WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

I have some very smart friends. You might even call them experts, in a wide variety of fields. And that’s lucky for me, a writer and jack of all trades, but master of none. When I set out to write a story that requires knowledge of something about which I know little—kidnapping, say, or psychiatry—a Google search will only get me so far. Good thing I happen to know the right people.

Let me say right here that I believe the old saw “write what you know” can only be interpreted to mean “if you don’t know, you better find out”. The world of SFR would be a bleak one if we only wrote about what we had really experienced. None of us have actually been in space, after all, and I doubt seriously that any of us have encountered an alien in real life. In speculative fiction of all kinds, imagination must stand in for actual life experience. That doesn’t mean our stories shouldn’t be based on some kind of plausible scientific theory or grounded in solid human emotional behavior. That is what we should know before we write.

On the other hand, if you propose to write about organizations or cultures or norms here on Earth, best know what you’re writing about. So, research. And friends with experience.

This isn't me, but, well, you get the idea--ask.

The experts I go to for help with my novels are separate from my wonderful (and very patient) critique partners (thank you, Laurie and Sharon!). Critique partners or beta readers are there to make sure your writing is on track—characters consistent, plot holes filled, pacing lively. It’s not your editor’s job, either, to notice if your psychiatrist hero is crossing the line with his patient, though a good one might pick it up.

No, for that you need someone who knows about psychiatry. For my first book, Unchained Memory, Interstellar Rescue Book 1, in which the plot revolves around a psychiatrist and a woman with memories of alien abduction, I had to know just how far I could push their attraction while she was still his patient before it became unethical. Fortunately, my good friend Joyce was a psychiatric nurse for forty years. She read the manuscript, gave me advice and sent me material to read. Her feedback was invaluable, and is definitely the reason I’ve had very few objections to the story on that point over the years.

In Trouble in Mind, Interstellar Rescue Book 2, an FBI agent must team up with a half-alien tracker to solve a kidnapping here on Earth. Before I started, I needed to know all sorts of details about FBI agents—what kind of guns they carried, how they operated in the field, what resources they would rely on, etc. (Believe me, it’s tempting to think we know all this from watching cop shows on TV, but we don’t.) So, I sat down with my friend Robert, a former FBI special agent who had worked in the unit responsible for investigating kidnappings, and he gave me the lowdown. I learned, among other things, that kidnappings perpetrated by a stranger are rare in the U.S. That chilling factoid led to Ethan being considered a suspect for part of the book. 

Fools Rush In, Interstellar Rescue Book 3, is set entirely in space, but I still needed some “expert” advice. Laurie did double duty here, reading the manuscript both as my critique partner and as my space tech advisor. Mostly she had to keep reminding me not to bleed Star Trek all over the pages.

In my latest WIP, Not Fade Away, Interstellar Rescue Book 4, my heroine is a nurse who works with the elderly father of my Rescue agent hero. She has a dog who accompanies her, working as her partner. I had originally envisioned Happy as a formally trained therapy dog, but I needed him to do some things plot-wise that are uncharacteristic for that kind of animal. My canine expert friend Beki pointed this out, requiring me to do some rethinking. Happy is on his way to becoming a companion dog with a talent for cozying up to old folks, but a dislike for my heroine’s mean ex-husband. 

I hope that’ll work. Because, of course, if you ask for expert help, you should take the advice you’re given. Even if it’s sometimes painful.

Cheers, Donna

"Tiny Little Life Forms"

So who remembers the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Data makes up a song while he's scanning for life forms?

I don't remember anything else about that episode, but I can't hear or use the term life forms without that song playing in my head. 

Last Thursday I attended a talk on "Finding Alien Life: On Earth, on Mars, and throughout the Cosmos" by Dr. Steven Benner, director of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Gainesville, Florida. This was an event sponsored by the University of Washington's astrobiology department and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. 

I'll preface this post by saying I attend every UW Astrobiology talk that I possibly can. I was a liberal arts major who loved science and space but was daunted by the math, and these talks are typically geared toward a nonscientist audience. I always find them fascinating and inspiring. The mere fact that there is an actual SCIENCE called "astrobiology" is enough to give me geeky little shivers. Benner said astrobiologists refer to their field as "a science without a subject matter." (And they refer to some of their *potential* research subjects as "Weird Life.")

With all that said, much of this talk *was* over my head. Though there was a healthy dose of entertaining scientist humor (including examples from multiple iterations of Star Trek) sprinkled in, the bulk of the talk was delivered in a strange language that consisted mostly of letters and funny little geometric graphics. My chemist friend who works in biotech (and attended the talk with me) was entranced. I, however, came away with the conviction that quantum physics is a walk in the park compared to chemistry. 

But there were parts of the talk I *could* understand, and some of those sound bites are worth sharing. 

He started off his presentation by talking about the growing interest in Big History, especially during this exciting time of accelerating exoplanet discovery. Here's a definition of Big History from Wikipedia: 

...an emerging academic discipline which examines history from the Big Bang to the present. It examines long time frames using a multidisciplinary approach based on combining numerous disciplines from science and the humanities, and explores human existence in the context of this bigger picture.

Big History looks at Big Questions: Why did the Big Bang occur? How did we get here? What is life? These are questions the field of astrobiology is particularly interested in. 

Benner provided a definition of life he credited to Carl Sagan: a "self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution." The last part of that definition is key, because without it, you could classify things like fire and crystals as life forms (examples taken from a discussion between Data and Beverly Crusher in another Star Trek episode). The key component lacking in these two examples is the ability to replicate imperfection. (Er, what?) 

Both fire and crystals can replicate themselves, and, like other life forms, their offspring will contain flaws. However, the flaws/mutations in a "baby" crystal are unique, and not inherited from the mother. Also if the baby has babies, it will not pass on its flaws. So according to this definition, they are not life forms. 

It's also interesting to note for science fiction purposes that Data would not be considered a life form by this definition. But Benner stressed this is merely our best definition of life to date. It may be that one day we'll discover something on one of those exoplanets, or even right here in our own solar system, that will cause us to revisit this definition.

After neatly boxing up life — at least for now — Benner went on to talk about how he and his colleagues search for extraterrestrial life and alternative life forms in labs right here on Earth. Benner's specific area of research is synthetic biology, and he is credited with being the first scientist to synthesize a gene from scratch. Applications of synthetic biology include developing treatments for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, and resurrecting ancient proteins from microorganisms. 

Extraterrestrial life, if it exists, clearly cannot be "observed" or "analyzed" according to traditional scientific method (at least not yet). Benner and his colleagues conduct their research via "synthesis." They explore the possibilities regarding life on other worlds by synthesizing life right in the lab — they try to gain a better understanding of life by creating it. 

This is where the alphabet soup came in, and it had some to do with DNA and more to do with RNA, and I'll leave you to research the particulars on your own. In closing I'll drop one more fun fact about Dr. Benner before turning it back over to Data — Benner is most known for his assertion that life may very well have begun on Mars. The essential little organic bits involved in the origins of life are water soluble, and the Earth was almost completely covered by water when life came into the picture.

I just love scanning for life forms. Life forms ... you tiny little life forms ... you precious little life forms ... where are you?

The Fun of Research - Not So Warm Bodies in Space

After watching Warm Bodies, muse smacked me in the head with a story that would not let go. For some reason it set itself in an asteroid field and on a mining facility. I don't know why. The story required the female MC knew something about androids to make it work, and with space station Venus Ascendant (Terms & Conditions Apply) involved, something set in space rather than planetside made a good fit. Don't ask me. Muse already knew where she was going with this. I just write.

Anyway, 7K in I realised this was going to need research. I'd skim read an article on ion drives being more efficient than chemical thrusters, so I pulled that in. An article on self healing skin from waaaay back got dredged up and added to the notes. I'd already used stuff on nanotechnology repair systems so that wasn't hard to include. But then I needed to know about what would happen to a body in vacuum.

We've seen the films, right? Total Recall (the Schwarzenegger version) and what happened to people exposed to the lack of Martian atmosphere? I remember an episode of Blake's Seven - no, make that two - where people shot out into space simply exploded.

 

But I doubted these were true. I researched explosions in space a while back after a fellow author complained over the special effects in Star Wars during the space battles. That led me to question anything I'd ever seen in films. And I do want to make my stories scientifically realistic as far as I can.

The wonders of the internet are you can find the information pretty much everything (and so no excuse for lack of research). Type in 'what happens to a body in vacuum' and one of my first results was an article by NASA. Which led me to believe the source was reputable and accurate, unlike a lot of things you can find on the 'net.

And it was fascinating! Did you know you can survive half a minute or more in vacuum without long term damage? I didn't until then. Of course, you pass out in a few seconds from lack of oxygen, which will probably be a blessing if you aren't rescued soon. You shouldn't try to hold your breath as it will damage your lungs, much as it would with scuba divers (something else I didn't know). You will die, most likely from lack of air than anything else. The moisture in your mouth and eyes would vaporize. Your blood would only boil after about 90 seconds of exposure when your blood pressure drops and your heart stops beating. You won't explode although some bloating would occur. You can suffer bad sunburn from exposure to ultraviolet light, but you won't freeze straight away - in fact, freezing would be your least concern. Your skin will go blue due to hypoxia. If you're rescued within 90 seconds and oxygen administered, you should fully recover. After that time, resuscitation isn't possible.

All these facts I devoured. This was proper science I could put in my story, and debunk some of the cinematic myths too. And the best thing? I'd actually already got most of it right by myself. True, my victim wasn't really human so I thought I could cheat on the biology side, but having actual scientific confirmation made my geeky little heart flutter. There's at least one thing I won't get picked at by the real science nerds. Well, I hope not...

BTW, since I also looked this up, a dead body in vacuum would not rot but become mummified due to the vaporizing of its moisture content. :P

If you're looking for reliable research sources, why not check out the new Research Lounge on this blog by clicking on the page tab below the blog banner. It's a great place to start!

Articles used in my research -
1. Human Body In A Vacuum (NASA)
2. What happens to the human body in a vacuum?
3. Outer Space Exposure
4. What happens to a dead body in space

Pippa's Journal

My monsters are back to school! Today is my first full day without them after seven weeks. Which means back to work for me. I need to tidy up my blog and website and page, get review hunting for Gethyon, check out dozens of tweets and emails about promotion...where do I start?! Plus the three short stories and one novella I've set myself to finish by the end of this year. Oh, boy...

Ping Pong
Donna, I hope you're feeling better now!

Research Side Trip

My Google dragnet recently scooped up this discussion on the Physics Forums: Space freighters.

It's a lively debate on how planet-to-planet--and more specifically planet-to-orbit--space freighting might be accomplished. I found it full of ideas for the SFR writer.

Magnetic accelerator launch rails?

Mass vs. fuel?

Earth to space tugs?

Yes, worth a quick look.

Websites Every Writer Should Know

Continuing with our Resource Week, author D. L. Jackson (LAST FLIGHT OF THE ARK, SLIPPING THE PAST) chimed in with these very helpful sites every writer should know.  Here's her list:

http://canblog.typepad.com/canbookmarketing/2007/02/make_a_book_tra.html
This is the Christian Author's Network, but they offer advice on how to market you books online. This is where I got the information to make my own book trailer.

http://www.slangsite.com/
This is great if you're trying to intepret what your teenager is saying or you want to get a feel for slang words to incorporate into your novel, or make you own slang.

http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx
Reference of where to submit your work from publishers to zines.

http://www.agentquery.com/
One of the most-up-to-date sources for agent hunting.

http://www.authorisland.com/index.php
This is a good site for authors looking for a publisist.

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters
Problems with your blog or google? Here's how I fixed the problem with my blog. Uber helpful for tech problems and they have forums and advice articles.

http://www.epicauthors.com/
Epic is an organization for E-published authors and the membership fees are decent, for people on a budget.

Thanks for the recommendations!  We'll add these to our sidebar, too.

From the (Space) Horse's Mouth

One Author: Two Great References

Continuing with Reference Week, I had to mention two books that have provided me insights into space travel and our space program as I never would have known it.  In writing a near future science fiction romance, time and again I refer to these two books by one authoritive author: A man who's been there.  

Do Your Ears Pop in Space?
and 500 Other Suprising Questions About Space Travel
by former astronaut R. Mike Mullane

On the morning of February 28, 1990, astronaut R. Mike Mullane flew his last of three shuttle missions, orbiting Earth in Atlantis. The launch was not without glitches. He describes the uncomfortable, lengthy hold on the launchpad due to weather conditions in clear detail and then those final giddy seconds leading up to blast-off. What happens next?

Do Your Ears Pop in Space? provides a wealth of detailed information about how things work in space--and the dynamics of getting there and back again--with questions grouped in nine easy-reference chapters:

1. Space Physics
2. Space Shuttle Pre-Mission and Launch Operations
3. Space Shuttle Orbit Operations
4. Life in Space
5. Space Physiology
6. Space Shuttle Re-Entry and Landing
7. Challenger
8. Astronaut Facts
9. The Future

At speaking engagements throughout the country, Air Force Colonel(Ret) Mullane has addressed everyone from children to business professionals. He's answered thousands of questions about space flight and NASA's space program.  This is a collection of some of the most-asked questions--some expected, but many surprising. Where do astronauts spend most of their time? Is it possible to snore in space? Can you sneeze in weightlessness?  Have you seen any UFOs? If a shuttle is stranded in space, can anything be done to save the crew?  Where do astronauts get water?  Does space flight spiritually change an astronaut?  Do astronauts get taller in space? Can pregnant women fly in space?

Although many of the answers and situations are quite funny, there is an entire chapter devoted to the somber subject of the Challenger and her crew, appropriately Chapter 7. I clearly remember the events surrounding the disaster, but this book revealed facts I didn't know about the incident and changes made to the program in its aftermath.

I highly recommend this books as a resource about space travel from somone who has been there. 

Riding Rockets
The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut
by R. Mike Mullane

If you want to dig a little deeper than the facts to taste the true flavor of what it was like to by a shuttle astronaunt (and a peek behind the curtain of NASA public relations), Riding Rockets may be just what you're looking for.  Released in 2006, nine years after Do Your Ears Pop in Space? it is often funny, surprising, ironic or biting, but sometimes frightening and tragic. Riding Rockets feels much more like reading an adventure novel than a dry autobiography.

With chapter titled The F***ing New Guys and Adventures in Public Speaking, you get an up-close account of life as an astronaut told in a frank, warts-and-all telling. Despite overwhelming five-star reviews, and brief endorsements by the likes of Jim Lovell (Apollo 13) and Chuck Yeager (of "The Right Stuff" fame) and Walter Cunningham (Apollo 7) which can be found in the front of the book, it hasn't been without controversy.  One review by John Kloss on the National Space Society refered to some of the hijinks described in Riding Rockets as "Animal House in space." 

A great read for inspiring ideas how bureaucracy and authority can affect space missions.

Monday Blog Tour: (Surprise) This Blog!

Since we’ve declared this week Spacefreighters Lounge Resource Week, we’ll be posting some of our most valued resource books, websites and materials and why they’re so important to our work.

In many ways, this is a “back to the future” opportunity. Spacefreighters Lounge was created in 2007 with the goal of becoming “one-stop shopping” for science fiction (romance) related research. We’ve since moved away from that theme to a more general SFR focus, so what a great time to revisit the original purpose.

We’ve done our spring cleaning and rearranged the sidebar to sweep away some of the cobwebs and clutter and bring one of our offerings to the forefront for this week’s “blog tour”, namely SCI-FI 101. There’s a virtual planetlode of information here that you could spend days perusing for your next inspiration. Let’s take a look

SCI-FI 101

Part I

Lesser Known Sites

About AI
The Artificial Intelligence Community website features the latest news on developing supercomputers, advanced algorithms, nanotechnology and thinking machines. The overview explains the definition and goals of AI. What is Moore’s Law?  “When will we reach ‘Singularity?’”  Even if you’re not into cutting edge science, this site is sure to stimulate ideas and What’s Ifs…

Atlas of the Universe
An overview of the universal time/distances and structure including our solar system, the nearest stars, our solar neighborhood, the Milky Way galaxy, other galaxies out to the fringes of the known universe. What stars or bodies are within 12.5 light years from our Sun? 250 light years? 5000 light years? 500,000 light years? What is the Orion Arm? Open Star Clusters? How do double (binary), triple, and quadruple star orbits work? See the animated illustration. Solid knowledge for anyone writing about characters who venture off into the great unknown. Includes a glossary and useful links. Drill down under each heading for a wealth of information on various topics from nebulae to a star chart you can print and assemble.

Ancient Empires
When we write about future civilizations, we often draw on our knowledge of the past. This site offers a wealth of archeological information, including a list of the Top 8 Unknown Ancient Empires. Have you heard of the Indus Valley site? Carnal-Supe? Moche? Hittite? (Maybe the Hittites, if you’re a Ghostbusters fan.) Let your imagination wander through time on the About.Com Archealogy site.

Anti-Matter Drive Theory
Also listed under Starship Design as Relativity and Star Ship Design. A technical discussion on space-time theories and star ship propulsion. Good reading for those who are interested in the principles behind of Einstein’s theories.

Astonomy
Explains the formation of the universe from Big Bang through the formation of the Solar System and includes links to a host of space agencies and many observatories. Good basic information, although somewhat suspect due to the ideas for Mars colonization proposed under “Where Do We Go From Here.” [Throw rockets with fertile soil, plants, algae and bacteria at Mars and in 20-50 years we can send scientists to start colonies. By that time there will be oxygen, warmer temperatures and an infant ecology.] Ah, yes, if only it were that easy.

Cosmic Log
A long-standing (since 2002) and frequently updated site of info on the cosmos such as the March 4, 2010 article A Giant Among Galaxies served up by award-winning MSNBC.com science editor Alan Boyle. Other recent features include How Quakes Measure Up (effects of the Chilean earthquake) and Pluto Finds its Place. The fun and educational links on Weekend Field Trips on the Web will keep you in a wealth of new information and ideas. It also features a long link of valuable links on just about anything to do with space and science. Written in easy to understand, often entertaining language, consider booking yourself as a frequent flyer on this site.

Exploration: Sea and Sky
I heart kids’ sites! The contest is entertaining and provides a great jumping off point for the muse to further explore ideas. I’ve made a study of underwater vessels and habitats a major part of my research, because of the similarities to humans traveling through undersea and outer space environments. The site is divided into these two realms. Explore the Sky includes topic areas of Space Exploration, Sky News and Sky Gallery. Explore the Sea includes Ocean Exploration, Ocean Realm, and Sea Gallery to name only a few. Dive in!

Forms of Government
What sort of government will control your colonized planet or alien civilization? Will it be a form of Authoritarian such as Despotism, Kleptocracy, or Plutocracy? Or maybe it will form a Futarchy or Polyarchy Democracy? Possibly it’s been thrown into Ocholocracy or Tribalism Anarchy. Wikipedia brings some light to the many sides of civilization in this brief but informative overview.

HubbleSite
An attractive, image-rich site that features galleries and photo tours, telescope facts, education and museums, and a Reference Desk that includes frequently asked questions, a glossary and conversion charts. Here’s a pop quiz. 1) What’s the name of the Hubble Telescope’s successor to be launched in 2014? 2) What is Fomalhaut b, how far is it and what did scientists find orbiting it? 3) What will be the major players in tonight’s sky? HubbleSite has all the answers.

Pyramids (Nova)
The Inside Story. How were the Pyramids of Giza built? Who built them? How are they laid out? How old are they? How are they excavated. Take a virtual tour of the inside and uncovery the secrets. The mystery of the Egyptian pyramids is explored in this fascinating Nova site.

Solar System Viewer
I gleaned some great information about planetary orbits and timing for my current work in progress from this animated site. Where will the inner or outer planets be at some point in the future?

Space Slide Shows (MSNBC)
Not in a mood to read?  Looking for some muse candy and eye-popping visuals? Check out the amazing photos in this list of space slide shows.

Space Telescope (European)
A slightly different perspective. The European homepage for the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

SpacePort America
Yes, there is a first-ever commercial spaceport now being built in the USA! In fact, it’s right here in good ol’ New Mexico. Check out what’s coming in near future travel, including the history, vision, challenges. The site includes some stunning imagery and factual information of where we are headed just a few years down the road. There’s even an online gift shop!

US Military Enlisted Ranks
US Military Officer/Warrant Officer Ranks
Whether you read or write science fiction romance, these US Department of Defense sites are essential for untangling the mystery of rank and insignia across the branches of military. For instance, did you know a captain in the US Army is not the same rank as a captain in the Navy? Is a Petty Officer an officer? Which two branches have the same ranks and insignias? What’s an Air Force E-5? A Marine O-4? Did you know Army and Marine officer ranks (not enlisted) are identical except that the Marines don’t have a war-time general officer rank and they abbreviate the ranks differently? Print out these handy charts for answers and quick reference to military rank questions.

Wikisky
An astronomy site that’s out of this world and one of my favorite “fly-bys.” Quick links in the upper right show you the latest and hot! views. Just hover your mouse over the link for a summary and click the link to get a “big picture” view. The “Getting Started” link explains how the site works. Your muse will love it.

Part II

Major Science News Sites

You could spend hours or even days wandering most of these familiar science sites, but we’ll list them here for convenience. Most cover the gamut of science topics including astronomy, breakthroughs, culture, health, nanotech, physics, space exploration, technology, and “weird science.”

• Discovery News   http://news.discovery.com/
• LiveScience   http://www.livescience.com/
• NASA   http://www.nasa.gov/news/index.html
• NewScientist   http://www.newscientist.com/
• PhysOrg   http://www.physorg.com/
• Science Daily   http://www.sciencedaily.com/
• Scientific American   http://www.scientificamerican.com/
• Space Ref   http://www.spaceref.com/
• Solar System Exploration (NASA)   http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm

We hope you've found some useful sites in our list of Sci-Fi 101 resources.  Do you have any favorite sites you'd like to recommend?  Please let us know, we'd be glad to add them to our list.

Spacefreighters Lounge Resource Week

Resources. As writers, we’d be lost without them. Whether writing about future worlds or far-off planets, social issues or wars right here at home, resources are an invaluable tool for making the pages come alive with authenticity and suspension of disbelief.

This week on Spacefreighters Lounge, we’ll be listing some of our favorite resources and why we found them useful.

We hope you’ll spy some rare finds in the list that might be just what you’ve been looking for.

Seriously Northern

Good morning, Yellowknife!

I'm doing research for my RCMP character (Greg Farr) in Outer Planets, who joins the mission out of a small town in the Canadian Northwest Territories called Yellowknife.  In doing various Google searches to learn more about the town and the area--population approximately 20,000...way, WAY north of Edmonton...big lakes...big trees...very cold--I stumbled across a photo blog that features some really unique photography taken by a resident of the town.  I love the flavor, insights and detail offered by these glimpses into everyday life of a town some...what?...3,000 miles north of my homestead in a very different environment. 

The title of my article today is the motto of a local airline.  And wow, does it fit.  Where I grew up in northern Michigan it was called "Up North" (I even have a t-shirt) but Yellowknife?  That's "seriously northern."

I don't need to know every detail about Greg's backstory, just a greater sense of where he came from and what forces shaped him. A feeling for the community where he lived prior to being packed off on a planetary research vessel. 

A picture is truly worth a thousand words but a collection is priceless.  Especially to a writer!  Just want to share a few of the postings (Sharon, I know you'll appreciate these):

sky  (And I thought WE had the bluest skies on Earth)
Inuit art  (I heart ptarmigans)
Yellowknife from the air  (Toto...we're not in New Mexico anymore.)
mural   :)
new mural   :) :)
logo   On Dasher....Oh, wait!  That's a caribou.
footprints in the snow  (Not sure why but this "coming and going" snapshot fascinated me.)
dizzy??  (Um...YES!)
courthouse window  another view  << what character!
chillin'   Mocs?...or mukaluks?
Yellowknife City Hall 
Greenstone building  (no relation)
Monday  (Want to know how to spell 'Monday' in Dene?) (I'm not sure what Dene is.  Inuit?)
Metal sculptures  (represents Drum Dancers on the lake side)
tree benchtable  (Cool!)
plane I will board  (First Air, based in Yellowknife)
Yellowknife turns 75   (Here's trivia for you.  What's the original name of Yellowknife?)

I look at these pictures and try to imagine this place thirty years down the road.  What will the population be?  Will many of these buildings still be standing?  Renovated?  Torn down.  The Great Slave Lake will most certainly be there, but what about the abandoned cabin on Main Street? 

Loved this! Yellowknife has an Aurora Forecast!

I'm no fan of the snow and the cold, but between this photo blog and the coverage of the Olympics today, I have this sudden an urge to go experience the culture of Canada.  Beauty, eh? 

I'm on a Campaign

Have you noticed?

My campaign is called "Putting the Science Back in Science Fiction Romance" and I've been posting articles about the space program and ship environments for several weeks now. Most of these articles involve undergoing research for my WIP in progress with the working title "Planets." I've discovered some valuable knowledge of the challenges of life in space, and I thought my blog would make a great venue to share the wealth.

Although hard science in SFR is not my thing and never will be, I believe using realistic details in my story, or imaginative details with a basis in science, is crucial. After all, science is Science Fiction Romance's first name. If it doesn't involve a scientific basis (with liberal doses of imagination applied, of course) then it's really futuristic fantasy or my favorite term FoaP (Fantasy on Another Planet).

Both of my earlier works pushed the envelope on the SFR a bit toward the fantasy and futuristic fantasy realms, but "Planets" by its very nature must incorporate a more--excuse the ironic term--grounded basis in scientific fact.

I hope sharing these links and insights with fellow Science Fiction Romance fans will help inspire your imagination as much as it has mine.

What's It Like in Space?

While doing more research for "Planets" I turned up this YouTube video of NASA Astronaut Jeff Hoffman's eyewitness account of his mission aboard the space shuttle which included repairs of the Hubble Space Telescope. This video is a valuable "from the source" account and includes some fabulous photography and fascinating details about life in space.

For a follow up article, see Confessions of an Astronaut from NewScientist magazine (Space section). I also highly recommend this magazine as a great source of research of all things space and science related and I'm adding to the list of resource sites at the right.

I've Adopted a Sub!

OK, it's technically not a submarine...yet. The USS New Mexico is a Virginia class fast attack nuclear sub that is currently in the construction phase. After reading Sandra McDonald's excellent novel, THE OUTBACK STARS, and thinking about all the detail she put in to her story based on her naval experience, I started doing some research on ships. I actually stumbled across the USS New Mexico via work (the entity I work for has administrative oversight of her promotional budget) and realized that a submarine and a starship have a lot in common, both being vessels with self-contained environments.

That's her crest above, designed by an Albuquerque student. The mountain range in the background is the Sandia Crest (we spent our Fourth of July watching the fireworks there). :)

Here's the link to the USS New Mexico website if you'd like to take a look. There's a lot of good information here.

http://www.ussnewmexico.net/crew.htm

New Reference on Governments Added

I just added a new link to the Sci-Fi 101 reference list in the right-hand column. A topic no red-blooded Sci-Fi/Fantasy author should miss...government! A great story demands a well-defined government to really muck things up for the protagonist, doesn't it?

Here you'll find an extensive list from Wikipedia of different types of government and links to more details on each. Ever heard of a Grand Duchy? A Grand Prince? What are the various types of Theocracies?

Go have a look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government

A Galaxy's Tail

Scientists have spotted a galaxy some 200,000 light years from earth that has a tail much like a comet, and--to quote a popular Sci-Fi movie--"It's full of stars."

The tail, another 200,000 light years in length, is believed to be full of incubating suns. Though this phenomenon is believed to have been common in the early universe, it's quite a spectacular find for modern day observers.

Check out the full story with photos here:

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/orphaned-stars-.html

Space Tornado?

An astronomical event was recently caught by the Spitzer telescope. It appeared to be a tornado in space! Read the story on Science Daily and see the video on this phenomenon here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006-05-08/

I admit it. I'm addicted to the fascinating images from Spitzer, Hubbel and some of our other deep space telescopes.

Odds of Extraterrestrial Life

This is a fun and educational article with lots of interesting links. Recommended for Sci-Fi writers and fans alike.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=BN_Extraterrestrials>1=10289

When Galaxies Collide

Four galaxies in a monster collision that might form the largest known galaxy in the universe. Story and photos can be found here:

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/nasa-photographs-big-galactic-collision/20070806172409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

The Life and Times of Light

In our universe, light may be the only thing that really gets around. Light brings us information in the form of detail from other stars and galaxies and distant points in the universe. We learn things about far-off places because of this light, and learn things about the universe around us because of the effects it has on light.

But the distances are so enormous that what we're seeing by the time the light reaches us is the situation as it was tens, hundreds, thousands, even millions or billions of years ago. Sometimes what we're seeing may have occured before Earth even existed. It is, quite literally, like looking back through time.

Imagine seeing your neighbor pick up the morning paper and wave, except what you are seeing happened yesterday, or a week ago. You don't even know if your neighbor or their house are still there, although chances are pretty good that they are.

The interlinking elements of light, distance and time are important ingredients in writing Sci-Fi. Suppose Starship X sees Planet Z through their futuristic high-powered telescopes, some 16 light years distant, and decide to go there. Planet Z looks like a great place to visit. Acceptable proximity to its sun suggests warm oceans, tropical vegetation, maybe even classy nightclubs. Just the place for the weary crew to enjoy a bit of planet-side shore leave. They plot a course using their hyperdrive, but when they arrive they discover Planet Z ceased to exist the year before. In order to visit, their ship must have the ability to travel much faster going to the planet than the light carrying the image of Z did coming from the planet, so the status quo is unknown until they arrive. What they saw was Planet Z as it had been 16 years before. Meanwhile, well...there went the neighborhood. The "messenger" was carrying old information. The crew may be in for a rude surprise. Especially if Planet Z was obliterated by an astronomical event or attack by another civilization. So much for their vacation.

Light doesn't always have an uneventful voyage as it shoots through universe. It can be affected by gravity, deflection, refraction and absorption. Gravity can bend it (as Einstein surmised in his Theory of Relativity), and black holes can swallow it. For light to be generated in the first place, some sort of event had to take place--fusion or an explosion.

Rough neighborhood, the universe. It isn't easy being light.

To read more:
http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm
http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node100.html

Space Slide Show

MSN has a great series of photographs from space. All different topics. This is a great resource for Science Fiction writers to add to their list of references. I did.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6955261/?GT1=10252

Imagination and Science

I heart The History Channel. I heart Nova, too.

Unless new episodes of Grey's Anatomy are airing, I don't watch much network television. Too often, however, I catch myself with rear end firmly planted on couch, gazing at some scientific documentary when I should be writing or revising. I can't help it. I love to look at science. I have little talent for "doing" science, but understanding how these brilliant minds develop theories and make hypotheses often captures my imagination and jump starts my muse.

Recently, I saw a documentary on History Channel with the unlikely title "How William Shatner Changed the World." I was quite sure I'd be making a face and reaching for the remote in moments. Instead, I found myself staring, wide-eyed, and nodding my head.

You could call the general theme "life imitating art" but it's more than that. The documentary illustrated how Star Trek, through sheer imagination, created a destination for Science to follow in developing some of our current technology. As early as the mid-1960s, Star Trek showed us sophisticated devices and systems. Many of the kiddos who were uttering "Cool stuff!" and "Neato!" started thinking about how those things could be achieved.

As a result, many of the top scientists and physicists today were those who cut their teeth on Star Trek episodes. They saw interstellar travel, communicators, tricorders, transporters, photon torpedos, worm holes...and it inspired them. They wanted to start building roads to those "shining destinations" that the Star Trek universe revealed. They sought education and careers that would take them where they wanted to travel, "to boldly go where no man has gone before" in the real world.

Today we have technology like cell phones, wireless communications, PCs, the internet, space exploration, and advances in the medical field that have brought Bones McCoy's futuristic sick bay much closer to reality. What if there had never been a Star Trek to set that course? What if some of today's brilliant minds hadn't had a low-budget television series as a guide to spur their ambition? Would we be living in a very different world? Could be.

As a writer of Science Fiction and Futuristic Fantasy, I was delighted with the documentary's theme: Imagination and science are powerful allies. Imagination creates castles in the air, then Science strives to build the foundations under them. As a species, we are obsessed with creating roads to the shiny empires we see on imagination's horizon.