Fiction For Now
If I haven’t had much web presence the past few weeks, it’s because I just got back from Mars. Or at least as close to it as I’m ever likely to get! My Laddie and I took a hiking trip to Utah, where the stark red rockscapes let me imagine we were exploring the Red... Continue Reading →
“How can you terraform long-distance?” “Robots and microbe bombs.” A gleam of enthusiasm lit Ash’s face. “It’s really cool. Our scientists engineer microorganisms that can build up the atmosphere and fix nitrogen in the soil—.” “More gene hacking.” Skye sniffed. “Didn’t you learn anything from Spores?” “Yes. That organisms can thrive even in harsh environments... Continue Reading →
My new book has launched! Transient Phenomena, part one of seven in the Syzygy novella series, is now available on Amazon. Appropriately, it's not the only thing blasting off today. At 10:05 EST, NASA will test a powerful new rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS) intended to propel astronauts to Mars. It's an eerie confluence:... Continue Reading →
I love NASA's (presumably) faux recruitment posters for colonizing Mars! They reminded me of a scene in Syzygy Part I: Ash battled claustrophobia all the way to the Educational Centre, where screens hid the grey walls beneath bright animated posters about astronomy, genetics, and habitat safety. Ash watched an cartoon rocket hop across three globes: blue,... Continue Reading →
I saw The Martian on Friday. Great adaptation of a great novel. Poor astronaut Watney had so many ordeals with his inflatable habitat. If only he’d had one of the new Martian igloos! (Insert paid programming here—“but wait, there’s more!”) Back in May, NASA announced a competition challenging innovators to design 3D printed habitats for space... Continue Reading →
The Martian hits theaters today! I’m suspending my usual policy of avoiding opening-day movie crowds and going this afternoon: Andy Weir + Ridley Scott x Matt Damon = too good to wait. But there’s also some exciting non-fiction news from the Red Planet this week. On Monday, NASA confirmed that its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)... Continue Reading →
Only twenty days until the adaptation of The Martian hits theaters! The sci-fi survival tale will undoubtedly fuel interest in the feasibility of real-life trips to the Red Planet. NASA head Charles Bolden anticipates such a mission could occur in the 2030s, although Martian author Andy Weir thinks 2050 is a more reasonable timeline. In either case,... Continue Reading →
