Spider Star

The human colony on the planet Argo has long explored and exploited the technology left behind by an extinct alien race. But then an archaeology team accidentally activates a terrible weapon...
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Praise for Star Dragon

"Seldom does a storytelling talent come along as potent and fully mature as Mike Brotherton. His complex characters take you on a voyage that is both fiercely credible and astonishingly imaginative. This is Science Fiction."
-- David Brin

"Star Dragon is terrific fare, offering readers a fusion of hard science and grand adventure."
-- Locus Magazine

"Star Dragon is steeped in cosmology, the physics of interstellar travel, exobiology, artificial intelligence, bioscience. Brotherton, author of many scientific articles in refereed journals, has written a dramatic, provocative, utterly convincing hard science sf novel that includes an ironic twist that fans will love."
-- Booklist starred review

"Readers hungry for the thought-provoking extrapolation and rigorous technical detail of old-fashioned hard SF are sure to enjoy astronomer Brotherton's first novel."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Mike Brotherton, himself a trained astrophysicist, combines the technical acuity and ingenuity of Robert Forward with the ironic, postmodern stance and style of M. John Harrison. In this, his debut novel, those twin talents unite to produce a work that is involving on any number of levels. It's just about all you could ask for in a hardcore SF adventure."
-- Paul di Fillippo, SCI-FI.COM
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Starlinks: Science and Science Fiction for June 17, 2008

June 17th, 2008

Between having a leaky water heater replaced yesterday, costing me a lot of sleep and money, and running a two-hour “Writing Science Fiction” session for middle school kids attending our Wyoming Astrocamp, it’s been pretty busy for being summertime without travel. As usual when this happens, I still get in some surfing time and friends forward links of interest. I think I’ll start posting these under the heading of “Starlinks” the way Jay Lake does his “link salad” posts. I’ll make some comments, but usually won’t do an extended response.

So what’s been going on in the world and heavens above?

Science

Cracked lists five superpowers you can have in this lifetime. Either great minds think alike, or it’s a ripoff of my list of ten superpowers you can have now. Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

A solar system is discovered with “a trio of super-Earths.” Krypton? Nah…

Nucleobases confirmed from space.

We have the summer solstice coming up next week, and a full moon tomorrow, which will make for an exceptionally good optical moon illusion Wednesday evening at dusk.
A thoughtful Atlantic article with the provocative title asking “Is Google making us stupid?” discussing how the internet is changing our reading habits, turning people into shallow skimmers, and changing the way we think.

An idea to build an evolution museum across from the Creationist museum. I’m of a mixed opinion about the wisdom of this. Isn’t every Natural History museum already an “evolution museum?”

Stephen Hawking speaks out against Britain cutting science budgets. Also, for what it’s worth, it’s revealed that Hawking has turned down a knighthood because he “doesn’t like titles.”

Science Fiction

Should the Hulk be the villian in the upcoming Avengers movie?

Entertainment Weekly writer defends himself after calling Blade Runner and Jurrasic Park “Sci-fi misfires.”

An 1881 science fiction novel rediscovered that anticipates space travel, space suits, and more.
Some image lists of Old School Toys and Bad Movies. Some nostalgia there. I’m miffed that the second list starts with Barbarella, however, which is marvelous for what it is and has perfect 1960s charm. Several science fiction movies on the list, some of which (e.g., Ed Wood’s Robot Monster with its “Billion Bubble Machine”) are much better choices than Barbarella. I’m a little offended that Soylent Green is on the list at all though.