18 July 2021

Estcon 2021

Udu Farm, Jõgevamaa, Estonia

22 to 24 June 2021

Gender and Age/Aging in Popular Culture

University of Graz, Austria (virtual)

24 June 2021 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+2)

Presenter: Old Age and Aging as Represented in Star Trek


2 to 4 October 2020

Futuricon (EuroCon 2020)

Rijeka, Croatia (virtual)

3 October 2020 13:20 - 13:55 (UTC+2)

Presenter: To Oldly Go


17 to 19 July 2020

Estcon 2020

Udu Farm, Jõgevamaa, Estonia

18 August 2020

Presenter: To Oldly Go


22 to 25 August 2019

TitanCon (EuroCon 2019)

Belfast, UK

24 August 2019 10:50 - 11:30

Presenter: Throw Grandma out the Airlock

Lagan A, Hilton Belfast


23 August 2019 16:00 - 17:00

Moderator: Game of Thrones series retrospective


15 to 19 August 2019

Worldcon 77

Dublin, Ireland

15 August 2019 13:30 - 14:20

Presenter: Pushing Grandma out the Airlock

Odeon 5 (Point Square, Dublin)


17 August 2019 12:00 - 12:50

Moderator: Invisible Work: Mothers and Caretakers in SFF

Wicklow Hall 1 (CCD)


19 August 2019 10:00 - 10:50

Panellist: Anniversary: Alcock and Brown

ECOCEM Room (CCD)


19 August 2019 13:00 - 13:50

Autographing

Level 4 Foyer (CCD)


19 to 21 July 2019

Estcon 2019

Udu Farm, Jõgevamaa, Estonia

21 July 2019 13:00 - 14:00

Presenter:
Vanaemad ulmes (Grandmothers in SF)


5 to 7 July 2019

Finncon

Jyväskylä, Finland

6 July 2019 15:00 - 16:00

Presenter:
Gender, race, and humanity in speculative fiction
Old Women in Science Fiction


6 to 8 December 2018

Worlding SF

University of Graz, Austria

6 December 15:30 - 17:00

Chair:
B4: Sex and Gender


8 December 16:00 - 17:30

Presenter:
G3: Age and Aging
Throw Grandma out the Airlock
The Representation of Old Women in Science Fiction


13 to 15 July 2018

Estcon 2018

Udu Farm, Jõgevamaa, Estonia

Guest of Honour


9 to 13 August 2017

Worldcon 75

Helsinki, Finland

9 August 16:00

Book Signing

Signing Area


10 August 15:00

Moderator: Motivation Methods

Room 206


10 August 19:00

Flash Fiction Online

Room 206


12 August 17:00

Moderator: Building You Own Writing Retreat

Room 215


14 to 18 August 2014

Worldcon 72

London, UK

16 August 16:30

Moderator: From Indie to AAA

Capital Suite 16


17 August 11:00

Lizard Wizards in Space

Capital Suite 1


6 to 9 April 2012

Eastercon

Heathrow, UK

9 April 17:00 - 18:00

Social Media in SF

Royal A+C



Other Publications

Essays

Short stories

Translations

Short Stories
Cyberjunk
Nature magazine – August 2023
In response to your request for a modification to the atmosphere of break bulk cargo hold 17
Nature magazine – November 2022
Hoist by her own Picard
Nature magazine – April 2021
The Choices You Make
If This Goes On – October 2018
Two lists discovered folded in the wallet of space explorer Jorge Finnegan after the Reliant wreckage was recovered from Tau Ceti e
Daily Science Fiction – February 2017
To Catch a Comet
Galaxy's Edge – March 2016
Ten Surefire Steps to Romance for the Workaholic Commuter Who Doesn't Make Time for His Social Life
Daily Science Fiction – February 2016
Project Daffodil
Nature magazine – January 2016
The Sex Adventurer’s Handbook to Kuiper Belt Resorts
Expanded Horizons – November 2015
A Foregone Conclusion (with Connor Wrigley)
Jetpack
Daily Science Fiction – March 2015
Tea for Two
SF Comet – November 2014
Alienated
Nature magazine – October 2014
There and Back Again
Daily Science Fiction – September 2014
Space Travel Loses its Allure When You’ve Lost Your Moon Cup
Crossed Genres – July 2014
A Long Way from Home
Nature Futures – July 2014
You Only Live Once
Postmark Andromeda
When the Selkie Comes
Daily Science Fiction – September 2013
Going All the Way
Every Day Fiction – June 2013
Alive, Alive Oh
Lightspeed – June 2013
Vintage Millennial Cookery InfoManual by the Geusian Ladies Society
Crossed Genres – May 2013
The Front Line
Nature Futures – May 2013
When You Come Back Again
Kazka Press – February 2013
A Mother's Love
Crimson Fog – February 2013
Old Flames
Daily Science Fiction – November 2012
Looking for a Knight in Shining Armor
Daily Science Fiction – November 2011
Excerpts from the Geusian Ladies Society Food InfoManual
Foreign Flavours – October 2011
Plague of Locusts
Call It Even
Long and Short Reviews – July 2010
Steven's Dragon
Time Goes By – January 2009
Meat Market
Boston Literary Magazine – December 2008
Darren is Updating his Facebook Status
Every Day Fiction – October 2008
The Banshee
Every Day Fiction – September 2008
Just a Few Miles from Galway
MicroHorror – January 2008
Café Crème
Lily – December 2004
Translations
Catalan
The Front Line
Catarsi – November 2014
Chinese
Tea for Two
SF Comet – November 2014
Croatian
The Front Line
Parsek – May 2015
La Paella
Eridan – May 2015
Dutch
The Front Line
Wonderwaan – October 2014
Estonian
French
Galician
Polish
The Front Line
Szortal – September 2015
A Letter From Your Mother
Szortal – September 2015
Portugese
Romanian
Alive, Alive Oh
Fantastica – Summer 2014
The Front Line
Fantastica – September 2013
Russian
Spanish