Archive for category Books & Literature

Another Science Fiction

Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962 by Megan PrelingerWhen I was contemplating starting a “space and culture” blog back in 2006 (Common Themes, which became this blog you see here), one of my inspirations was “Space Age” advertisements from the 1950s-1970s. I have a collection of advertising books from those decades, and a copy of Science Magazine with the initial moon rock findings from Apollo 11 (basically, LPSC #1) with some spectacular examples of horn-rimmed-glasses-wearing, white-lab-coat-sporting scientists forging ahead in the name of PROGRESS. I love this stuff. I have a whole category here for advertising, because it’s just so darn fun.

I love the “future that never was” because hey, that future was pretty exciting, and a lot more optimistic than the grim realities of what’s happening right now at NASA. In fact, the “new vision” is so nebulous that one might say we don’t have a future in spaceflight at the moment. That may change, and certainly I hope it does… in the mean time, I have shelves of classic and modern science fiction to keep me dreaming.

Anyway, last week I was pointed to a fantastic upcoming book by two Twitter friends, linking to two separate, high-profile interviews and reviews — this author has a savvy publicist!! — and all I could think was, “at last, someone wrote a book FOR ME!” This book is Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962 by Megan Prelinger. I must own this book, forthwith. Or, well, forthwith upon release.

Martin ad

From “Another Science Fiction”

With article titles like “The Space Program We Almost Had” and “Reaching for the Stars When Space Was a Thrill”, it’s clear that this book release has struck a nerve with the media and is uncannily timed (unintentionally, I’m sure.) Even impossibilities seem possible in hindsight, and I’d be willing to bet many people besides myself are looking backward and shaking our heads. (And in the mean time, Russia has realized they can charge whatever they want to ferry NASA astronauts to the space station, because hey, WHAT CHOICE DO WE HAVE? Um, none.)

I missed out on Apollo completely, and even most sci-fi I read was written before I was born. I long for the Space Age, having never experienced it personally. I’m a child of the Space Shuttle, and my era is ending, with nothing to replace it (on NASA’s part; full well I know that the next era will most likely be commercial, and I embrace that future with open arms. Maybe I’ll even get to go somewhere in my lifetime. Viva la space tourist!)

Which is all a really long way of saying, I really look forward to Another Science Fiction, and I can already tell I’ll be loving it from cover to cover. Preorder it on Amazon — it comes out on May 1st!

By purchasing this book through my links, I may possibly get an Amazon Affiliates payout… in another year or two. For more information, click here.

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Poetry Corner

Field of Rosette

Credit & Copyright: Rogelio Bernal Andreo (Deep Sky Colors), deepskycolors.com

Thought I’d share yesterday’s lovely Valentine-y APOD with you all, and… some of my poetry. Starting with the older stuff first to shame myself into finishing some new stuff.

Sonnet #2 – On the stars

O what could be the color of a star?
These velvet skies, all strewn with broken glass
So distanced, merely guess at where they are
Omniscient flames that watch what comes to pass.
Some say a goddess shot them from a bow
They scattered from her fingertips like sand
To drift down through the heavens, diamond snow
Like crystal violets falling from her hand.
They twinkle with their carefree voices calling
We listen, but they never seem to mind.
Sometimes you see a gleaming fragment falling
And trailing astral glitter-gems behind.
Tonight I reach for heaven as I must
And try to catch the falling silver dust.

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To The Stars!

First Spaceship on Venus

First Spaceship on Venus (from the 1960 East Germany/Poland film)

Handpicking a few — just a few — from Dark Roasted Blend’s latest installment of their “Retro Future: To the Stars!” series of fantastic retro space art.

"The War Against The Rull" by A. E. Van Vogt

Fragment of the cover of The War Against The Rull by A. E. Van Vogt; image via modern_fred @ Flickr

These three are my favorites from this round; I find the space cowboys especially charming:

Fragment of the Grosset & Dunlap 1950 "Book of Model Spaceships"

Fragment of the Grosset & Dunlap 1950 Book of Model Spaceships

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Paper Astronaut

Paper AstronautI found this little gem over in the craft section of the nearest Barnes & Noble. Paper Astronaut: The Paper Spacecraft Mission Manual is packed full of information, with some punch-outs in the back to assemble various spacecraft. I was surprised by how much of the book was info, and how relatively little of it was craft materials — it’s even got a foreword by Buzz Aldrin! It certainly wasn’t what I expected to find in the collage and papercraft section, and I’m delighted by how educational it is (speaking from experience with space-themed origami books and the like.)

This review sums it up pretty well:

“By the time you’re finished assembling paper models of spacecraft from the book’s meticulously die-cut blueprints, you’ll be intimately familiar with many of the details of 20 different iconic spacecraft, as well as the broad arc of space exploration history and the basic principles of spaceflight. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s certainly a blast.” ~SeedMagazine.com

I don’t often plug things so heavily, but if I had a little space cadet, I’d be buying them this for Christmas. It utterly charmed me — a delightful gift for any age!

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Book of Space Adventures

Book of Space Adventures, 1966

Another interesting find, hat tip to Etherbrian for sharing! :D

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Stars, by Robert Frost

Star Forming Region LH 95

Star Forming Region LH 95

STARS

How countlessly they congregate
O’er our tumultuous snow,
Which flows in shapes as tall as trees
When wintry winds do blow!–

As if with keenness for our fate,
Our faltering few steps on
To white rest, and a place of rest
Invisible at dawn,–

And yet with neither love nor hate,
Those stars like some snow-white
Minerva’s snow-white marble eyes
Without the gift of sight.

— Robert Frost

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40th

Another round Apollo 11 anniversary, another plethora of book releases on the subject. (Not that I’m complaining, mind you!) Here are NINE that caught my eye… and yes, I probably WILL want to buy most, if not all of them. Especially the Alan Bean and the Andrew Chaikin books. The Haynes manual cracks me up, I think that’s a must.

Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences, by Andrew Chaikin Apollo: Through the Eyes of the Astronauts, by Robert Jacobs (Author), Michael Cabbage (Introduction), Stephen Hawking (Foreword), Lucy Hawking (Foreword) Alan Bean, Painting Apollo: First Artist on Another World, by Alan Bean
One Giant Leap: Apollo 11 Remembered, by Piers Bizony Missions to the Moon, by Rod Pyle Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon, by Andrew Chaikin (Author), Alan Bean (Illustrator)
Apollo Expeditions to the Moon: The NASA History, by Edgar M. Cortright (Editor) Spacesuits: Within the Collections of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, by Amanda Young (Author), Mark Avino (Photographer) NASA Apollo 11 Owners' Workshop Manual: 1969 (including Saturn V, CM-107, SM-107, LM-5), by Christopher Riley (Author), Philip Dolling (Author)

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Tea Girl

Tea Girl

This lovely artwork goes with the WorldCon Nippon 2007 science fiction convention (WorldCons are where the prestigious Hugo is awarded.) It is a striking juxtaposition of traditional Japanese culture and futuristic spaceships.

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NASA Turns 50

NASA @ 50 Years

Today marks NASA’s 50th anniversary. It also marks the release of their space art collection in book form, NASA/ART: 50 Years of Exploration! Here’s to a great 50 years, and hopefully to another legacy-filled 50 years to come.

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Science fiction anthologies, part 2

Masterpieces

I was gently reminded last week that my book reviews and related posts are, as relevant as I might think them, changing the focus of this blog, so I aim to stop after this post. Having recommended some new things last week, I felt it would be leaving this subject incomplete if I didn’t mention some old things, newly compiled, republished or otherwise presented for your review.

Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century is an anthology from 2001, edited by Orson Scott Card. I admit, this fact alone was enough for me to pick it up! There’s some terrific classics in here — Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed by Ray Bradbury is one of my favorites. “All You Zombies—” by Robert Heinlein is a mind-twisting time-travel tale that makes what Douglas Adams did to Zaphod Beeblebrox’s family tree look positively amateur.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One

Another great set of compilations is The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, sharing stories from 1929-1964. Volume One (which I own and love) is pictured here. Volumes Two A and Two B are available in hardback, and were originally published in 1973 “to honor novellas that had come before the institution of the Nebula Awards.”

Volume One’s short stories hail from the same span of years (1929-1964): “Selected by a vote of the membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), these 26 reprints represent the best, most important, and most influential stories and authors in the field.” Indeed, this volume is full of great stuff — Scanners Live in Vain! by Cordwainer Smith and The Weapon Shop by A. E. van Vogt are fantastic, and Fondly Fahrenheit by Alfred Bester will tie your grey matter into several complex knots. In a good way, I mean.

Classic science fiction is just as enjoyable today as it was when first published, especially the stuff presented in the above anthologies. Do yourself a favor and check them out!

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