DOCSLIB.ORG

Strangest of All

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Strangest of All Strangest of All 1 Strangest of All TRANGEST OF LL AnthologyS of astrobiological science A fiction ed. Julie Nov!"o ! Euro#ean Astrobiology $nstitute Features G. %avid Nordley& Geoffrey Landis& Gregory 'enford& Tobias S. 'uc"ell& (eter Watts and %. A. *iaolin S#ires. + Strangest of All , Strangest of All Edited originally for the #ur#oses of 'EACON +.+.& a/conference of the Euro#ean Astrobiology $nstitute 0EA$1. -o#yright 0-- 'Y-N--N% 4..1 +.+. Julie No !"o ! 2ou are free to share this 5or" as a 5hole as long as you gi e the ap#ro#riate credit to its creators. 6o5ever& you are #rohibited fro7 using it for co77ercial #ur#oses or sharing any 7odified or deri ed ersions of it. 8ore about this #articular license at creati eco77ons.org9licenses9by3nc3nd94.0/legalcode. While this 5or" as a 5hole is under the -reati eCo77ons Attribution3 NonCo77ercial3No%eri ati es 4.0 $nternational license, note that all authors retain usual co#yright for the indi idual wor"s. :$ntroduction; < +.+. by Julie No !"o ! :)ar& $ce& Egg& =ni erse; < +..+ by G. %a id Nordley :$nto The 'lue Abyss; < 1>>> by Geoffrey A. Landis :'ac"scatter; < +.1, by Gregory 'enford :A Jar of Good5ill; < +.1. by Tobias S. 'uc"ell :The $sland; < +..> by (eter )atts :SET$ for (rofit; < +..? by Gregory 'enford :'ut& Still& $ S7ile; < +.1> by %. A. Xiaolin S#ires :After5ord; < +.+. by Julie No !"o ! :8artian Fe er; < +.1> by Julie No !"o ! 4 Strangest of All :@this strangest of all things that ever ca7e to earth fro7 outer space 7ust ha e fallen 5hile $ 5as sitting there, isible to 7e had $ only loo"ed u# as it #assed.; A H. G. Wells, The War of The Worlds (1?>?1 B Strangest of All Table of Contents Introduction (Julie Nováková)...............................................7 War, Ice, Egg, Universe (G. David Nordle )......................!" The alluring worlds beneath the ice..........................................7# Into the Blue A' ss (Geo(re Landis)...............................*+ Under pressure.......................................................................!!, %ackscatter (Gregor Benford)..........................................!!* In a belt far, far away............................................................!,# & Jar of Good/ill (0o'ias S. Buckell)...............................!"! Black forests wrapped in green mist.......................................!2! 0he Island (3eter Watts).....................................................!2" Thinking big: Dyson spheres..................................................+"7 SE0I for Pro4t (Gregor Benford).....................................+5" The great listening, and the great silence...............................+7! %ut, Still, I Smile (D. A. Xiaolin Spires)............................278 Deadly paperclips & other paradox solution attempts............#!5 &-ter/ord (Julie Nováková)...............................................### 9artian Fever (Julie Nováková).........................................##" &'out E&I..............................................................................379 %E&;<N 2021.......................................................................#*! &ckno/ledgments................................................................#*# C Strangest of All Introduction Julie No !"o ! $s anyone out thereD This is an age3old Euestion we are yet to answer. S#eculation on alien life is nothing ne5. The Gree" ato7ists considered the #lurality of worlds and :other earths inhabited1 th by different tribes of 7en and breeds of beasts; F 1C century $talian #riest and occultist Giordano+ 'runo s#eculated about :infinite 7ultitude of 5orlds; F the fa7ous #hiloso#her $77anuel Gant wrote in his -ritiEue of (ure Reason that he would bet everything that at least so7e of the known #lanets were inhabited. Nor is science fiction working with the idea of life elsewhere or not Euite as3we3kno53it anything ne5. One of the first such 5orks was #enned by the great Johannes Ge#ler hi7self and #ublished #osthu7ously. The novel So7niu7 tells a story of a boy, who’d studied astrono7y with Tycho 'rahe& and the boy’s witch 7other& who had learned fro7 a de7on that the 8oon 0:Le ania;1 is inhabited. They both undertake the shocking Iourney to visit it& and there is an abundance of descri#tion of both the creatures of the 8oon and A in this case Euite accurately, in accord with scienceth of ththat ti7e A the Earth seen fro7 there. The 1J and 1? century sa5 an increase of stories of life elsewhere in s#ace& and after the birth of 7odern science 1 2 Lucretius in %e Reru7 Natura. $n %e lK$nfinito& Uni erso e 8ondi 0On the $nfinite& Uni erse & Worlds1. J Strangest of All th fiction in the 1> century, the idea was fully etched in #eo#le’s 7inds. Nor is the idea of life outside of our Earth li7ited to the Westernth world. For instance& a Ja#anese fol" tale fro7 the 1. century, The Tale of The 'a7boo -utter& follows a 8oon (rincess who had grown u# on Earth with her ado#tive hu7an #arents& enchanted 7any hu7an nobles& but eventually returned to the ca#ital of the 8oon #eo#le. 6u7anity has al5ays #ondered the #ossibility of other life A and starting with the advent of 7odern science& we’ve been li ing in the first ti7e of history that can bring actual answers to this dee# burning Euestion. To so7e #eo#le& it 7ight see7 as if science were ruining the i7aginings of 7yth or science fiction A such as shattering the #ul# SF drea7 of lush green Venus #o#ulated with dinosaurs and s#arsely clad A7aNons A but the o##osite is true. While we’ve needed to substantially revise our notions of other 5orlds and chances of life out there& science had greatly eO#anded our horiNons in the search for life. We no5 kno5 of thousands of #lanets orbiting other sunsF with future telesco#es& we 7ay be able to ascertain if they have lifeF we’ve discovered hidden oceans with #otentially life3 su##orting conditions in our own solar syste7& and 7issions to investigate the #ossibility are being #lanned. $t’s like o#ening our eyes in a forest we’ve 5alked through every day of our life& and only now being able to gli7#se the ineOtricably linked networ" of roots& 7yceliu7& bugs and 7icrobes beneath our feet that 7akes the forest what it is A but we need the 7indset and tools of science for that. ? Strangest of All The feeling is akin to what -harles Darwin wrote in his travel journal fro7 the 6.8.S. 'eagleP :Delight itself& however& is a wea" ter7 to eO#ress the feelings of a naturalist who& for the first ti7e& has 5andered by hi7self in a 'raNilian forest. The elegance of the grasses& the novelty of the #arasitical #lants& the beauty of the flowers& the glossy green of the foliage& but above all the general luOuriance of the vegetation, filled 7e with ad7iration. @ To a #erson fond of natural history, such a day as this brings with it a dee#er #leasure than he can ever ho#e to eO#erience again.; That’s only one occasion of 7any. Fro7 each entry, the reader can see through the curious young scientist’s eye& 7arvel at the ragged to#s of the -hilean Andes& gaNe sur#rised at 7arine organis7sH fossils far a5ay fro7 the nearest sea& breathlessly watch the #eculiar behavior of re#tiles #re iously unknown to science. What a different observer 7ight brush aside as an uninteresting or even disgusting s#ectacle can be a thing of indescribable beauty to a naturalist’s eye. This is of course not li7ited to biology or STE8 fields. (robably each #erson who loves their Iob has so7eti7es wished other #eo#le would also feel the #ounding of their hearts and Ioy filling their chests as they sa5 a #articular light cur eF a dinosaur’s tooth; a #rehistoric aOe shardF a shred of old #ali7#sest@ This is where fiction co7es in, translating the often :dry” language of science into the eOciting adventure science ulti7ately is& but 7ay not a##ear at first sight. The stories included in this anthology are not only engaging fro7 the casual reader’s #ers#ective& but offer us > Strangest of All food for thought in ter7s of science. 6ighlighting fiction with interesting 0and 7ostly close to accurate1 science is nothing new. Astrono7er& author and educator Andre5 Fraknoi has co7#leted an i7#ressive& occasionally u#dated list of science fiction 5orks with interesting astrono7y 0and related the7es1. $t’s co77endable wor" and $ highly reco77end it for teachers and #eo#le active in science outreach in general. (hysicist Ja7es Gakalios often uses eOa7#les fro7 su#erhero stories and co7ics to illustrate scientific #oints about #hysics and che7istry in his classes and #o#ular science books. While the su#erhero subgenre is not known for its scientific accuracy, that too can be used to drive the 7essage ho7e in a way that’s engaging, 7e7orable and easily understood. The ai7 of Strangest of All is to use good science fiction stories to let the reader accessibly learn 7ore about astrobiology. At the end of each story is a short #o#ular science co77entary highlighting the interesting astrobio the7es in it& fro7 the #ossibility of life on Euro#a to the detection of alien ci iliNations. Each of these sections also includes a fe5 suggested discussion, to#ics& Euestions or #ro#osed activities for the classroo7 . We #lan to build u# 3 $H7 not stating any grade here& because it can differ country to country. Ho5e er& $ consider 7ost of the Euestions fit for teenagers 5ith a #re ious interest in the in ol ed to#ics& or adolescents9students. They’re not for young children& sorry; but then& neither are the stories. $ 5ould have read the7 at #erhaps thirteen at the earliest& but that 7ay differ 5idely too. Just use co77on sense. Also note that so7e of the stories 7ay contain 0not eO#licit1 adult to#ics. A boo" intended for children 5ould be a great #roIect and 5e’re thinking about it& but this is not it. 10 Strangest of All on these in a se#arate #ublication later on; these are 7ostly a taste of what we’re #lanning in astrobiology outreach and education, and we’ll be ha##y for your feedback.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Hugo Award -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
    10/10/2017 Hugo Award -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia Hugo Award Hugo Award, any of several annual awards presented by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The awards are granted for notable achievement in science �ction or science fantasy. Established in 1953, the Hugo Awards were named in honour of Hugo Gernsback, founder of Amazing Stories, the �rst magazine exclusively for science �ction. Hugo Award. This particular award was given at MidAmeriCon II, in Kansas City, Missouri, on August … Michi Trota Pin, in the form of the rocket on the Hugo Award, that is given to the finalists. Michi Trota Hugo Awards https://www.britannica.com/print/article/1055018 1/10 10/10/2017 Hugo Award -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia year category* title author 1946 novel The Mule Isaac Asimov (awarded in 1996) novella "Animal Farm" George Orwell novelette "First Contact" Murray Leinster short story "Uncommon Sense" Hal Clement 1951 novel Farmer in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein (awarded in 2001) novella "The Man Who Sold the Moon" Robert A. Heinlein novelette "The Little Black Bag" C.M. Kornbluth short story "To Serve Man" Damon Knight 1953 novel The Demolished Man Alfred Bester 1954 novel Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury (awarded in 2004) novella "A Case of Conscience" James Blish novelette "Earthman, Come Home" James Blish short story "The Nine Billion Names of God" Arthur C. Clarke 1955 novel They’d Rather Be Right Mark Clifton and Frank Riley novelette "The Darfsteller" Walter M. Miller, Jr. short story "Allamagoosa" Eric Frank Russell 1956 novel Double Star Robert A. Heinlein novelette "Exploration Team" Murray Leinster short story "The Star" Arthur C.
    [Show full text]
  • Fly High Dive Deep
    FLY HIGH DIVE DEEP COMMERCIAL DIVING REMOTE OPERATED VEHICLES SPACE EXPLORATION HUMAN LIFE SCIENCE WWW.BLUEABYSS.UK THE PROMISE Blue Abyss is among the most ground-breaking projects of its time. Designed to support the commercial diving, remote operated vehicle, human spaceflight and human life science sectors, Blue Abyss promises to be Europe’s premier extreme environment research, development and training facility. This unique aquatic centre will house the world’s largest and deepest indoor pool, alongside: hyper and hypobaric chambers; the Kuehnegger Human Performance Centre; a micro-gravity simulation suspension suite for replicating the effects of weightlessness and hypo-gravity; amphitheatre and classrooms; cafeteria and 120-bed hotel. ASTRONAUTS AND “OTHER SPACE PROFESSIONALS WILL WANT TO COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO USE THE MASSIVE, YET CONTROLLED, ENVIRONMENT TO REDUCE RISK IN SPACE. I CAN SEE PLENTY OF INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS AND BUSINESS VENTURES STARTING LIFE WITHIN BLUE ABYSS. DR HELEN SHARMAN” FIRST BRITISH CITIZEN IN SPACE 1 Full onsite mission control, hypo and hyperbaric chambers Crane and lifting platform (30 tonnes) Training/experience mock-ups Pool 50m x 40m on surface Multi-level functionality including ‘Astrolab’ at 12m 50m at deepest point / THE MULTI-LEVEL POOL WILL CONTAIN 38,000M3 OF WATER, EXCEEDING ALL OTHER FACILITIES IN EXISTENCE BOTH IN TERMS OF VOLUME AND DEPTH. Image courtesy of Cityscape Digital 2 3 THE POSSIBILITIES Blue Abyss is a truly pioneering project that will extend the Blue Abyss is designed to cater for Space environment simulation possibilities for education, commercial and scientific research, on one hand, and freediving on the other, with a huge variety of development and training beyond anything that exists today.
    [Show full text]
  • Paolo Bacigalupi
    Paolo Bacigalupi Author, The Water Knife Council Member Lorelei Cloud is a member of the Southern Paolo Bacigalupi’s writing has appeared in WIRED Magazine, High Country News, Salon.com, OnEarth Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. His short fiction been anthologized in various “Year’s Best” collections of short science fiction and fantasy, nominated for three Nebula Awards, four Hugo Awards, and won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best science fiction short story of the year. His short story collection Pump Six and Other Stories was a 2008 Locus Award winner for Best Collection and also named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly. His debut novel, The Windup Girl, was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd‐ Laßwitz‐Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France). His debut young adult novel, Ship Breaker, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. He has also written Zombie Baseball Beatdown for middle‐ grade children, about zombies, baseball, and, of all things, meatpacking plants. Another novel for teens, The Doubt Factory, a contemporary thriller about public relations and the product defense industry was a both an Edgar Award and Locus Award Finalist.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Fiction and Astronomy
    Sci Fi Science Fiction and Astronomy Many science fiction books include subjects of astronomical interest. Here is a list of some that have been recommended to me or I’ve read. I expect that most are not in the University library but many are available in Kindle and other e-formats. At the top of my list is a URL to a much longer list by Andrew Fraknoi of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Each title in his list has a very brief summary indicating the kind of story it is. Andrew Fraknoi’s list (http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/scifi.html). Gregory Benford is a plasma physicist who has been rated by some as one of the finest observes and interpreters of science in modern fiction. Note: Timescape [Vista, ISBN 0575600500] In the Ocean of Night [Vista, ISBN 0575600357] Across the Sea of Suns [Vista, ISBN 0575600551] Great Sky River [Gallancy, ISBN 0575058315] Eater and over 2 dozen more available as e-books. Stephen Baxter Titan [Voyager, 1997, ISBN 0002254247] has been strongly recommended by New Scientist as a tense, near future, thriller you shouldn’t miss. David Brin has a PhD in astrophysics with which he brings real understanding of the Universe to his stories. The Crystal Spheres won an award. Fred Hoyle is probably the most famous astronomer to have written science fiction. The Back Cloud [Macmillan, ISBN 0333556011] is his classic, followed by A for Andromeda. Try also October the First is too late. Larry Niven’s stories include plenty of ideas inspired by modern astronomy.
    [Show full text]
  • Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
    ENINE PRIZEU WINNINGP AUTHORSL FROM ESTONIA, LATVIA AND LITHUANIA Tiit Aleksejev (EE) • Laura Sintija Černiauskaitė (LT) • Meelis Friedenthal (EE) Estonia Janis Joņevs (LV) • Paavo Matsin (EE) • Giedra Radvilavičiūtė(LT) Latvia Lithuania The London Book Fair Undinė Radzevičiūtė (LT) • Osvalds Zebris (LV) • Inga Žolude (LV) Market Focus 2018 Printed by Bietlot, Belgique Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of the following information. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018 © European Union, 2018 Texts, translations, photos and other materials present in the publication have been licensed for use to the EUPL consortium by authors or other copyright holders who may prohibit reuse, reproduction or other use of their works. Please contact the EUPL consortium with any question about reuse or reproduction of specific text, translation, photo or other materials present. Print PDF ISBN 978-92-79-73959-0 ISBN 978-92-79-73960-6 doi:10.2766/054389 doi:10.2766/976619 NC-04-17-886-EN-C NC-04-17-886-EN-N © original graphic design by Kaligram.be www.euprizeliterature.eu Estonia Latvia Lithuania The London Book Fair Market Focus 2018 EUPLNINE PRIZE WINNING AUTHORS FROM ESTONIA, LATVIA AND LITHUANIA www.euprizeliterature.eu Estonia Latvia Lithuania The London Book Fair Market Focus 2018 Table of Content Table of Content Forewords: Foreword ........................................................................... 5 European Commission 5 Estonia 6 EUPL Dutch speaking Winners Latvia 7 2010 – Belgium Lithuania 9 Peter Terrin – De Bewaker ............................................................ 7 EUPL Baltic’s winners: 2011 – The Netherlands Rodaan al Galidi – De autist en de postduif ........................................
    [Show full text]
  • Argentuscon Had Four Panelists Piece, on December 17
    Matthew Appleton Georges Dodds Richard Horton Sheryl Birkhead Howard Andrew Jones Brad Foster Fred Lerner Deb Kosiba James D. Nicoll Rotsler John O’Neill Taral Wayne Mike Resnick Peter Sands Steven H Silver Allen Steele Michael D. Thomas Fred Lerner takes us on a literary journey to Portugal, From the Mine as he prepared for his own journey to the old Roman province of Lusitania. He looks at the writing of two ast year’s issue was published on Christmas Eve. Portuguese authors who are practically unknown to the This year, it looks like I’ll get it out earlier, but not Anglophonic world. L by much since I’m writing this, which is the last And just as the ArgentusCon had four panelists piece, on December 17. discussing a single topic, the first four articles are also on What isn’t in this issue is the mock section. It has the same topic, although the authors tackled them always been the most difficult section to put together and separately (mostly). I asked Rich Horton, John O’Neill, I just couldn’t get enough pieces to Georges Dodds, and Howard Andrew Jones make it happen this issue. All my to compile of list of ten books each that are fault, not the fault of those who sent out of print and should be brought back into me submissions. The mock section print. When I asked, knowing something of may return in the 2008 issue, or it may their proclivities, I had a feeling I’d know not. I have found something else I what types of books would show up, if not think might be its replacement, which the specifics.
    [Show full text]
  • Bcsfazine #412 © September 2007, Volume 35, #9, Is the Monthly Club Newsletter Published by the British Columbia Science Fiction Association, a Social Organization
    The newsletter of the B.C. Science Fiction Association #412 $3.00 September 2007 Contents Condominiums with Aluminum Siding...........................................1 We Will LoC You............................................................................2 Advertisements................................................................................ 4 Calendar........................................................................................... 6 Around the World ........................................................................... 7 Masthead/Colophon/and other Wallpaper BCSFAzine #412 © September 2007, Volume 35, #9, is the monthly club newsletter published by the British Columbia Science Fiction Association, a social organization. ISSN: 1490-6406. Please send comments, subscriptions, suggestions, and/or submissions to Garth Spencer (the Editor), at [email protected] or Box 15335, VMPO, Vancouver, BC, CANADA V6B 5B1. BCSFAzine solicits electronic submissions, and black and white line illustrations in JPG or GIF format, and offers contributor's copies. BCSFAzine is printed most excellently by the good people at Copies Plus, at 1950 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, tel. 604-731-7868. BCSFAzine is distributed monthly at WHITE DWARF BOOKS, 3715 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6R 2G5, tel. 604-228-8223; email [email protected]. Single copies C$3.00/US$2.00 each. (Subscription/membership rates are given towards the end of this zine. This Month in BCSFA Friday, Sept. 14: BCSFAzine deadline – see Garth at FRED (from 8 pm on at Boston Pizza, Broadway near Granville) if you want to submit to issue #412 Thursday, Sept. 20: September book discussion at "Our Town" café, 245 East Broadway, Vancouver, starting at 7 pm. Book to be discussed will be a surprise! Saturday, Sept. 22: BCSFA party/meeting at 7 pm at Kathleen Moore-Freeman's, 7064 No. 1 Road, Richmond, BC V7C 1T6. See Mapquest or call Kathleen at 604-277-0845 for directions.
    [Show full text]
  • Confiction U.S
    Third Class ConFiction U.S. Postage PAID c/o Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc. Permit # 228 P. O. Box 46, MIT Branch P. O. Framingham, Mass. Cambridge, MA 02139 United States of America AT 1008 - PR2 George Flynn Po Box 1069, Kendall Sq Stn CAMBRIDGE, MA 02142 VERENIGDE STATEN VAN AMERIKA ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED FORWARDING AND RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Nominated for a Hugo! Nominated for a Hugo Award after its first full year of The Best of Hugo Award Nominee publication, Aboriginal Science Fiction is the successful new, full-color, full-slick magazine that’s changing the way SF is done. ABO's first twelve issues are already collectors’s o Aboriginal r* items, selling for a premium. ABO-featured authors and ar­ tists include Harlan Ellison, Orson Scott Card, Frederik Science Fiction Pohl, Connie Willis, Brian W. Aldiss, Ben Bova, Charles L. Tales of the Human Kind J 1988 Annual Anthology/$4.50 Grant, Ian Watson, Carl Lundgren, Bob Eggleton and many talented newcomers. Because we have nearly run out of back issues, we have Stories by: published a special full-color anthology. The 80-page anthol­ ogy includes 12 stories and 19 pages of full-color art from our Orson Scott Card first seven issues and regularly retails for $4.50. But if you subscribe for 12 or 18 issues we’ll give you a FREE copy of the anthology along with your subscription. How good is Aboriginal SF? Here is what people are say­ ing about it: “Aboriginal is unique even in the science fiction field, a labor of love with a very special, individual character, and always a treat to read." — Poul Anderson “ — the most daring, innovative sf magazine the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Journal.Finfar.Org
    ISSN: 2342-2009 Fafnir vol 3, iss 4, pages 7–227–23 Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research journal.finfar.org Speculative Architectures in Comics Francesco-Alessio Ursini Abstract: The present article offers an analysis on how comics authors can employ architecture as a narrative trope, by focusing on the works of Tsutomu Nihei (Blame!, Sidonia no Kishi), and the duo of Francois Schuiten and Benoit Peeters (Le cités obscures). The article investigates how these authors use architectural tropes to create speculative fictions that develop renditions of cities as complex narrative environments, and “places” with a distinctive role and profile in stories. It is argued that these authors exploit the multimodal nature of comics and the potential of architecture to construct complex worlds and narrative structures. Keywords: architectural tropes, comics, narrative structure, speculative fiction, world-building, multimodality Biography and contact info: Francesco-Alessio Ursini is currently a lecturer in English linguistics and literature at Jönköping University. His works on comics include a special issue on Grant Morrison for the journal ImageTexT, and the forthcoming Visions of the Future in Comics (McFarland Press), both co-edited with Frank Bramlett and Adnan Mahmutović. Speculative fiction and comics have always been tightly connected across different cultural traditions. It has been argued that the “golden era” of manga (Japanese comics) in the 70’s and 80’s is based on the preponderance of works using science/speculative fiction settings (e.g. Akira, Ohsawa 9–26). Similarly, classic works in the “Latin” comic traditions (i.e. Latin American historietas, Italian fumetti, and French/Belgian bande desineés) have long represented an ideal nexus between the speculative fiction genre and the Comics medium, one example being El Eternauta (Page 46–50).
    [Show full text]
  • Tor.Com, Which Averages 1 Million Unique Visitors and 3 Million Pageviews Per Month, with
    TORDOTCOM JULY 2021 A Psalm for the Wild-Built Becky Chambers Just when the world needs it comes a story of kindness and hope from one of the masters of Hopepunk Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers's delightful new series gives us hope for the future. It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend. One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. FICTION / SCIENCE FICTION / ACTION & ADVENTURE But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. Tordotcom | 7/13/2021 They're going to need to ask it a lot. 9781250236210 | $20.99 / $28.99 Can. Hardcover with dust jacket | 160 pages | Carton Qty: 28 8 in H | 5 in W Becky Chambers's new series asks: in a world where people have what they Other Available Formats: want, does having more matter? Ebook ISBN: 9781250236227 Audio ISBN: 9781250807748 PRAISE "This was an optimistic vision of a lush, beautiful world that came back from the brink of disaster. Exploring it with the two main characters was a fun and MARKETING -Long-term support for Hugo Award fascinating experience.” —Martha Wells winner Becky Chambers’ Monk & Robot series, including consumer & industry mailings & advertising targeting existing "I'm the world's biggest fan of odd couple buddy road trips in science fiction, and fans & readers of hopeful science fiction this odd couple buddy road trip is a delight: funny, thoughtful, touching, sweet, and one of the most humane books I've read in a long time.
    [Show full text]
  • Safe Transportation Systems for Sustainable Commercial Human Spaceflight / Small Launchers: Concepts and Operations (Part II) (9-D6.2)
    69th International Astronautical Congress 2018 Paper ID: 47238 IAF SPACE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS SYMPOSIUM (D2) Safe Transportation Systems for Sustainable Commercial Human Spaceflight / Small Launchers: Concepts and Operations (Part II) (9-D6.2) Author: Mr. Charles Lauer Blue Abyss, United States, [email protected] Mr. Simon Evetts Blue Abyss, United Kingdom, [email protected] Mr. John Vickers Blue Abyss, United Kingdom, [email protected] A NEW COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SUBORBITAL AND ORBITAL SPACEFLIGHT Abstract After many years of engineering and development, suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight vehi- cles are finally expected to enter service in the next year or two. Blue Origin is already flying FAA/AST licensed unmanned commercial suborbital research flights from their private spaceport in west Texas and expect to begin testing their New Shepard vehicle with onboard crews this year. Virgin Galactic should begin powered flight tests on the second SpaceShipTwo in 2018 with commercial suborbital tourism flights potentially beginning in 2019. For orbital commercial spaceflight, SpaceX and Boeing should both be- gin flight testing and enter initial commercial flight service to the ISS before the close of 2019. These suborbital and orbital vehicle programs now provide a solid business foundation for the development of dedicated commercial spaceflight training programs to enable safe and enjoyable spaceflight experiences for commercial customers. Blue Abyss Ltd. is developing a dedicated spaceflight training facility and associated training curricula in Central Bedfordshire about an hour north of central London. The facility will be located at the former RAF Henlow base as part of a regional development plan for the Oxford { Cambridge Technology Corridor.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Overview
    Curriculum Overview Curriculum Intent By the end of Year 6, we aim for children to leave Priors Hall being: 1. Respectful and caring learners who can take responsibility for themselves and their part in local area and wider world. 2. Confident communicators who are articulate and able to engage in conversations with others. 3. Critical thinkers who find solutions and problem solve using their own initiative and prior knowledge. 4. Curious and questioning learners who are able to challenge, investigate and research effectively. 5. Understanding learners who are aware of how life has changed for people both within and outside of living memory. 6. Expressive and creative learners who are able to choose from varied mediums to express themselves. 7. Collaborative learners who work and interact well with others. 8. Ready for the challenges of secondary school and able to embrace opportunities that become available to them. Year 1 Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2 Dinosaur Planet Bright Lights, Big Moon Zoom Superheroes Paws, Claws and Enchanted City Whiskers Woodlands History & Science Geography History & Science Science Art & Science Science National History: Name, locate and History: Science: Science: Identify and name a Curriculum Learn about events identify Know and understand Identify, name, draw identify and name a variety of common beyond living characteristics of the the history of these and label the basic variety of common wild and garden statement memory that are four countries and islands as a coherent, parts of the human animals including plants, including significant nationally capital cities of the chronological body and say which fish, amphibians, deciduous or globally UK and its narrative, from the part of the body is reptiles, birds and and evergreen surrounding seas.
    [Show full text]