The 9/25/2008 Washington Post had a banner for NASA's 50th anniversary. The banner asks: "Where do we go now?"
My modest suggestion ... how about: past low Earth orbit?
And since, sadly, NASA must reacquire the ability to leave LEO, a shorter-term goal. How about: not retiring the shuttle until there's something to replace it?
That is: let's not be so lame that NASA must buy rides from the Russians to reach the space station largely built by NASA itself. Meeting this latter goal requires only the political will -- in the White House and Congress -- to maintain the shuttles a few years longer.
You wouldn't think these answers were rocket science.
What to read?
One link to rule them all
Click the image, your shortcut to every Edward M. Lerner book on Amazon
Publishers in flux
Books go out of print -- and/or publishers out of business. The books then often move to a new publisher (if not always immediately). If an old post's embedded Amazon (or Kindle) link to a book doesn't work, try searching on the title at Amazon directly.
Featured Post:
The Best of Edward M. Lerner
You know what I imagine must be every author’s least favorite questions? “What’s your favorite from among your books?” And, “If I want to tr...
Life and Death on Mars
My latest
On the Shoals of Space-Time
“A wonderful book. A real page-turner.” — The Science in the Fiction
The Sherlock Chronicles & The Paradise Quartet
Two epic adventures in one book
Déjà Doomed
“Impressive character work and invigorating twists … a buried lunar treasure.” — Publishers Weekly
Trope-ing the Light Fantastic
"Edward M. Lerner has produced the best-ever guide to putting the science in science fiction, and he’s done it with clarity, wit, and panache." -- Robert J. Sawyer, author of Quantum Night
Muses & Musings
“One of the leading global writers of hard science fiction.”—The Innovation Show
Dark Secret
"I heartily recommend Ed Lerner's Dark Secret"
— Tangent Online
InterstellarNet: Origins (I-Net #1)
"One of the most original, believable, thoroughly thought-out, and utterly fascinating visions ever of what interstellar contact might really be like."
— Stanley Schmidt, editor of Analog
InterstellarNet: New Order
(I-Net #2)
“A twisted plot complete with conspiracies, alien psychology, antimatter physics neep, AI spies, and plenty of shooting action at the end.”
— Internet Review of Science Fiction
InterstellarNet: Enigma (I-Net #3)
"An exceptional book in an excellent series ." — Galaxy's Edge
The entire InterstellarNet series in one ebook bundle
Or (scroll down) check out the series titles one novel at a time
The Company Man
Think: Dashiell Hammett meets Andy Weir
Fleet of Worlds (FoW #1)
" ... Needs recommending within the science fiction community about as much as a new Harry Potter novel does – well, anywhere." —Locus
Juggler of Worlds (FoW #2)
“A snazzy thriller/mystery that keeps us (and our hero) guessing until the very end ... Wide screen galactic scope, nifty super-science, crafty aliens, corporate corruption and cover ups, and a multi-leveled spy vs. spy vs. spy mystery with little being as it first appears make Juggler of Worlds a first class exemplar of pure SF entertainment.” —SFsite
Destroyer of Worlds (FoW #3)
"Combines sparkling wit and 'old school' hard sf with masterly storytelling and cosmic vision ... enjoy the return of good, old-fashioned sf, packed with ideas, philosophical musings, and plenty of space action."
—Library Journal
Betrayer of Worlds (FOW #4)
“Rescues, captures, kidnappings, reluctant temporary alliances, backdoor negotiations, propaganda campaigns, bluffs and double-bluffs, alien and cross-species politics, and, of course, betrayals. Lots of betrayals ... One hopes that Niven and Lerner come up with some additional twists and turns.” —Locus
Fate of Worlds (FOW #5)
“Brings to a stunning close a multivolume saga that has captured the imaginations of a multitude of readers … a story that will attract attention from series fans as well as readers of hard sf.” — Library Journal
A Time Foreclosed
"A nice little foray into the paradoxes of time travel"
— SFRevu
Energized
"A taut near-future thriller about an energy-starved Earth held hostage by a power-mad international cartel … Lerner’s vision of the future is both topical and possible in this crisp, fast-paced hard SF adventure.”
—Publishers Weekly
ARMAGEDDON / PARADISE -- two books in one
"A romp through time and history ... an intriguing selection." — Bookloons
Small Miracles
"Suspense and action enough to fuel any thriller, and even to drive it to the big screen." —SFrevu
Fools' Experiments
“When the artificial intelligences ... go maverick, they turn out to be the true weapons of mass destruction. A fast, fun read.”
— Sci Fi Weekly
Probe
"... A fast-paced, hold-on-to-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller"
— Illinois Quarterly
Moonstruck
“Moonstruck is not just another alien invasion novel, but truly an original performance." — Science Fiction Book Club
Frontiers of Space, Time, and Thought
"If you only read one Hard SF book this year, make it this one. You won’t regret it."
— Tangent Online
Creative Destruction
"For its compelling vision of what could be, you will want take more than a glimpse of Creative Destruction.”
— Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction
subscribe to:
Posts
Comments
About Me
- Edward M. Lerner
- I'm a physicist and computer scientist (and an MBA, of less relevance to most of these posts). After thirty years in industry, as everything from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, I now write full-time. Mostly I write science fiction and techno-thrillers, now and again throwing in a straight science or technology article.
For a bibliography, more detailed biography, and lots more, visit my website. For occasional announcements sent direct to your mail box, join the Edward M. Lerner news group. Or follow me on facebook
2 comments:
I fear that the problem of radiation beyond LEO is intractable.
Hard, certainly but not physically impossible. Three possibilities:
1. magnetic fields to deflect oncoming solar radiation (that's how the Earth does it).
2. physical shielding. A Mars mission needs a lot of water -- carry it as a layer of ice in the habitat hull.
3. bioengineering. Make the crew less susceptible to radiation damage. As a proof of concept, some extremophile bacteria (e.g., D.
radiodurans) are radiation resistant.
Post a Comment