July 23, 2026

Imagine this scenario. You're on your way to a meeting with some movie money people you're not looking forward to. They want the "fresh idea" you've been teasing them about for weeks, but now that the day has arrived, you've got nothing. So now you're in an elevator in a sleek, high-rise building housing the offices of many of Hollywood's biggest shots. You are ascending in near perfect silence at an ear-popping speed when, 20 stories short of your destination, the elevator glides to a gentle stop. The doors sigh open, and in steps a slightly seedy-looking gent who appears to be a little lost and probably doesn't belong here. He doesn't hit any button at all, and the elevator doors sigh shut and off you go.

Because you're not a barbarian, you politely ask, "Floor?" in a slightly chilly tone.

Instead of pushing a button or speaking a number out loud, he turns to you and says, slowly and clearly, "A great white bites a UFO aircraft in the Pacific and turns into a robo/shark hybrid."

And there it is. The "fresh idea". You could kiss him. Instead, because you're not a freebooting swine, you empty your wallet at his feet and beg him to co-pro this genius idea with you in the meeting you're now sure is going to go your way, because this mysterious elevator hobo has just handed you the plot to "Roboshark", which will go on to be filmed in Bulgaria and produced by Syfy television on a micro-budget, estimated at under $2 million. And which hit TV screens everywhere on this date in 2015.

First Draft: Dunkin’ MATGAts.

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Attention space nerds! NASA's Roman Space Telescope could reveal black holes ripping up stars. It's set to launch Aug. 30.

Round Up by driftglass of the Professional Left Podcast and Science Fiction University

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