A Mission to Mars: Are You In?

To Infinity And Beyond!

Who knew that infinity stopped at 135? Two weeks ago this Friday, NASA launched the last mission of the undeniably iconic Space Shuttle program. While I'm sure plenty of older folks associate NASA with Apollo, the program that put man on the moon but for us children of the 80s and 90s, the Space Shuttle was our ticket to the stars.

But now it's gone, and with it, the promise of government-sponsored manned spaceflight, at least for the near future. Sure NASA still has interesting programs - the Juno Project, the Cassini-Huygens Mission, the Mars Science Laboratory, even the ARES Rocket - but all of those efforts are about bringing there to us, not taking us to there. As of a fortnight ago, tomorrow's scientists and science fiction authors were relegated to thinking about sitting at home while robotic instruments boldly go where no man has gone before (and probably won't for the foreseeable future).

Between the end of the shuttle program and the budget cuts threatening to hamstring NASA for years, there's no real way to know when humanity will once again set its sights on the final frontier. But while no one's really sure when we'll get there, everyone seems to agree on a destination: Mars.

Sure, we could go to the moon, AGAIN. But what are we really proving  by reaccomplishing what we were succeeded at over 40 years ago (and with much less sophiscated equipment). Or we could try for Venus, if you like 872°F balls of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. It's slight but there is a difference between sending a man to his death and sending a man on a very dangerous mission. Astronauts are crazy, not stupid.

Mars it is, then. But who will be first in line when NASA finally decides to get going?

To answer that question, I went to seven of the genre's best scientific speculators - writers who either specialize in science fiction (both near and far) or who spend their careers inching toward further technological innovation. The type of men and women who spend most of their waking hours thinking about where humanity goes next. And I asked them:

1a. If you were offered a chance to be the first person on Mars with supplies to set up a one-person self sustaining Marsbase (with the caveat that it was a one way trip and no guarantee that the mission would be successful), would you take it?


1b. If not, what would need to happen to get you on that spaceship? [It can be anything (a billion dollars for your family, a guarantee of safe arrival, a lifetime's worth of supplies, a colony of a thousand fellow travelers, a comet headed toward Earth) except the chance to return to Earth again.]


1c. Assuming we get you one planet down the line, what would be your version of "one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind"?

Find out who answered, and exactly what they said, after the jump.

Call for Comments: Brand Name Authors

Note: Not a real book.

Today's hypothetical for discussion - You walk into the local bookstore. On the front table there is a book with nothing on it but a "?" and an author's name. It's sealed in shrink wrap. Curious, you turn it over in your hands. There's no cover art, no description, no publisher icon on the spine, no author blurbs, no way to read a single word of prose without first paying the price of admission - let's say $20.

So knowing absolutely nothing else about the book, what name on the cover is enough to inspire a purchase?

My picks? In no particular order:

• China Mieville
• Daryl Gregory
• Michael Chabon
• Neil Gaiman
• John Scalzi
• Daniel Abraham
• Lauren Beukes
• Joe Hill
• Paolo Bacigalupi
• Joe Abercrombie
• Norman Partridge

Who are your brand name authors?

Call for Comments: The Old Weird

In genre circles, I hear a lot about the New Weird. Spearheaded by China Mieville, Jeff Vandermeer, it's part urban fantasy (mostly the urban part), part dark fantasy, part horror, all strange. I get it, at least mostly.

But what pray tell constitutes The Old Weird? Lovecraft? Others?

 

Actually Da Vinci's Notebook. Strange dude.

Doth a seminal list of Old Weird stories exist outside the dark pages of the Necronomicon? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Call for Comments - Quotable Quotes

This past weekend I spent a few hours at New York's Museum of Modern Art and left with the creative part of my brain both inspired and intimidated. Now, I'm not looking to place anything there but I may be able to put together a cool piece or two for the rather bare library.

So I'm looking for a few shortish quotes from seminal SFF works. I threw together the list below earlier today. I don't know what I will end up using but any and all suggests are welcome. Even I end up using a quote you suggest, there may even be a free book in there for you.

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one." - Ender's Game

"The enemy's gate is down" - Ender's Game

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed' - The Gunslinger

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." - The Hobbit

"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." - Neuromancer

"Reality is the part that refuses to go away when I stop believing in it" -Philip K. Dick

"One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them" - The Fellowship of the Ring

"Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die" - The Fellowship of the Ring

"What is history but a fable agreed upon?" - Napoleon

Bonus Points [and by bonus points I mean I will send you a free book] if you have a copy of The Yiddish Policeman's Union and can pull a specific quote. Something about the minute hand snapping off moments of eternity. I can't really do it justice, so any help would be appreciated. I also may need to pull some Norman Partridge off the shelf. Solid stuff there.

Any thoughts?

Call for Comments: How Do You Organize Your Library

As I'm sure you're tired of hearing about, I recently moved. That means 1000+ books packed up, transported, and unboxed

Now I've got 1,000 books and a wall to wall book shelf consisting of forty 18''x18'' square shelves. I'm also contemplating expanding it to be floor to ceiling and adding another twenty 18''x18'' booknooks but that would require another trip to IKEA. It may or may not be a necessity...

Partially Filled Shelves with Computer Station

Alternate View

While I'm unboxing and organizing, I'm still not sure how I want to shelf my collection. Luckily, I can compartmentalize books in subsets of 5-15 (depending if it's a Peter F. Hamilton Hardcover or a Charlie Huston TPB). Still what gets top shelf eye-level treatment and what gets relegated to the bottom corner?

So how about you? How do you organize your books?

Call for Comments: Anticipated Books for the rest of 2010

Last week I posted asked the internets what their favorite book was four months into 2010. There are still 8 months to go but for the most part, there won't be many new additions to the 2010 release calendar.

Given that the selection is now all but locked in (and Rothfuss and GRRM didn't make the cut), I'd like to revisit the topic of anticipated books.

Hypothetically, if you could only read 3 more books that will be released this year, which would you choose?

For reference, there is a great guide to upcoming books over at Locus Magazine's website. [Forthcoming Books]

Note: If any publishing outfits would like to send me advance copies of any of these books, I will very begrudgingly accept.

Here are my top three.

The Dervish House - Ian McDonald - I've got an ARC of this sitting beside me right now and if I didn't have so many other things to do, I'd be reading it right now. McDonald is one of the best cultural SF writers there are and his examinations of India and Brazil have been stellar. This time he takes on Turkey and if the book is anything like Brasyl or River of Gods/Cyberabad Days it will well be worth reading. If you like dense, detailed and not-so-implausible SF you should check this book out. Plus that cover is gorgeous.

Zoo City - Lauren Beukes - Moxyland was the suprise hit of 2009 and I came away more than impressed with Beukes's near future vision of South Africa. Zoo City is her sophomore effort and one I am looking forward to greatly. I've only heard bits and pieces about the book but there was a reason why I picked Beukes as one of my 25 Authors Worth Watching. Fresh, captivating, and provocative, Beukes is a welcome new voice in the genre scene.

The Way of Kings (Book 1 of The Stormlight Archive) - Brandon Sanderson - Sanderson starts his next fantasy epic. Sanderson, Abercrombie, and Rothfuss are the holy trinity of fantasy authors to debut in the last several years. Rothfuss and Abercrombie don't have books coming out this year, Sanderson has two. And The Way of Kings doesn't require 13 books of backstory. Need I say more?

Here are some other notable titles that just missed the cut.

Cover Art Not Final

Shades of Milk and Honey - Mary Robinette Kowal - Kowal is another of my favorite authors (and another on my Worth Watching list). The subject matter for her debut novel is just slightly outside of my comfort zone but based on the strength of her other writing, I will definitely be reading this one. Kowal's prose is elegant and efficient, pouring more emotion into fewer words and getting me to connect with her protagonists suprisingly quick. I loved her debut collection, Scenting the Dark and Other Stories and her dialogue is some of the most natural I've read, which even more impressive considering she is a relatively newcomer. Kowal won last year's Campbell Award for Best New Writer and she continues to prove she earned it.

Behemoth (Book 2 of the Leviathan Series) - Scott Westerfeld - Last year's steampunk Leviathan was absolutely fantastic and the combination of beautiful artwork and Westerfeld's alternate vision of World War I has me anticipating the follow up greatly. Leviathan's biggest flaw was that it ended too soon (YA books typically have inflated page count due to font size). I wish I could show off Behemoth's cover because I'm sure it will be fantastic. If you haven't read Leviathan yet, do yourself a favor and see what you're missing.

The Quantum Thief - Hannu Rajaniemi - Hannu sold this book (and its two sequels) based only on a few pages of work. I'm hesitant to put this into the top three because I have yet to see any concrete reviews but based on the early buzz, this is a debut book to watch for. The Quantum Thief makes its UK debut this September.

With Great Power . . . - Lou Anders (editor) - Lou Anders is one of the best editors working in the genre today and his name combined with the group of authors showcased in this superhero themed anthology has me salivating over this book. The only reason this book didn't make the first list is a numbers game. This is going to be a highly enjoyable book. Check out the full ToC here.

The Passage - Justin Cronin - I don't know if anyone would dispute that Cronin's The Passage is the most hyped book of the summer. I'm not sure if it's purely publisher hype or there is any substance to it but there is no denying that people are talking about it. I'm curious to read it but I don't necessarily know what to expect.

So that's my list, what are your 3 most anticipated books for the remainder of 2010?

Call for Comments: 4 months in, what's the best thing you've read this year?

We are one third of the way through the year and I am behind on my reading. Scratch that, not behind, woefully behind. My continuing goal is to read 50 pages a day or approximately 1 book a week. Therefore, I should be through about 17 books at this point. My sad total?

Nine and a half.

Now there are reasons for being so far behind. On the other hand, I'm not sure if I will be able to catch up this year. Or if I even want to try. I don't think it's really worth rushing through books just to read more.

So out of the paltry pile of conquests, which book has been the best? Right now it looks like Mary Robinette Kowal's short story collection: Scenting the Dark and Other Stories tops the list. The collection was short but stellar, proving why Kowal took home last year's Campbell award for best new writer. I'd suggest you read the full review here and possibly pick up a copy or two. Mary's debut novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, is coming out from Tor late this summer and one of my most anticipated books for the remainder of 2010.

At the same time, the book I'm reading (or trying to find time ot read), Ian Tregillis's Bitter Seeds, is giving Scenting the Dark a run for it's money. It's well-written, extremely fun, and developing into a fantastic example as to why the WWII alternate history isn't dead yet. Plus there are supermen and demons. (The demons are on the British side!) What's not to like?

But I don't really have too much authority to be judging the overall sum of genre work this year. To those of you have read more (and it's okay if you haven't), what book is sitting at the top of your lists this year?

Call for Comments: Reviewing Serial Books...

I just finished Kay Kenyon's Bright of the Sky. I'm currently crafting a review but I don't feel like I can define my enjoyment of the book until I read the subsequent volumes. While some serial books can be read purely as independent volumes, this is not one of those books.

So my question for you is:

When reviewing books that don't have enough individual plot resolution to be considered stand-alone, what are the most important elements to consider in your review?