Vacation Home
Mars was "life-friendly" more recently than thought? Well, we're still talking "geologic time" here, but it is interesting to see how the estimates keep creeping down!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Spirit of 1776
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a tad early for the 4th of July. It shows the North American Nebula, which I've only been able to spot once (from a very dark site). I still remember the most excellent Rick Sternbach cover for Joe Haldeman's Tricentennial, which appeared on the July 1976 issue of Analog.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a tad early for the 4th of July. It shows the North American Nebula, which I've only been able to spot once (from a very dark site). I still remember the most excellent Rick Sternbach cover for Joe Haldeman's Tricentennial, which appeared on the July 1976 issue of Analog.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Space Review
In the current issue of The Space Review, a few items of interest. Eric Sterner looks at the reboot of Star Trek and wonders if the space program needs a reboot. And, Wes Huntress thinks on the future of the space program and getting beyond unrealistic deadlines.
In the current issue of The Space Review, a few items of interest. Eric Sterner looks at the reboot of Star Trek and wonders if the space program needs a reboot. And, Wes Huntress thinks on the future of the space program and getting beyond unrealistic deadlines.
Lunar Orbit
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has entered lunar orbit. No firm word on when we're going to start getting pictures.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has entered lunar orbit. No firm word on when we're going to start getting pictures.
Splatdown!
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a short movie taken during the final moment's of Japan's Kaguya lunar probe.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a short movie taken during the final moment's of Japan's Kaguya lunar probe.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Fresh Racing Stripes
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Saturn's moon Enceladus, a possible source of materials for Saturn's E-Ring. Or not. The hunt continues!
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Saturn's moon Enceladus, a possible source of materials for Saturn's E-Ring. Or not. The hunt continues!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Skies at Night
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us some beautiful night skies. Not what I get at home, alas.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us some beautiful night skies. Not what I get at home, alas.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Digging in the Dirt
MER Spirit has gotten stuck in the soft soil of one region of Mars. Engineers are working to free the rover, utilizing such things as photographs of what is underneath to mixing what seems to match the soil on Earth (in order to use a working rover to develop strategies). In the meantime, science continues! Go Spirit, go!
MER Spirit has gotten stuck in the soft soil of one region of Mars. Engineers are working to free the rover, utilizing such things as photographs of what is underneath to mixing what seems to match the soil on Earth (in order to use a working rover to develop strategies). In the meantime, science continues! Go Spirit, go!
Locked Room Mystery
This probably won't put an end to the various theories (conspiracy and other) about what really happened in remote Siberia in 1908!
This probably won't put an end to the various theories (conspiracy and other) about what really happened in remote Siberia in 1908!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Inner Ocean?
Sodium salts have been detected in Saturn's outermost ring...did they get there from water-ice jets spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus? The chemical signature hints that this is the case. An ocean inside Enceladus? Fish? Fish sticks?
Sodium salts have been detected in Saturn's outermost ring...did they get there from water-ice jets spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus? The chemical signature hints that this is the case. An ocean inside Enceladus? Fish? Fish sticks?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Clouds
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Barnard 68, a dark molecular cloud in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Barnard 68, a dark molecular cloud in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Space Review
In the current issue of The Space Review there are a couple of articles of interest. Taylor Dinerman wonders why it is so hard to go back to the Moon. Jeff Foust looks at the Constellation program and its challengers. Jeff Foust looks at the new spaceport in New Mexico; the gallery provides some pictures of WhiteKnight Two doing a flyover.
In the current issue of The Space Review there are a couple of articles of interest. Taylor Dinerman wonders why it is so hard to go back to the Moon. Jeff Foust looks at the Constellation program and its challengers. Jeff Foust looks at the new spaceport in New Mexico; the gallery provides some pictures of WhiteKnight Two doing a flyover.
Back to the Moon
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the recent launch of the LRO/LCROSS mission back to the Moon.
(In a related note...let's hope that NASA isn't sitting on a public relations disaster in the making...)
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the recent launch of the LRO/LCROSS mission back to the Moon.
(In a related note...let's hope that NASA isn't sitting on a public relations disaster in the making...)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
When Worlds Collide
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows two galaxies merging. Generally a less exciting process than a "collision".
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows two galaxies merging. Generally a less exciting process than a "collision".
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Favorite Globular
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows M13, the great globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. A great sight for spring and summer viewing!
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows M13, the great globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. A great sight for spring and summer viewing!
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Space Review
The current issue of The Space Review has two items of interest: Michael Huang looks at politics, reality and the possible death of the human spaceflight program in the United States. And Jeff Foust looks at another product that is being published ahead of the 40th anniversary of the first step on the Moon.
The current issue of The Space Review has two items of interest: Michael Huang looks at politics, reality and the possible death of the human spaceflight program in the United States. And Jeff Foust looks at another product that is being published ahead of the 40th anniversary of the first step on the Moon.
Streams in the Star River
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows "streaming" dark nebula near Antares. Strange skies, indeed.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows "streaming" dark nebula near Antares. Strange skies, indeed.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Going to GalCen
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day gives us an infrared view of the galactic center.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day gives us an infrared view of the galactic center.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Road at Night
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a stunning composite showing The Milky Way as a road. New desktop image?
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a stunning composite showing The Milky Way as a road. New desktop image?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Objects in Space
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a supernova remnant with an unusual shape. Why unusual? Most results from a supernova expand in spherical fashion. Was this a irregular supernova (and what the heck would that mean)? Did something else block the expansion? Hmmm.....
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a supernova remnant with an unusual shape. Why unusual? Most results from a supernova expand in spherical fashion. Was this a irregular supernova (and what the heck would that mean)? Did something else block the expansion? Hmmm.....
Thursday, June 11, 2009
2009: The Year in Current Reads
The other night, my wife, my daughter and I were comparing the number of books we are simultaneously reading. For my wife and daughter, if was four or five books; but for me, I guessed I was reading between thirty-five and fifty books.
I've always been able to do this, don't know why. I can juggle multiple plotlines or non-fiction threads. I can put a book down for days, weeks or months (even years) and pick it up again without a problem. Don't know how...
Anyway, here's a fairly complete list (without pulling off layers from the bookshelves to scan all the titles) of what I'm currently (more or less currently) reading. In looking at the non-fiction, can you discern what I'd like to be doing now?
Abnett, Dan: The Founding (omnibus, part of the "Gaunt's Ghosts" series, which is part of the "Warhammer 40,000" series).
Anvil, Christopher: Interstellar Patrol.
Asher, Neal: The Shadow of the Scorpion ("Polity" series).
Banks, Iain M.: Matter; Use of Weapons ("Culture" series).
Bear, Greg: Darwin's Radio ("Darwin's Children" series).
Beattie, Donald A.: ISScapades: The Crippling of America's Space Program.
Benford, Gregory: Across the Sea of Stars (part of the "Galactic Center" series).
Berry, Adrian: The Next Ten Thousand Years.
Bova, Ben: Laugh Lines.
Brooks, Max: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
Brotherton, Mike: Stardragon.
Brunner, John: Stand on Zanzibar.
Buckell, Tobias: Crystal Rain; Halo: The Cole Protocol (part of the "Halo" series).
Burrough, Bryan: Dragonfly.
Burrows, William E.: The Survival Imperative; This New Ocean.
Butrica, Andrew J.: Single State to Orbit.
Campbell, Donovan: Joker One.
Chandler, A. Bertram: Spartan Planet (part of the "Commodore Grimes" series).
Chesterton, G.K.: The Man Who Was Thursday.
Clarke, Arthur C.: Tales from the White Hart; The Coast of Coral.
Cook, Glen: Passage at Arms; The Dragon Never Sleeps.
Cooper, Henry S.F.: A House in Space.
Crichton, Michael: The Andromeda Strain.
The Dali Lama: The Art of Happiness.
Dick, Philip K.: The Man in the High Castle.
Dickson, Gordon R.: The Right to Arm Bears.
Dickson, Gordon R. and Anderson, Poul: Hokas, Pokas.
Drake, David: Cross the Stars; Grimmer Than Hell; Old Nathan; Seas of Venus; Starliner; The Sea Hag; Paying the Piper (part of the "Hammer's Slammers" series); Redliners.
Dyson, Freeman: Infinite in All Directions; Origins of Life; Imagined Worlds; Disturbing the Universe; The Sun, The Genome, and The Internet; The Scientist as Rebel.
Egan, Greg: Incandesence.
Eisley, Loren: The Invisible Pyramid; The Unexpected Universe; The Star Thrower.
Flint, Eric: The Philosophical Strangler; Forward the Mage ("Joe's World"); Mother of Demons.
Flint, Eric and Freer, Dave: Pyramid Power ("Pyramid"); Rats, Bats and Vats ("Rats" series).
Forward, Robert L.: Indistinguishable from Magic.
Franklin, Benjamin: Autobiography (Harvard Classics, Volume 01).
George MacDonald Fraser: Flashman; Quartered Safe Out There.
Friedman, Thomas L.: The Lexus and the Olive Tree.
Gallun, Raymond Z.: The Planet Strappers.
Geston, M.S.: The Books of the Wars (omnibus).
Gibson, W.: Idoru (part of the "Bridge Trilogy"); Spook Country (part of an unnamed duo of books, probably a trilogy).
Gilliland, A.A.: The Revolution from Rosinante ("Rosinante Trilogy").
Gleick, James: Chaos--Making a New Science.
Gordon, Michael R. and Trainor, Bernard E.: Cobra II.
Greenspan, Alan: The Age of Turbulence.
Hackworth, David R. and Sherman, Julie: About Face.
Hamilton, Edmond: Crashing Suns.
Hamilton, Peter F.: The Confederation Handbook; The Nights Dawn Trilogy; A Second Chance at Eden (all set in the same universe).
Harrison, M.J.: Viriconium.
Hart, Stephen: The Last Three Miles.
Heinlein, Robert A.: Between Planets; Farmer in the Sky; The Rolling Stones.
Herodtus: The Histories.
Hodgell, P.C.: The God-Stalker Chronicles (omnibus).
Hughart, Barry: Bridge of Birds (part of the "Master Li Kao and Number Ten Ox" series).
King, Stephen: The Stand.
Kipling, Rudyard: Kim; Departmental Ditties and Barracks Room Ballads (poetry); The Kipling Reader; Verses, 1889-1896 (poetry).
Kishimoto, Masashi: Various volumes in the "Naruto" series of manga.
Kitmacher, Gary (editor): Reference Guide to the International Space Station.
Kratman, Thomas: A State of Disobedience; Caliphate.
Lambshead, John: Lucy's Blade.
Lumpkin, John: Through Struggle, The Stars (unpublished, courtesy of the author).
MacAvoy, R.A.: Tea with the Black Dragon.
Machiavelli, N.: The Prince.
Martin, George R.R.: Clash of Thrones (part of "A Song of Ice and Fire").
Maberry, Jonathan: Patient Zero.
Marozzi, Justin: The Way of Herodotus.
Matloff, Gregory L.; Johnson, Les; Bangs, C.: Living Off the Land in Space.
McCaffrey, Anne: Dragonflight ("Pern").
McCullough, David: Truman.
Miller, Christopher: The Cardboard Universe--A Guide to the World of Phoebue K. Dank.
Moon, Elizabeth: Heris Serrano (omnibus, part of a series made up of three major lines of stories).
Moore, Harold G. and Galloway, Joseph L.: We Were Soldiers Once...And Young.
Mullane, R. Mike: Do Your Ears Pop in Space?
Niven, Larry: Flatlander, Tales of Known Space, Crashlander (all part of the "Known Space" series).
Norton, Andre: Star Flight (omnibus); Crosstime (omnibus); Dark Companion (omnibus); Darkness and Dawn (omnibus); From the Sea to the Stars (omnibus); Gods and Androids (omnibus); Janus (omnibus); Lord of Thunder; Masks of the Outcasts (omnibus); Moonsinger (omnibus); Search for the Star Stones (omnibus); The Sargasso of Space; Plague Ship; Voodoo Planet; Postmarked the Stars; Star Gate; Star Hunter; Star Soldiers (omnibus); The Beast Master; The Game of Stars and Comets (omnibus); Time Traders I (omnibus); Time Traders II (omnibus); Warlock (omnibus).
Pangborn, Edgar: Davy.
Peters, Ellis: A Rare Benedictine (part of the "Brother Cadfael" series).
Pournelle, Jerry: Exile and Glory (omnibus); The Mercenary ("Falkenberg"); West of Honor ("Falkenberg"); Prince of Mercenaries ("Falkenberg"); Go Tell the Spartans (with Sam Stirling) ("Falkenberg"); Prince of Sparta (with Sam Stirling) ("Falkenberg"); King David's Spaceship ("Empire of Man").
Pournelle, Jerry and Niven, Larry: Footfall; Lucfier's Hammer; The Mote in God's Eye.
Pratchett, Terry: Jingo (part of the "Discworld" series).
Pressfield, Stephen: Gates of Fire.
Rand, Ayn: Atlas Shrugged.
Reynolds, Alastair: Revelation Space ("Cojoiner").
Ringo, John: Hells Faire (part of the "Posleen" series); March to the Stars (part of the "Prince Roger" series).
Robinson, Spider: Very Bad Deaths ("Smelly"); Very Hard Choices ("Smelly"); The Lifehouse Trilogy (omnibus).
Robinson, Spider and Robinson, Jeanne: Stardance Trilogy (omnibus).
Sawyer, Robert J.: Flash Forward.
Schmitt, Harrison H.: Return to the Moon.
Schroeder, Karl: Sun of Suns (part of the "Virga" sequence).
Stanton, Doug: Horse Soldiers.
Stapledon, Olaf: The Star Maker.
Stephenson, Neal: The Diamond Age. Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer; Cryptnomicon; The Baroque Cycle; Snowcrash.
Stewart, George: Earth Abides.
Stine, G. Harry: Living in Space; Halfway to Anywhere; The Space Enterprise; The Third Industrial Revolution.
Stross, Charles: Halting State.
Thomas, Lewis: Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony; The Lives of a Cell; The Youngest Science; The Medusa and the Snail; The Fragile Species.
Thorpe, Gav: The Last Chancers (omnibus, part of the "Warhammer 40,000" series).
Toffler, Alvin: Future Shock.
Travis: Karen: Aspho Fields (part of the "Gears of War" series).
Van Gulik, Robert: The Chinese Lake Murders (part of the "Judge Dee" series).
Various: The King James Version of The Bible; The Common Edition of The New Testament; The Psalms.
Weber, David: The Honor of the Queen (part of the "Honor Harrington" series); The Oath of Swords/Sword Brother (the "War God" series).
Williams, Liz: Snake Agent (part of the "Inspector Chen" series).
Williamson, Michael Z.: Contact with Chaos (part of the "Freehold" series).
Wolfe, Gene: The Shadow of the Torturer (part of "The Book of the New Sun").
Zahn, Timothy: Blackcollar ("Blackcollar"); Blackcollar: The Judas Solution ("Blackcollar"); The Cobra Trilogy (omnibus).
Zebrowski, George: The Omega Point Trilogy (omnibus); Macro-Life.
Zelazny, Roger: Jack of Shadows; The Amber Cycle (10 books).
Zelazny, Roger and Saberhagen, Fred: The Black Throne.
Zimmerman, Robert: Leaving Earth.
Zubrin, Robert: The Case for Mars; Entering Space; On to Mars; How to Live on Mars.
And that's not all! I've pretty much skipped the current reads from The Year in Shorts. In typing up this list I said "Oh, yeah, what about..." several times, but did not enter most of the titles I recall I'm also reading. Hopefully this will be constantly modified, as I finish titles or remember what else I'm reading.
The other night, my wife, my daughter and I were comparing the number of books we are simultaneously reading. For my wife and daughter, if was four or five books; but for me, I guessed I was reading between thirty-five and fifty books.
I've always been able to do this, don't know why. I can juggle multiple plotlines or non-fiction threads. I can put a book down for days, weeks or months (even years) and pick it up again without a problem. Don't know how...
Anyway, here's a fairly complete list (without pulling off layers from the bookshelves to scan all the titles) of what I'm currently (more or less currently) reading. In looking at the non-fiction, can you discern what I'd like to be doing now?
Abnett, Dan: The Founding (omnibus, part of the "Gaunt's Ghosts" series, which is part of the "Warhammer 40,000" series).
Anvil, Christopher: Interstellar Patrol.
Asher, Neal: The Shadow of the Scorpion ("Polity" series).
Banks, Iain M.: Matter; Use of Weapons ("Culture" series).
Bear, Greg: Darwin's Radio ("Darwin's Children" series).
Beattie, Donald A.: ISScapades: The Crippling of America's Space Program.
Benford, Gregory: Across the Sea of Stars (part of the "Galactic Center" series).
Berry, Adrian: The Next Ten Thousand Years.
Bova, Ben: Laugh Lines.
Brooks, Max: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
Brotherton, Mike: Stardragon.
Brunner, John: Stand on Zanzibar.
Buckell, Tobias: Crystal Rain; Halo: The Cole Protocol (part of the "Halo" series).
Burrough, Bryan: Dragonfly.
Burrows, William E.: The Survival Imperative; This New Ocean.
Butrica, Andrew J.: Single State to Orbit.
Campbell, Donovan: Joker One.
Chandler, A. Bertram: Spartan Planet (part of the "Commodore Grimes" series).
Chesterton, G.K.: The Man Who Was Thursday.
Clarke, Arthur C.: Tales from the White Hart; The Coast of Coral.
Cook, Glen: Passage at Arms; The Dragon Never Sleeps.
Cooper, Henry S.F.: A House in Space.
Crichton, Michael: The Andromeda Strain.
The Dali Lama: The Art of Happiness.
Dick, Philip K.: The Man in the High Castle.
Dickson, Gordon R.: The Right to Arm Bears.
Dickson, Gordon R. and Anderson, Poul: Hokas, Pokas.
Drake, David: Cross the Stars; Grimmer Than Hell; Old Nathan; Seas of Venus; Starliner; The Sea Hag; Paying the Piper (part of the "Hammer's Slammers" series); Redliners.
Dyson, Freeman: Infinite in All Directions; Origins of Life; Imagined Worlds; Disturbing the Universe; The Sun, The Genome, and The Internet; The Scientist as Rebel.
Egan, Greg: Incandesence.
Eisley, Loren: The Invisible Pyramid; The Unexpected Universe; The Star Thrower.
Flint, Eric: The Philosophical Strangler; Forward the Mage ("Joe's World"); Mother of Demons.
Flint, Eric and Freer, Dave: Pyramid Power ("Pyramid"); Rats, Bats and Vats ("Rats" series).
Forward, Robert L.: Indistinguishable from Magic.
Franklin, Benjamin: Autobiography (Harvard Classics, Volume 01).
George MacDonald Fraser: Flashman; Quartered Safe Out There.
Friedman, Thomas L.: The Lexus and the Olive Tree.
Gallun, Raymond Z.: The Planet Strappers.
Geston, M.S.: The Books of the Wars (omnibus).
Gibson, W.: Idoru (part of the "Bridge Trilogy"); Spook Country (part of an unnamed duo of books, probably a trilogy).
Gilliland, A.A.: The Revolution from Rosinante ("Rosinante Trilogy").
Gleick, James: Chaos--Making a New Science.
Gordon, Michael R. and Trainor, Bernard E.: Cobra II.
Greenspan, Alan: The Age of Turbulence.
Hackworth, David R. and Sherman, Julie: About Face.
Hamilton, Edmond: Crashing Suns.
Hamilton, Peter F.: The Confederation Handbook; The Nights Dawn Trilogy; A Second Chance at Eden (all set in the same universe).
Harrison, M.J.: Viriconium.
Hart, Stephen: The Last Three Miles.
Heinlein, Robert A.: Between Planets; Farmer in the Sky; The Rolling Stones.
Herodtus: The Histories.
Hodgell, P.C.: The God-Stalker Chronicles (omnibus).
Hughart, Barry: Bridge of Birds (part of the "Master Li Kao and Number Ten Ox" series).
King, Stephen: The Stand.
Kipling, Rudyard: Kim; Departmental Ditties and Barracks Room Ballads (poetry); The Kipling Reader; Verses, 1889-1896 (poetry).
Kishimoto, Masashi: Various volumes in the "Naruto" series of manga.
Kitmacher, Gary (editor): Reference Guide to the International Space Station.
Kratman, Thomas: A State of Disobedience; Caliphate.
Lambshead, John: Lucy's Blade.
Lumpkin, John: Through Struggle, The Stars (unpublished, courtesy of the author).
MacAvoy, R.A.: Tea with the Black Dragon.
Machiavelli, N.: The Prince.
Martin, George R.R.: Clash of Thrones (part of "A Song of Ice and Fire").
Maberry, Jonathan: Patient Zero.
Marozzi, Justin: The Way of Herodotus.
Matloff, Gregory L.; Johnson, Les; Bangs, C.: Living Off the Land in Space.
McCaffrey, Anne: Dragonflight ("Pern").
McCullough, David: Truman.
Miller, Christopher: The Cardboard Universe--A Guide to the World of Phoebue K. Dank.
Moon, Elizabeth: Heris Serrano (omnibus, part of a series made up of three major lines of stories).
Moore, Harold G. and Galloway, Joseph L.: We Were Soldiers Once...And Young.
Mullane, R. Mike: Do Your Ears Pop in Space?
Niven, Larry: Flatlander, Tales of Known Space, Crashlander (all part of the "Known Space" series).
Norton, Andre: Star Flight (omnibus); Crosstime (omnibus); Dark Companion (omnibus); Darkness and Dawn (omnibus); From the Sea to the Stars (omnibus); Gods and Androids (omnibus); Janus (omnibus); Lord of Thunder; Masks of the Outcasts (omnibus); Moonsinger (omnibus); Search for the Star Stones (omnibus); The Sargasso of Space; Plague Ship; Voodoo Planet; Postmarked the Stars; Star Gate; Star Hunter; Star Soldiers (omnibus); The Beast Master; The Game of Stars and Comets (omnibus); Time Traders I (omnibus); Time Traders II (omnibus); Warlock (omnibus).
Pangborn, Edgar: Davy.
Peters, Ellis: A Rare Benedictine (part of the "Brother Cadfael" series).
Pournelle, Jerry: Exile and Glory (omnibus); The Mercenary ("Falkenberg"); West of Honor ("Falkenberg"); Prince of Mercenaries ("Falkenberg"); Go Tell the Spartans (with Sam Stirling) ("Falkenberg"); Prince of Sparta (with Sam Stirling) ("Falkenberg"); King David's Spaceship ("Empire of Man").
Pournelle, Jerry and Niven, Larry: Footfall; Lucfier's Hammer; The Mote in God's Eye.
Pratchett, Terry: Jingo (part of the "Discworld" series).
Pressfield, Stephen: Gates of Fire.
Rand, Ayn: Atlas Shrugged.
Reynolds, Alastair: Revelation Space ("Cojoiner").
Ringo, John: Hells Faire (part of the "Posleen" series); March to the Stars (part of the "Prince Roger" series).
Robinson, Spider: Very Bad Deaths ("Smelly"); Very Hard Choices ("Smelly"); The Lifehouse Trilogy (omnibus).
Robinson, Spider and Robinson, Jeanne: Stardance Trilogy (omnibus).
Sawyer, Robert J.: Flash Forward.
Schmitt, Harrison H.: Return to the Moon.
Schroeder, Karl: Sun of Suns (part of the "Virga" sequence).
Stanton, Doug: Horse Soldiers.
Stapledon, Olaf: The Star Maker.
Stephenson, Neal: The Diamond Age. Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer; Cryptnomicon; The Baroque Cycle; Snowcrash.
Stewart, George: Earth Abides.
Stine, G. Harry: Living in Space; Halfway to Anywhere; The Space Enterprise; The Third Industrial Revolution.
Stross, Charles: Halting State.
Thomas, Lewis: Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony; The Lives of a Cell; The Youngest Science; The Medusa and the Snail; The Fragile Species.
Thorpe, Gav: The Last Chancers (omnibus, part of the "Warhammer 40,000" series).
Toffler, Alvin: Future Shock.
Travis: Karen: Aspho Fields (part of the "Gears of War" series).
Van Gulik, Robert: The Chinese Lake Murders (part of the "Judge Dee" series).
Various: The King James Version of The Bible; The Common Edition of The New Testament; The Psalms.
Weber, David: The Honor of the Queen (part of the "Honor Harrington" series); The Oath of Swords/Sword Brother (the "War God" series).
Williams, Liz: Snake Agent (part of the "Inspector Chen" series).
Williamson, Michael Z.: Contact with Chaos (part of the "Freehold" series).
Wolfe, Gene: The Shadow of the Torturer (part of "The Book of the New Sun").
Zahn, Timothy: Blackcollar ("Blackcollar"); Blackcollar: The Judas Solution ("Blackcollar"); The Cobra Trilogy (omnibus).
Zebrowski, George: The Omega Point Trilogy (omnibus); Macro-Life.
Zelazny, Roger: Jack of Shadows; The Amber Cycle (10 books).
Zelazny, Roger and Saberhagen, Fred: The Black Throne.
Zimmerman, Robert: Leaving Earth.
Zubrin, Robert: The Case for Mars; Entering Space; On to Mars; How to Live on Mars.
And that's not all! I've pretty much skipped the current reads from The Year in Shorts. In typing up this list I said "Oh, yeah, what about..." several times, but did not enter most of the titles I recall I'm also reading. Hopefully this will be constantly modified, as I finish titles or remember what else I'm reading.
Walking on the Moon
This is a pretty amazing image! While we wait for the first step in the return to the Moon with the launch of LRO/LCROSS, a small private effort is working on cleaning up and processing images from the Lunar Orbiters that were launched in the 1960's. Here's one frame, that shows details of the site that Apollo 14 explored.
This is a pretty amazing image! While we wait for the first step in the return to the Moon with the launch of LRO/LCROSS, a small private effort is working on cleaning up and processing images from the Lunar Orbiters that were launched in the 1960's. Here's one frame, that shows details of the site that Apollo 14 explored.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Iris
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us a beautiful shot of NGC 7023, sometimes known as the Iris Nebula.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us a beautiful shot of NGC 7023, sometimes known as the Iris Nebula.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Like a Bad Penny
If you get an e-mail saying..."Mars will look as large as the full moon...No one alive today will ever see this again."
NOT!
If you get an e-mail saying..."Mars will look as large as the full moon...No one alive today will ever see this again."
NOT!
Chains Keep Us Together
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the distinctive deep sky object known as Markarian's Chain, a string of galaxies. Most, but not all, are actually part of a large scale structure.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the distinctive deep sky object known as Markarian's Chain, a string of galaxies. Most, but not all, are actually part of a large scale structure.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Slamming the Hammer
Take a look: new Hammer's Slammers game (from Mongoose, though, errrrr....) and new Hammer's Slammers edition. The best news about the second is that we'll finally be getting the compleat canon as eBooks!
Take a look: new Hammer's Slammers game (from Mongoose, though, errrrr....) and new Hammer's Slammers edition. The best news about the second is that we'll finally be getting the compleat canon as eBooks!
The Civil Heretic
I somehow overlooked this March 25, 2009 article about Freeman Dyson. Would that his critics were as polite and unassuming as he is!
I somehow overlooked this March 25, 2009 article about Freeman Dyson. Would that his critics were as polite and unassuming as he is!
Microquasar
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows an astronomical mystery: are we seeing gas jets from a microquasar near Cygnus X-1?
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows an astronomical mystery: are we seeing gas jets from a microquasar near Cygnus X-1?
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Found a Peanut
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us the Earth-crossing asteroid Eros, as visited by the NEAR space probe.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us the Earth-crossing asteroid Eros, as visited by the NEAR space probe.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
One Arm
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows NGC 4725, a one-armed spiral galaxy. Look carefully, though, and you can trace a lot of very subtle structure around this galaxy.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows NGC 4725, a one-armed spiral galaxy. Look carefully, though, and you can trace a lot of very subtle structure around this galaxy.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Dust in the Stars
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us the cosmic dust clouds of Corona Australis (the Southern Crown).
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows us the cosmic dust clouds of Corona Australis (the Southern Crown).
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
The Very Secret Diaries of Tim Powers
I spent a couple of hours last night with my latest acquisition: Powers: Secret Histories (A Bibliography), compiled and edited by John Berlyne. I'm a big fan of the works of Tim Powers (he ranks up there with Gene Wolfe and a few others as practitioners of "modern fantasy"), but I'm no where near a fanatic collector as Berlyne!
The book is worth it if you collect the works of Powers (I've missed more than a few chapbooks, alas). It is worth it to see his sketches (his style resembles that of Mervyn Peake). It is worth it for the various essays.
And it is worth it for the biting commentary of one "William Ashbless". Live or Memorex? I won't tell.
I spent a couple of hours last night with my latest acquisition: Powers: Secret Histories (A Bibliography), compiled and edited by John Berlyne. I'm a big fan of the works of Tim Powers (he ranks up there with Gene Wolfe and a few others as practitioners of "modern fantasy"), but I'm no where near a fanatic collector as Berlyne!
The book is worth it if you collect the works of Powers (I've missed more than a few chapbooks, alas). It is worth it to see his sketches (his style resembles that of Mervyn Peake). It is worth it for the various essays.
And it is worth it for the biting commentary of one "William Ashbless". Live or Memorex? I won't tell.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Season Three
One podcast that I found relatively recently...and have gone through extensively (nearly two seasons in one week!) is Writing Excuses. Helmed by Howard Tayler, Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells (with the occasional guest) you get 15 minutes (more or less) of advice on managing a writing career in each episode. Good stuff, funny stuff; even my wife enjoyed the several episodes I "inflicted" upon her.
Season three is just starting...
One podcast that I found relatively recently...and have gone through extensively (nearly two seasons in one week!) is Writing Excuses. Helmed by Howard Tayler, Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells (with the occasional guest) you get 15 minutes (more or less) of advice on managing a writing career in each episode. Good stuff, funny stuff; even my wife enjoyed the several episodes I "inflicted" upon her.
Season three is just starting...
Soft Patch, Dangerous Terrain
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the loose soil Spirit has had to contend with on Mars of late.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the loose soil Spirit has had to contend with on Mars of late.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)