The title of the project came 5 years ago from a then 5 year old Lightning King.

 "The Dark Is A Cold Lonely Shadow". Such profound words from someone so young, so I wrote them down. Then came the announcement with such conviction: "When I grow up I want to work for Mojang".

Reading held no interest, but Minecraft most definitely did. To try inspire him to read I gave him two Minecraft books for Xmas. At night I would read a section, and he was enthralled, but then I would refuse to read the next, instead offering to help him read it. 

We would alternate reading sections, and this rotation worked better than I could have imagined. His thirst to read didn't just spark, it burst into flames. He now devours books faster than I did at his age, and I read a lot!

His imagination and stories were constant, and this sparked an idea based on that success. All of these great stories, ideas and characters - and so many forgotten! How can we combine these and use it as a teaching mechanism?

I suggested we linked them all together into a single project, and his excitement was infectious. From that point no ideas were wasted, and almost everything was thought of as part of that wider project. That character or idea he had, I asked how does that person interact with the wider story? Draw it, write it, code it, create it in Minecraft. 

Where do they live, and how does it look? Let's build it in Minecraft. The results were beyond anything I could imagine.

And "The Dark Is A Cold Lonely Shadow" was born...

First Picture: Respites Calm was the first scene written for the The Dark Is A Cold Lonely Shadow (which is now introduced in Book 2). It was the first location built in Minecraft and the home of the first character created - Logan. It was the spark that started everything...

Second Picture: Logan searching for [SPOILERS REMOVED]

[WIP Bullet Points]

Combining children's imagination with learning.

Why can't you have fun and learn at the same time? 

Why can't you play games and learn at the same time?

Why are children playing brain dead shooters on their consoles? 

Why are children being subjected to microtransactions which promote risk taking and gambling?

Why are children playing games with repetitive, mind numbing, yet addictive tasks? 

Why do they have no educational value in most cases?

How can we change this? We know Minecraft already does so much with Education Edition, but this is something slightly different, and looking at more than just gaming.

How can we channel and combine that child's thirst for both fun and knowledge into a single point? Why must they be separate, when together they burn more than twice as bright? 

I had a vague concept based on the success in reading. Is it possible to teach in a different way? My plan was to teach through another medium. In this case a project which spanned every (or most) subjects. 

Seeing the results, the level of focus, the progress, and the results - says it all.

I didn't tell my son that I was in secret teaching him various methods, concepts, tasks and skills for over 2 years. He thought he was playing games, writing stories and having fun...which he was.

He was very annoyed when I explained I had been teaching him without telling him for 2 years - for about 30 seconds. Then when the realisation hit he gave me a massive hug, and thanked me. I have never been happier.

We ended up with a planned total of 21 books with all the spinoff ideas, and realised we had maybe taken on too much. We consolidated them into an initial shorter series of 5 books, with the rest planned as spinoffs and short stories later on.

We have 500,000+ words written, the first book almost complete (and way over word and page count) with book 2, around 40% done, book 3 planned, and the final scene of book 5 laid out and in draft form. 

Lightning King is the boss, and his decision is final. We brainstorm, we argue, we tweak, but he has the final decision on every point. He manages the project.

He created the greatest characters. I rebelled against some of the major changes, and some of the major characters. We had to rewrite the book and the timeline entirely which we thought would take weeks. It actually took months.

But by the end of it, I realised I was wrong, and he was right. It was the right decision, it created the best character in the series, and brought it all together.

The Game / Minecraft / The Arena

Lightning King is now 10 years old and one of many young geniuses with a limitless imagination. Not stunted or brainwashed by the sheer rubbish bombarding our children. Brain dead shooters, microtransactions, loot boxes promoting gambling, pay to win games?

He doesn't want to play games, he wants to make them. He doesn't want to experience a game, he wants to craft it. His thirst to create, learn and code is relentless. I can proudly say his knowledge in some areas, especially in redstone circuits, surpasses my own. To have had him teaching me from the age of 7 is incredible. 

Mojang have produced a framework and given children and adults alike a means to do more. I hated a lot of subjects at school, I didn't understand the point of half the subjects at University. What use is linear algebra, triangulation, sequences, loops, and/or/not gates, arrays, databases? Why should I even care?

Yet put it in the right context? Kids are not just interested, they consume that knowledge like a sponge - because they have something they can grasp, and then they can see the end results! 

Education through fun. Mojang understand this, and now I do as well...

At the age of ten, his technical knowledge already exceeds mine in some areas, and I now learn as much from him as he does from me.

I was asked about black holes, worm holes, space/time, gas giants, space theory, gravity, time travel, AI. All of the usual stuff that kids are interested in.

OK it's great you're interested but you're researching based on nonsense from people who have no idea what they're talking about. Let's talk nonsense ourselves and come up with crazy ideas, but let's base it on professional theories from experts, and use their knowledge as a basis? What is a black hole? What is time dilation? What's a Hadron Collider? Let's go to the museum and see parts of one, then watch a video about it. Let's study it properly...

The Aegis Enclave was a stupid short story. It was a joke to teach him some of these concepts and inspire him to delve deeper into both these concepts, and into AI. We used it to study space and time theory, black holes, worm holes, time dilation, Artificial Intelligence etc...and we came up with some theories ourselves.

I asked where The Aegis lived and he immediately said "A Gas Giant" so we studied Gas Giants, and he built structures in Minecraft which might work in a Gas Giant and where they might live.

I wasn't asked, I was ordered to introduce The Aegis Enclave into the project and the book. I was ordered to introduce [SPOILER REMOVED] and [SPOILER REMOVED] into the project. 

But we were writing a fantasy book so how will all that fit in? Well because we are no longer writing a fantasy book, we are writing fantasy and sci-fi combined! His decision once again defined the characters, shaped the story and brought everything together.

I knew then the time was right, and from that point, I was no longer the boss - he was. He inspired this project, he was going to manage it, and he was going to finish it.

Based on our discussions I spent a couple of days re-writing the Aegis Enclave and [SPOILERS REMOVED] into the story line, and so many loose threads came together. Then I uploaded the amendments to his kindle and sent him to bed with it to read one night. He was in hysterics for fifteen minutes straight. After that he was wide awake with so many questions there was no chance of him sleeping.

So we stayed up late learning Space/Time theory and I introduced him to Stephen Hawking, who is an absolute legend not only for his knowledge and theory, but for his positivity.

To see Stephen Hawking as he was in his later years was quite a shock for a young boy. So we discussed disability and I explained how this man, despite having such a crippling disability - was not only a genius with one of the most incredible minds ever known, but his positivity and attitude in itself made him a legend. Hawking did not let his disability stop him, and that is why he is quoted a number of times in TDIACLS.

Besiege is utterly brilliant, and a game I cannot recommend enough as a teaching tool. Force / Mass / Motion / Structures / Stress / Weight / Building / Strength / Aerodynamics / Engines / Power / Logic / Mathematics / The List Goes On...

His challenge was for us to create a seed that would take the longest possible time to fall to the ground with no external input or using any motors or powered parts.

After a while we took a break, and he took it upon himself to study the topic (amazing). He looked up David Attenborough and together we watched an episode on seeds.

We discussed evolution, and how over billions of years evolution had likely come up with better solutions than we ever could.

We then returned to the challenge later and improved on the designs based on our new found knowledge.

Although it was a challenge we discussed it, we reviewed each others progress, and copied the best parts from each of our designs. We worked together bouncing ideas off each other.

It is possibly one of the nicest memories I have. We had both had such a fun evening, we both learned so much, and by the end of it that challenge had become teamwork.

Triangulation? Map Reading / Co-Ordinates?

Pretty boring stuff..?

Do you want to find an End Portal in Minecraft?

Yes!

Did you know if you throw an Ender Pearl in the air, it will point to the nearest End Portal?

Of course Dad, everyone knows that? Look, it's that way...

OK so how far away is it? It could be miles away? It could be a few meters away?

And we are doing triangulation, sketching on paper, drawing lines with rulers, looking at maps, and he is enthralled.

After he understands it, we find the End Portal, and have some fun!

I started teaching my son with regards to coding, writing and logic when he was 4. At the age of 5 we started The Dark Is A Cold Lonely Shadow. By the age of 8 he had proven me wrong so many times when I argued with him about a character, or how the book would turn out - I was reminded that he started this. This was his project not mine.

From the age of 8 he was given 100% final decision on everything and anything. And he's still getting it right every time. He created most of the characters, he chooses the pictures we use, the cover of the book, the font. He tells me when I've gone a bit too far and to tone it down a bit. When we argue or have a major decision to make, or need to discuss something we have a "Hot Chocolate Brain Storm". We go for a long walk and discuss possibilities, then find a café and a hot chocolate and make the final decision.

I still support him, and try and persuade or explain why a decision might be a bad one. Sometimes he agrees with me, other times he doesn't, but he has the final decision. Sometimes he'll come back months later and admit I was right and we'll change it. But more often than not, I realise he was right and I was wrong. He manages this project, and he is learning so many skills and confidence in doing so.

Working on a background track for the "The Dark Is A Cold Lonely Shadow" it seems the 8 year old Lightning King was still awake. I should really have sent him back to bed, but his thirst for knowledge and excitement was simply too much deny.

I'm so glad I didn't send him to bed. This track was previously called "Tazer" but given he came up with brilliant new lyrics - it is now called "Touch The Sky" and it was massively improved upon later (as per video).

We discussed music structure, rhythm, lyrics and rhymes and he learned about special effects, reverb and various other concepts.

We went on the further improve the track and lyrics and some of the effects used were then later used (at his suggestion) to record vocals for TDIACLS. 

AND / OR / NOT Gates / Repeaters / Loops / Power Signals / Timers?

Not that exciting either?

Right, today we're building secret rooms and puzzles. You have to build a secret room which requires a specific combination of levers to be pulled for it to be opened.

AND GATE

This time I want it so if you step on either of the pressure plates, it opens the door.

OR GATE

Dad, I have this circuit, but I want it to trigger the door to close, not to open?

NOT GATE

Now I want you to...err what's that?

Well Dad, its a combination of AND/OR/NOT gates. The secret room was too simple, so now you need to pull 3 levers then stand here...

And I couldn't have built that in the 10 minutes it took him!

___

I want a boss bar, but I want it to change colours like a rainbow?

And he's coding and working with commands, delays, repeaters, loops and triggers (see video to the left).

Besiege released "The Splintered Sea" which introduced underwater dynamics and propulsion. This was not only fun, but directly related to "The Dark Is A Cold Lonely Shadow" and later books. And inspired the initial design of [SPOILER REMOVED].

His challenge was for us to create the fastest torpedo possible to be launched by [SPOILER REMOVED].

Another brilliant evening studying propulsion and aerodynamics. The resulting video was we think - simply beautiful (it is massively slowed down).

However it wasn't just fun? We studied, we learned, we worked together, we used the best ideas from both of us to produce the most efficient and best torpedo (within the scope of our pre-defined remit). 

The video might look like madness and fun? It was madness and fun. However this was also testing The Arena. We were testing new functionality, attribute modifiers (the only reason LK lived so long), functions, and performance testing.

However everything you see, the structures, the textures, the Arena, the logic? We built this together. There are thousands of functions and we have created techniques and visuals never seen or done before.

But after making various changes, testing is required. Everyone needs a break, so what better way to have fun than play our creation and test it at the same time?

We then reviewed this video and made various fixes and amendments to the underlying functions and code based on it. It also triggered several ideas which have since been implemented into the MxSxC1 Arena.

Entirely created by Lightning King (aged 10), and better than my attempts at the same. This concept is being used to create a full working DJ station, sequencer, drum machine & synth - with effects.

I was already working on something similar and mentioned it to him. He built something better within an hour using redstone, logic gates and repeaters.

Full controllable and customisable, and it sounds so much better than what I had...

We work together on writing. If we are unsure of a sentence or how it can be improved we read it out loud and discuss it. I have LK read out sections and we discuss improvements. We work on structure, spelling and writing methods. We work on presentation skills and putting inflection into reading. We record dialogue and add them into our game.

We make sound effects, eerie noises, ghostly voices, and music. The results speak for themselves.

However when I challenged him to come up with an idea for our YouTube channel? His resulting video was our most watched (by no inconsiderable margin) and went off the chart! It is the highest ranking video we have...

648 likes and over 69,000 views!

Right I want to create something that summons a circle of fireballs around me? How would you do that? 

I'd just turn and place one here, here, here, and here.

OK great, so how do I do that in game?

And we are looking at rotation. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Division, calculations, variables, counters. Once you reach or exceed 360 or exceed degrees you need to reset the counter to 0 degrees so it continues. Coding, variables, loops and logic (if, then, else, etc).

OK you have that, but that's in two dimensions, let's look at the third and use elevation!

See the Circles & Orbits Data Pack (not yet released) for more info...video to left.

Disability, prejudice, racism, bullying, LGBT, mental health, ADHD, unconscious bias, blindness, security, privacy, greed, corruption, abuse of power, good vs evil. If he asks me a question, we answer it through a story.

Some of the characters in the books were shaped purely to demonstrate or discuss these topics. We had one character who had not yet really been defined. By discussing these topics we decided to apply it to that character. How might it affect her? How did it affect her? How does it make her feel? She covers at least 5 or 6 of the above mentioned topics. And she is now my favourite (or at least my second favourite) character in all the books, and is without a doubt one of the biggest heroes in the entire series!

I was working on a solution to a problem in Minecraft, and after 30 minutes sighed in frustration. Within 4 minutes he had a more elegant solution. The coding was maybe beyond him, but the logic and pseudo code he provided was not only correct, it was a better more efficient solution. 

I realised that after 30 years of coding, an (at that time) 8 year old had just outsmarted me, and by no small margin. I might be embarrassed to admit that? No! I have never been so proud...and he continues to amaze me all the time!

One of the they key struggles seems to be getting a child interested in reading. LK wasn't interested, so I gave him  2 books for Christmas - one on Minecraft Legends, the other on Redstone circuits. He can see the pictures, and he wants that knowledge, but he can't read. I didn't offer to read it all to him, I offered to alternate. I would read a section, then I would help him read a section.

Suddenly the thirst was there, he understood, and and since that day he wanted to learn. He now consumes books...

Right I have a treasure map, let's go find some treasure?

We jump in a boat and I ask:  Which way is it?

That way!

Yes, but is that North, South, East or West?

And we are sketching it down on paper, going through co-ordinates and directions. We look at the actual co-ordinates on the map, and calculate the distances. He is happy, and we find the treasure.

It's a long way away, did you know we could create a portal. Every step in The Nether is 8 blocks in the Overworld. So If I am at 100,50,100 and I go 100 blocks North in The Nether, how many is that?

800.

So where will we be when we exit The Nether?

900,50,100

And then what about if we move up 10 blocks from there?

900,60,100

He has it, and in 3 dimensions...

Showing my son how to use animation applications to animate a 3D model frame by frame I was called out at work. I knew he had the basic concept and knew how to create a rough model. I said "create a caterpillar" while I work.

When I finished work 30 minutes later, he had a caterpillar in 4 sections where the caterpillar arched its back into a triangle then went back down over several frames, pretty much exactly like a caterpillar would. Playing the animation on a loop, there was absolutely no doubt that this was a caterpillar! And I was stunned.

At the age of 6, with 5 minutes explanation from a not very good teacher? Incredible...

How we can help you and your child learn...

Better concise tutorials incoming. More tutorial packs. More videos. Better documentation. New framework for data packs.

We No Longer Work On Sandbox, Only With Minecraft, and other Tools such as Gimp and Blender.

Some tutorial data and resource/data packs can be found on GitHub and Modrinth

Other tutorials and examples can be found on this site or on Youtube