Krakatoa eruption of 1883 could be heard 3000 miles away.
Ramez Naam looks at the plunging price of renewable energy.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Science Links, 9/30/14
Astronomers believe they are watching the formation of a planet.
Krakatoa eruption of 1883 could be heard 3000 miles away.
Ramez Naam looks at the plunging price of renewable energy.
Doctor Joe with this week's It's Okay to be Smart with "Bats: Wonders of the Night."
Krakatoa eruption of 1883 could be heard 3000 miles away.
Ramez Naam looks at the plunging price of renewable energy.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Science Links, 09/24/14
Drones search Greece for archeological treasures.
New research shows that black holes may not exist. Note: This paper has not been peer reviewed.
Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson interviews Peter Diamandis of the X-Prize for Star Talk Radio: Part One, Part Two.
Annalee Newitz writes about dystopian science fiction, municipal governments, and urban planning.
India's MOM makes it to Mars.
Dr Brian Cox talks about the multiverse.
Europeans are drawn from three ancient tribes.
Water is observed on an exoplanet the size of Neptune.
New research shows that black holes may not exist. Note: This paper has not been peer reviewed.
Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson interviews Peter Diamandis of the X-Prize for Star Talk Radio: Part One, Part Two.
Annalee Newitz writes about dystopian science fiction, municipal governments, and urban planning.
India's MOM makes it to Mars.
Dr Brian Cox talks about the multiverse.
Europeans are drawn from three ancient tribes.
Water is observed on an exoplanet the size of Neptune.
Science Links, 9/23/14, yes, late
Ex-engineer of NASA and Tesla designed and a built a smart lightbulb. It can "see" ambient light and adjust itself accordingly as well as "remember" schedules and patterns in the house and "prepare" for use.
Infant solar system shows sign of windy weather.
Radiation strike slows down NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
Pharaoh-branded amulet found at an ancient copper mine in Jordan.
Apple acquires PRSS digital magazine platform.
Remote sensor technology expands knowledge of Angkor and the Khmer Empire.
Infant solar system shows sign of windy weather.
Radiation strike slows down NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
Pharaoh-branded amulet found at an ancient copper mine in Jordan.
Apple acquires PRSS digital magazine platform.
Remote sensor technology expands knowledge of Angkor and the Khmer Empire.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Science Links, 9/22/14
Hints of dark matter revealed by cosmic rays.
SpaceX breaks ground Texas orbital launch facility.
The invention of campfire opened up the profession of storyteller.
Audi and Mercedes Benz joins Google in having permits to take self driving cars on the roads of California.
To build a better form of armor, chemists made a molecule that resembles the Star of David that is based on molecules found in the shells of viruses.
Incredible new nanothreads could help us build a space elevator.
SpaceX breaks ground Texas orbital launch facility.
The invention of campfire opened up the profession of storyteller.
Audi and Mercedes Benz joins Google in having permits to take self driving cars on the roads of California.
To build a better form of armor, chemists made a molecule that resembles the Star of David that is based on molecules found in the shells of viruses.
Incredible new nanothreads could help us build a space elevator.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
The Best of the Rest: Image, IDW Solicitations for December 2014
Image Comics solicited for release in December 2014.
Remember what I said about Marvel comics writers worth watching for? Same list for Image as Marvel with a few more: Kelly Sue deConnick, Jonathan Hickman, Kieron Gillen, Rick Remender, Matt Fraction, J. Michael Straczynski, Brian K. Vaughn, Chris Roberson, Antony Johnston, Greg Rucka, Ted McKeever, Warren Ellis, and Kurt Busiek.
The first issue of Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue deConnick and Valentine Delandro. Kelly Sue is giving us a women-in-prison exploitation science fiction comic. She's good. This should be fun.
The first Dream Police collection by J. Michael Straczynski and Sid Kotian will be out December 3. So is Sovereign, by Chris Roberson and Paul Maybury.
Two titles are on their second issues: ODY-C by Matt Fraction and Christian Ward, and Prophet: Earth War by Brandon Graham, Simon Roy, and Giannis Milogiannis. ODY-C is a gender swapped science fictional retelling of The Odyssey. Prophet is a Rob Liefeld character that was his reclaiming of Marvel's Cable under another name. Later, Alan Moore made Prophet more a pulp character. When Brandon Graham started writing prophet's adventures, he made the comic more a French Metal Hurlant Moebius style story. Very druggy gonzo science fiction.
IDW comics solicited for December 2014.
Writers working at IDW that have my attention, even if I don't directly mention their book: Neil Gaiman, Larry Hama, Karen Traviss, Ron Marz, Chuck Dixon, Steve Niles, and Eric Shanower.
The collections of Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese start in December. (drool)
Remember what I said about Marvel comics writers worth watching for? Same list for Image as Marvel with a few more: Kelly Sue deConnick, Jonathan Hickman, Kieron Gillen, Rick Remender, Matt Fraction, J. Michael Straczynski, Brian K. Vaughn, Chris Roberson, Antony Johnston, Greg Rucka, Ted McKeever, Warren Ellis, and Kurt Busiek.
The first issue of Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue deConnick and Valentine Delandro. Kelly Sue is giving us a women-in-prison exploitation science fiction comic. She's good. This should be fun.
The first Dream Police collection by J. Michael Straczynski and Sid Kotian will be out December 3. So is Sovereign, by Chris Roberson and Paul Maybury.
Two titles are on their second issues: ODY-C by Matt Fraction and Christian Ward, and Prophet: Earth War by Brandon Graham, Simon Roy, and Giannis Milogiannis. ODY-C is a gender swapped science fictional retelling of The Odyssey. Prophet is a Rob Liefeld character that was his reclaiming of Marvel's Cable under another name. Later, Alan Moore made Prophet more a pulp character. When Brandon Graham started writing prophet's adventures, he made the comic more a French Metal Hurlant Moebius style story. Very druggy gonzo science fiction.
IDW comics solicited for December 2014.
Writers working at IDW that have my attention, even if I don't directly mention their book: Neil Gaiman, Larry Hama, Karen Traviss, Ron Marz, Chuck Dixon, Steve Niles, and Eric Shanower.
The collections of Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese start in December. (drool)
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Science Links 9/18/14
Monster black hole discovered in dwarf galaxy M60-UCD1.
The Chandra Observatory has found a massive planet that causes its star to behave older than it is.
Israeli archaeologist uncovers monument older than the pyramids, possibly older than Stonehenge.
Modern forensics shows just how Richard III was killed in battle. Sometimes, it's not so good to be the king.
The Chandra Observatory has found a massive planet that causes its star to behave older than it is.
Israeli archaeologist uncovers monument older than the pyramids, possibly older than Stonehenge.
Modern forensics shows just how Richard III was killed in battle. Sometimes, it's not so good to be the king.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Science Links, 9/17/14
NASA announces space launches from the US returns, courtesy of Boeing and SpaceX.
What would have to happen for the ebola virus to go airborne? (tl;dr: Don't worry about it.)
First suborbital launch from Richard Branson's New Mexico spaceport postponed to 2015.
NASA won't meet a congressional order to find ninety percent of near and potentially dangerous asteroids larger then four hundred and sixty feet in diameter.
Marine archaeologists begin an undersea exo-suit diving mission to better explore the wreck in the Aegean Sea where the Antikythera mechanism was found.
Scientists splice the human gene for language into mice. The mice learn faster.
What would have to happen for the ebola virus to go airborne? (tl;dr: Don't worry about it.)
First suborbital launch from Richard Branson's New Mexico spaceport postponed to 2015.
NASA won't meet a congressional order to find ninety percent of near and potentially dangerous asteroids larger then four hundred and sixty feet in diameter.
Marine archaeologists begin an undersea exo-suit diving mission to better explore the wreck in the Aegean Sea where the Antikythera mechanism was found.
Scientists splice the human gene for language into mice. The mice learn faster.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
DC and Marvel, December Solicits
I'm putting Marvel and DC together because I don't have much to say about DC. I want to like what they currently put out, but, overall, I'm disappointed. Didio, fix this.
DC Comics Solicitations for December 2014.
Someone at DC finally picked up the clue phone, as Gail Simone is once again writing the Secret Six.
Grant Morrison's Multiversity visits the Big Red Cheese in Thunderworld!
There is a Showcase Presents edition of Blue Beetle's series in the 1980's, written by Len Wein.
Sandman: Overture #4 by Neil Gaiman and JH Williams III is solicited for December. Fingers crossed.
Marvel Comics Solicitations for December 2014.
These writers at Marvel know what they're doing and do it well: Matt Fraction, Kelly Sue deConnick, Peter David, Kieron Gillen, Mark Waid, Jonathan Hickman, Dan Abnett, Jason Aaron, and James Robinson.
The first issue of Angela: Asgard's Assassin by Kieron Gillen, Marguerite Bennett, Phil Jimenez, & Stephanie Hans. This is the Angela Neil Gaiman created for Spawn.
Mark Waid writes a new SHIELD series, where he takes what he wants from the tv series and wraps it in the regular Marvel Universe.
The MiracleMan Annual with Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan is out this December.
Thanos vs Hulk by Starlin begins.
DC Comics Solicitations for December 2014.
Someone at DC finally picked up the clue phone, as Gail Simone is once again writing the Secret Six.
Grant Morrison's Multiversity visits the Big Red Cheese in Thunderworld!
There is a Showcase Presents edition of Blue Beetle's series in the 1980's, written by Len Wein.
Sandman: Overture #4 by Neil Gaiman and JH Williams III is solicited for December. Fingers crossed.
Marvel Comics Solicitations for December 2014.
These writers at Marvel know what they're doing and do it well: Matt Fraction, Kelly Sue deConnick, Peter David, Kieron Gillen, Mark Waid, Jonathan Hickman, Dan Abnett, Jason Aaron, and James Robinson.
The first issue of Angela: Asgard's Assassin by Kieron Gillen, Marguerite Bennett, Phil Jimenez, & Stephanie Hans. This is the Angela Neil Gaiman created for Spawn.
Mark Waid writes a new SHIELD series, where he takes what he wants from the tv series and wraps it in the regular Marvel Universe.
The MiracleMan Annual with Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan is out this December.
Thanos vs Hulk by Starlin begins.
Science Links, 9/16/14
Artificial spleen cleans up pathogens in the blood, everything for e. coli to ebola.
Scientists change their mind again and decide that RNAi may just be crazy enough to work. RNA interference suggest ways of shutting down protein production in the body, even when it's connected to with diseases that isn't affected by ordinary drugs.
And the spot for landing on a comet has been picked on the Rosetta mission.
This week's You Are Not So Smart podcast covers ego depletion, recharging willpower, and value judgements.
"Global warming"/climate change is shown to be responsible for this past winter's "polar vortex."
Scientists in the Netherlands managed to grow crops in recreated Mars and lunar soil.
The black Victorians: astonishing portraits unseen for 120 years.
Jetpacks of the future will enable soldiers to beat the four minute mile.
Scientists change their mind again and decide that RNAi may just be crazy enough to work. RNA interference suggest ways of shutting down protein production in the body, even when it's connected to with diseases that isn't affected by ordinary drugs.
And the spot for landing on a comet has been picked on the Rosetta mission.
This week's You Are Not So Smart podcast covers ego depletion, recharging willpower, and value judgements.
"Global warming"/climate change is shown to be responsible for this past winter's "polar vortex."
Scientists in the Netherlands managed to grow crops in recreated Mars and lunar soil.
The black Victorians: astonishing portraits unseen for 120 years.
Jetpacks of the future will enable soldiers to beat the four minute mile.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Because...Science!
Scientists successfully reset human pluripotent stem cells to the earliest development state.
DARPA wants to test satellite repair droids in orbit.
Paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim painted the most complete picture of the Cretaceous ecosystem from the Sahara.
World's first 3-D printed car built in Chicago.
David Barr Kirtley moderates a panel discussion of extreme weather in genre fiction with Paolo Bacigalupi, Ramez Naam, and Tobias Buckell.
DARPA wants to test satellite repair droids in orbit.
Paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim painted the most complete picture of the Cretaceous ecosystem from the Sahara.
World's first 3-D printed car built in Chicago.
David Barr Kirtley moderates a panel discussion of extreme weather in genre fiction with Paolo Bacigalupi, Ramez Naam, and Tobias Buckell.
Friday, September 12, 2014
What interests me in DH December solicits
Dark Horse Comics December 2014 solicits.
Just doing a quick look over the Dark Horse solicits for December and noting the things that interest me.
Horror has never worked for me as horror. The Hellboy and Mignola titles always make good dark urban fantasy, though: Abe Sapien, BPRD: Hell on Earth, and Hellboy & the BPRD.
Chris Roberson always entertains. Looking forward to his Aliens: Fire & Stone. Now will someone get the rights for and hire Chris to write a Thundarr comic? Please?
Steve Niles' Criminal Macabre is dark urban fantasy noir. Same for Eric Powell's The Goon if you add the qualifier "weird."
Dark Horse Presents #5 has a Joe Casey and an Alex de Campi story. SOLD! Alex de Campi also does Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out.
I'm looking forward to reading Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle by J. Michael Straczynski & Pete Woods as a piece. Gail Simone and Rhianna Pratchett co-write Tomb Raider, and Pratchett is another writer who needs to write more comics.
My heart thrills and cries. Stan Sakai closes on the end of his Usagi Yojimbo epic.
Just doing a quick look over the Dark Horse solicits for December and noting the things that interest me.
Horror has never worked for me as horror. The Hellboy and Mignola titles always make good dark urban fantasy, though: Abe Sapien, BPRD: Hell on Earth, and Hellboy & the BPRD.
Chris Roberson always entertains. Looking forward to his Aliens: Fire & Stone. Now will someone get the rights for and hire Chris to write a Thundarr comic? Please?
Steve Niles' Criminal Macabre is dark urban fantasy noir. Same for Eric Powell's The Goon if you add the qualifier "weird."
Dark Horse Presents #5 has a Joe Casey and an Alex de Campi story. SOLD! Alex de Campi also does Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out.
I'm looking forward to reading Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle by J. Michael Straczynski & Pete Woods as a piece. Gail Simone and Rhianna Pratchett co-write Tomb Raider, and Pratchett is another writer who needs to write more comics.
My heart thrills and cries. Stan Sakai closes on the end of his Usagi Yojimbo epic.
Science and Tech Links 9/11
Spinosaurus was fifty feet long and ate sharks.
A robot has captured the first images of the Great Pyramid of Giza's secret chamber.
First space vessel designed for tourists.
New fossil analysis places the origin of mammals back to the Triassic. Haramiyids lived in what would later be China some 200 million years ago, the same time that the first dinosaurs appeared.
New pterosaur fossil found in China appears to have a throat designed for scooping fish. much like a pelican.
Mars Curiosity Rover has reached Aeolis Mons, its primary target.
NSA threatened Yahoo with $250,000-a-day fine unless it turned over user data.
In a discussion of design going back to prehistoric roots, Roman Mars and 99% Invisible talk about the Acheulean hand axe, an object that hominids taught other hominids to make for a million years.
A robot has captured the first images of the Great Pyramid of Giza's secret chamber.
First space vessel designed for tourists.
New fossil analysis places the origin of mammals back to the Triassic. Haramiyids lived in what would later be China some 200 million years ago, the same time that the first dinosaurs appeared.
New pterosaur fossil found in China appears to have a throat designed for scooping fish. much like a pelican.
Mars Curiosity Rover has reached Aeolis Mons, its primary target.
NSA threatened Yahoo with $250,000-a-day fine unless it turned over user data.
In a discussion of design going back to prehistoric roots, Roman Mars and 99% Invisible talk about the Acheulean hand axe, an object that hominids taught other hominids to make for a million years.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Late Links
3,900 year old suit of bone armor found in Siberia.
More super-large dinosaurs discovered this week. The Rukwatitan bisepultus was discovered in Tanzania,
Egypt's mammal extinctions tracked over 6,000 years of art.
The legends of the No Man's Land between the trenches of the Great War/World War One.
New fortress on Zealand in Denmark looks to have been the launch point for viking attacks on England.
Digital mapping uncovers 17 newly discovered monuments and one 1.5 kilometer "superhenge."
More super-large dinosaurs discovered this week. The Rukwatitan bisepultus was discovered in Tanzania,
Egypt's mammal extinctions tracked over 6,000 years of art.
The legends of the No Man's Land between the trenches of the Great War/World War One.
New fortress on Zealand in Denmark looks to have been the launch point for viking attacks on England.
Digital mapping uncovers 17 newly discovered monuments and one 1.5 kilometer "superhenge."
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Run for the Border
Twenty-eight years ago, Borderland, edited by Terri Windling and Mark Alan Arnold, was first published. This was a shared universe anthology using an urban fantasy setting.The premise was simple: Something had happened to open the border between our world and Faerie. Some decent sized city was near the border when it happened, though no place is ever named, It can found anywhere in the world if one follows certain rules. Or not. Teens ran away to the Border to escape something, to find something, or to just experience magic.
Borderland starts with a story by Steven R. Boyett, just after a way between the Border opens. You see a town attempt to adjust after a cataclysm? An apocalypse? And the return of "elves" (but don't call them that.) Later stories jump ahead some time (but how can time be measured near Faerie?) and introduces us to Stick and Farrel Din, the Dancing Ferret and Danceland, and learn a little something about how people live, survive, and thrive in a town where neither the rules of science nor magic are reliable, where cultures, both world and fay, come together and try to build something new, something theirs, while dealing with the darker side of being human.
In five anthologies and three novels, Bordertown has introduced me to characters who are old friends, Ash Bieucannon, Wolfboy, Sparks, the Fixer and the Finder (Tick-Tick and Orient), Sunny Rico, Linn, Milo Chevrolet, the "Terrible Trio" (Strider, Sai, and Goldy), Screaming Lord Neville, Camphire, and too many more to count. I have eaten at Godmom's, the Hard Luck Cafe, Taco Hell (try the Meltdown Burrito), and Cafe Cubana for tea. I've danced at the Dancing Ferret, Danceland, and the Wheat Sheaf. I've seen Horn Dance and Lord Dunsany's Nightmare and oh so many bands who name the town home. I tell you all this to point out how real the writers made Bordertown for me.
And what writers. I've mentioned Steven Boyett, and if you haven't read his books Ariel and Elegy Beach and if you haven't read those two, are you in for a treat. In the first book he was joined by Ellen Kushner, Charles de Lint, and Bellamy Bach. In the second book, Bordertown, they were joined by Will Shetterly, Emma Bull, and Midori Snyder. I won't go over the full list of those who contributed to the Bordertown series, but a few of the other writers were Delia Sherman, Patricia McKillip, Steven Brust, Caroline, Stevermer, Jane Yolen, Cory Doctorow, Amal el-Mohtar, Tim Pratt, Nalo Hopkinson, Christopher Barzak, Holly Black, and Neil Gaiman.
This is early urban fantasy and, as such, owes as much to magic realism as to the mythic fantasy novels which is the ur-text for most heroic and epic fantasy today. Don't expect to find plot-by-the-numbers, but instead people who love and live so they must be real, which is the real magic.
This is the series that inspired the current urban fantasy trend and was read by many writers working the YA boom. The have a strong place in the history of the genre and and damn fine stories besides.
Borderland edited by Terri Windling & Mark Alan Arnold
Bordertown edited by Terri Windling & Mark Alan Arnold
Life on the Border edited by Terri Windling
The Essential Bordertown: A Traveller's Guide to the Edge of Faerie edited by Terri Windling and Delia Sherman
Welcome to Bordertown edited by Holly Black and Ellen Kushner
Elsewhere by Will Shetterly
Nevernever by Will Shetterly
Finder by Emma Bull
There is also an Audible.com audiobook edition of Welcome to Bordertown.
(Faun could easily be one of the myriad bands in Bordertown.)
Borderland starts with a story by Steven R. Boyett, just after a way between the Border opens. You see a town attempt to adjust after a cataclysm? An apocalypse? And the return of "elves" (but don't call them that.) Later stories jump ahead some time (but how can time be measured near Faerie?) and introduces us to Stick and Farrel Din, the Dancing Ferret and Danceland, and learn a little something about how people live, survive, and thrive in a town where neither the rules of science nor magic are reliable, where cultures, both world and fay, come together and try to build something new, something theirs, while dealing with the darker side of being human.
In five anthologies and three novels, Bordertown has introduced me to characters who are old friends, Ash Bieucannon, Wolfboy, Sparks, the Fixer and the Finder (Tick-Tick and Orient), Sunny Rico, Linn, Milo Chevrolet, the "Terrible Trio" (Strider, Sai, and Goldy), Screaming Lord Neville, Camphire, and too many more to count. I have eaten at Godmom's, the Hard Luck Cafe, Taco Hell (try the Meltdown Burrito), and Cafe Cubana for tea. I've danced at the Dancing Ferret, Danceland, and the Wheat Sheaf. I've seen Horn Dance and Lord Dunsany's Nightmare and oh so many bands who name the town home. I tell you all this to point out how real the writers made Bordertown for me.
And what writers. I've mentioned Steven Boyett, and if you haven't read his books Ariel and Elegy Beach and if you haven't read those two, are you in for a treat. In the first book he was joined by Ellen Kushner, Charles de Lint, and Bellamy Bach. In the second book, Bordertown, they were joined by Will Shetterly, Emma Bull, and Midori Snyder. I won't go over the full list of those who contributed to the Bordertown series, but a few of the other writers were Delia Sherman, Patricia McKillip, Steven Brust, Caroline, Stevermer, Jane Yolen, Cory Doctorow, Amal el-Mohtar, Tim Pratt, Nalo Hopkinson, Christopher Barzak, Holly Black, and Neil Gaiman.
This is early urban fantasy and, as such, owes as much to magic realism as to the mythic fantasy novels which is the ur-text for most heroic and epic fantasy today. Don't expect to find plot-by-the-numbers, but instead people who love and live so they must be real, which is the real magic.
This is the series that inspired the current urban fantasy trend and was read by many writers working the YA boom. The have a strong place in the history of the genre and and damn fine stories besides.
Borderland edited by Terri Windling & Mark Alan Arnold
Bordertown edited by Terri Windling & Mark Alan Arnold
Life on the Border edited by Terri Windling
The Essential Bordertown: A Traveller's Guide to the Edge of Faerie edited by Terri Windling and Delia Sherman
Welcome to Bordertown edited by Holly Black and Ellen Kushner
Elsewhere by Will Shetterly
Nevernever by Will Shetterly
Finder by Emma Bull
There is also an Audible.com audiobook edition of Welcome to Bordertown.
(Faun could easily be one of the myriad bands in Bordertown.)
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