Rise of the Rocket Girls promised an intersection of two of my favorite non-fiction genres: science, and the too-often-overlooked impact of women in history. I expected a book comparable to Radium Girls, which portrays its subjects as memorable personalities in a suspenseful narrative; or Code Girls, the captivating account of female cryptologic analysts during WWII. … Continue reading Book Review: “Rise of the Rocket Girls” by Nathalia Holt
The shiny black hardcover jacket winked in the sun, mysterious as a unit of dark matter. I lifted the book from the sale table outside Borders Books & Music and flipped its pages. Elementary particles...wormholes...the uncertainty principle...reading this before I head off to college will make me sound smarter when I get there, right? And … Continue reading A Brief History of How Stephen Hawking Inspired My Sci-Fi
I owe the discovery to The Radium Girls to book blogger Sarah at The Critiquing Chemist (if you haven't had the pleasure of her pithy literary analysis, I recommend visiting her site). She reviewed the book back in August and its subject--like most unusual historical episodes--immediately piqued my interest. A providential Amazon sale had the title … Continue reading Recent Reads: “The Radium Girls” by Kate Moore
“Just take a bite.” She appraised him suspiciously, then dropped her jaw like a snake and bit into the pitaya’s flesh. “What is this?” she mumbled around ravenous bites. “It’s called a pitaya. Tons of vitamin C and calcium. Our scientists blended in genes from a legume to—.” A wet mouthful of pulp flew across … Continue reading The Science of “Syzygy”: Genetic Engineering
The fourth volume in my Syzygy hexalogy, Escape Velocity, arrives for Kindle today! (Nook version coming soon--I've encountered some hurdles in setting up that platform, but B&N fans shouldn't have to wait long). What happens in this episode? After surviving disaster and betrayal on Earth, Ash and Skye return to Luna with news they hope … Continue reading Publication Announcement: “Escape Velocity” Now Available!
