Hey there, fellow sci-fi and speculative fiction fans!

As I hunker down to finish up my latest book—set to hit shelves this summer (more on that soon!)—I’ve been diving into research for my next project. That’s the best part of writing, isn’t it? The rabbit holes you fall into along the way, each one brimming with ideas you never expected to find. This time, my research led me somewhere particularly intriguing: the possibility of advanced ancient civilizations—cultures that may have flourished before recorded history, only to be wiped out by time, catastrophe, or rising sea levels.

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Now, before we cue the dramatic theme music and start speculating about Atlantis or alien architects, let’s be clear—I’m not saying ancient humans had Wi-Fi and smart cities. But I am saying history has a habit of surprising us. From Göbekli Tepe—a temple complex thousands of years older than Stonehenge—to the ever-shifting theories on how and when humans first reached the Americas, we’ve seen time and again that our past is far more complex than we once thought.

That’s what makes this topic so ripe for storytelling. What if an advanced culture thrived before the Ice Age, only to be erased when sea levels rose? What knowledge might they have left behind, hidden under layers of rock, ice, or even in myths we’ve dismissed as legend?

It’s the kind of big “what if” that fuels great sci-fi. And whether or not history ever finds proof, it’s a concept that deserves exploration. So, in my latest article, I break down the facts, the theories, and how writers like us can turn these ideas into compelling stories. Check it out, and let me know—do you think we were the first? Or did someone beat us to it, only to be lost in the sands of time?

Let’s dig in. (Metaphorically. Unless you have a trowel handy.)

About Leif J. Erickson

Leif J. Erickson is a science fiction and fantasy author from a small farming community in west central Minnesota. Using his time wisely when he was a farmer, Leif developed many ideas, characters, and storylines to create over fifty unique first drafts and outlines for stories. From his start in a small town school, to college at North Dakota State University, back to his family farm, then to the bright lights of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and back to his small farming town, Leif has always had a love of writing.

When Leif isn’t writing he can be found with his wife hiking in state parks, canoeing local lakes and rivers, exploring local and regional ghost towns, experiencing museums, or simply reading or hanging out with friends and family. Leif draws on the local nature and ecology to find inspiration for his writing while he also asks what’s possible for technology and the human race, weaving them together for amazing stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. Leif looks forward to having many novel and story releases in the years to come.

You can see all of Leif’s Books here: Leif’s Amazon Author Page