Tuesday, April 25, 2017

It's potpourri time all over again

I'm immersed in writing an intriguing (to me, anyway; YMMV) new novelette. So: today's post will be more telegraphic than my usual -- and no, that's not a hint to the nature of the story. But telegraphed or not, several physics and astronomy news items have recently caught my eye. Typical visitors to SF and Nonsense will likely find these of interest, too. So here ya go ...

When giants warped the universe. "The discovery that massive black holes existed billions of years earlier than thought possible is forcing a major rethink about galactic origins."

Researchers capture first 'image' of a dark matter web that connects galaxies. This study seriously challenges Modified Newtonian Dynamics. MOND theories are, collectively, the main alternative to dark matter as an explication of large-scale (galactic and larger) cosmic behaviors. That's not to say the new study determined anything about what dark matter itself -- if it truly exists -- might be.

Merely an artist's conception, alas
Discovery! Atmosphere Spotted on Nearly Earth-Size Exoplanet in First. That title speaks for itself.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Short and sweet


Updated  June 20, 2017

 I haven't posted a short-fiction update in awhile. Tsk on me, because a bunch is on its way ...

Upcoming in Analog:
  •  July/August issue: "The Pilgrimage." That's a Probability Zero (flash fiction) story.
  • September/October issue: "My Fifth and Most Exotic Voyage." This is an homage to, well, it's best I not spoil the surprise. Suffice it to say the novelette is both hard SF and quite the change from my customary work. 
(Update: "The Pilgrimage" has been rescheduled to the November/December issue.)

Upcoming in Galaxy's Edge:
  • May issue: "Nothing to Lose?" This short story has a touch of horror to it.
  • July issue: "Too Deep Thought." Another short story, this time with deep, philosophical roots.
A company asset?
And my debut in the Grantville Gazette (in the "Universe Annex" department):
  • May issue: "The Company Man." This novelette is a different sort of homage, a mystery, and, quite possibly, the beginning of a series. Think Dashiell Hammett meets Robert Heinlein.
Oh, and one of my favorite (and most popular) short stories, "Grandpa?", will be reprinted in the upcoming anthology, "Science Fiction for the Throne." 

Now if only I could figure out why the novel in progress remains ... in progress.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Post posting

Another year gone by! April 12, 2017 is six years from when I first compiled a list/overview of what were then the most visited posts here at SF and Nonsense. To my continuing surprise, Postscript (or is that post post?) was itself instantly popular. Six years later, it's number three on the all-time list.

Let the annual tradition continue.

Old posts ...
Here's the latest all-time top-ten list, which I've assembled from data captured a few days ago. The format is: title/link; posting date; last year's rank in parens (if it was in the top ten); and a few words about the post content. Among these all-time favorites, there wasn't much change: it's the same ten posts, with the order among only the lower ranked posts slightly shuffled.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

MORE up in the sky

Just to be different, in this space-centric post we'll start far away and work our way back home.

Black-hole jets
To begin in the distance, consider this truly amazing nursery for stars: "Stars Born Inside Violent Black Hole Jets Spotted for the 1st Time." The takeaway quotes:

"Astronomers have thought for a while that conditions within these outflows could be right for star formation, but no one has seen it actually happening, as it’s a very difficult observation ..."

      and:

"If star formation is really occurring in most galactic outflows, as some theories predict, then this would provide a completely new scenario for our understanding of galaxy evolution ..."