Tag Archives: Science Fiction

Arts & Humanities, Books & Reading, Current Affairs, Film & Movies, Libraries, Memories & History, Pleasures

12 Sci-Fi Stories Written Before Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

March 27, 2023 DrWeb

The Modern Prometheus is a bit too modern to have solely created science fiction, although it did revolutionize it.

By Rob Bricken, published March 21, 2023

*F. H. van Hove’s frontispiece for a 1687 edition of Cyrano de Bergerac’s* *Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon.*
Image: Public Domain

Like her titular protagonist, when Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818, she knew not what she had wrought into the world.

Her tale of science taken too far birthed what many consider the first science fiction novel… and what some don’t.

As it turns out, there are several tales told before the 19th century that could also be considered sci-fi stories about aliens, spaceships, time travel, and more. Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of proto-science fiction written when science itself was practically fiction.

Editor’s Note: Read more, see link below for original item...

Source: 12 Sci-Fi Stories Written Before Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Arts & Humanities, Books & Reading, Pleasures

Murder Mysteries In Space | Book Riot

February 27, 2023 DrWeb

K.W. Colyard, Dec 14, 2021

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Space operas like Star Wars and Dune may have made the big empty seem like the perfect backdrop for would-be adventurers’ wildest dreams, but let’s face it — space tours have the potential to be deadlier than cruise ships. Yikes.

Outer space may not be the safest place to vacation — like, ever — but there’s just something alluring about a thriller set where no one can hear you scream. If you’re looking for a no-escape crime read, check out the list of ten murder mysteries set in space I’ve pulled together for you here.

Remember in spring 2021, when there was that huge debate over whether something — namely, Alien — could be sci-fi and horror at the same time? And have you heard the ongoing argument over where the line between horror and thriller lies? When it comes to genre, classifications can get a little…sticky, and these books are caught right in the middle.

Editor’s Note: Read more, see link below for original item...

Source: Murder Mysteries In Space | Book Riot

Current Affairs, Science & Health, Web & Technology

Space Elevators Are Less Sci-Fi Than You Think – Scientific American

November 30, 2022 DrWeb

I’ve been working on space elevators for almost 20 years, and though we still have issues to solve, we are getting closer to making them reality

By Stephen Cohen on November 25, 2022

*A space elevator made of carbon nanotubes stretches from Earth to space in this artist’s illustration. Credit: Victor Habbick Visions/Science Source*

Space elevators are often dismissed as a science fiction dream, but I believe they will exist soon—perhaps in two or three decades. Throughout my career as an aerospace engineer and physics professor, I keep coming back to the concept of a cable stretching from Earth to space, along which people and cargo can easily travel.

In recent years, I and other researchers have found new ways to tinker with designs and answer questions about how space elevators could work. There are many reasons to build a space elevator. The obvious one is the major energy and cost savings; it’s a much more practical way to get to orbit than rockets.

Another reason that is often overlooked is accessibility. The word “space mission” would be replaced by “transit,” as trips to space become routine and mostly independent of weather conditions. Transits involving humans would be safer than current practices, whereby astronauts must accept a nonnegligible risk to their lives with each launch. A space elevator becomes a bridge to the entire solar system. Release a payload in the lower portion, and you orbit Earth, but do so in the upper portion, and you orbit the sun; all without fuel.

Source: Space Elevators Are Less Sci-Fi Than You Think – Scientific American

Arts & Humanities, Books & Reading, Current Affairs, Libraries, Memories & History, Pleasures

Five Classic SFF Collections That Are Too Good to Be Forgotten | Tor.com

November 7, 2022 DrWeb

By James Davis Nicoll, Fri Nov 4, 2022 10:00am

I just now finished writing an essay about older novels worth a read. Which led me to wonder: what older collections are worth a read?

Fortunately my library is capacious, even if my memory sometimes fails. So, here are notes on five older collections that you might enjoy. Do I own stock in a used bookstore? No, I have no financial incentive to recommend older works that might be out of print. In fact, I was surprised to discover (on searching) that some of these collections were still in print (if electronic versions can be considered print).

The rest are all available through the wonders of online used book stores.

Editor’s Note: Read more, see link below for original item...

Source: Five Classic SFF Collections That Are Too Good to Be Forgotten | Tor.com

Arts & Humanities, Current Affairs, Film & Movies, Television

Farewell to Westworld | EW.com

November 7, 2022 DrWeb

HBO has ended the futuristic epic years after the original inspiration got lost in ludicrous twists and shaky concepts.

By Darren Franich, November 04, 2022 at 08:33 PM EDT

The delightful first season of Westworld established two distinct science-fiction worlds. Above was the West, a fake frontier full of fake people whose fake adventures were better than life for their human guests.

Beneath that phony past lay a familiar future: Corporate drones staring at screens, juggling customer expectations and manager directives. The robots had no freedom but all the fun, firing six-shooters and falling into tragic love while dying over and over again. The humans were all outrageous workplace monsters: Wannabe deities, preening creatives, ambitious executives.

Source: Farewell to Westworld | EW.com

Arts & Humanities, Books & Reading, Current Affairs, Libraries, Pleasures

Best of the Fest 2022: Science Fiction & Fantasy | National Book Festival | Library of Congress

October 20, 2022 DrWeb

October 17, 2022 by Clay Smith

M.J. Kuhn, Chelsea Abdullah and moderator Ashley Dickerson appear in a panel on “Thieves and Their Petty Little Secrets” in books by Kuhn and Abdullah at the 2022 National Book Festival. Photo by David Critics

For the first time since 2004, the Library of Congress National Book Festival featured a Science Fiction & Fantasy stage highlighting how expansive and introspective imaginative fiction can be. Today, we’re releasing the footage for this stage — sponsored by General Motors — on our site and our YouTube channel. Here’s what you’ll find among the otherworldly and speculative conversations that took place on the Science Fiction & Fantasy stage at the recent Festival:

The day began with unreliable memories and mysteries as Rob Hart (“The Paradox Hotel”) and debut author Victor Manibo (“The Sleepless”) discussed their novels and characters who investigate murders with Miwa Messer, host of the “Poured Over” podcast.
Treasure hunts and heists took center stage as Chelsea Abdullah (“The Stardust Thief”) and M.J. Kuhn (“Among Thieves”) discussed their novels, where many are not who they appear to be, with the Library of Congress’ Ashley Dickerson.
In the afternoon, bestselling author Holly Black talked about her first adult novel, “Book of Night,” with Megan Labrise, editor at large of Kirkus Reviews. As author of the Folk of the Air series and co-author of the Spiderwick series, Black lit the way for readers growing up on her dozens of books for younger readers.
Sci-fi and fantasy intersected as Tochi Onyebuchi (“Goliath”) and Leslye Penelope (“The Monster We Defy”) discussed their new novels and how good writing must be about what scares the author about living life in the present. The authors were in conversation with B.A. Parker in an event recorded for NPR’s “Code Switch.”
Debut author Alex Jennings (“The Ballad of Perilous Graves”) and Nghi Vo (“Siren Queen”) suffused New Orleans and Hollywood with magic in their novels, and talked about characters and representation with bookstagrammer Lupita Aquino.
Closing out the day was B.L. Blanchard and Lucinda Roy’s conversation with Derrick Young, co-owner and co-founder of MahoganyBooks. In Blanchard’s debut, “The Peacekeeper,” Europeans never colonized America, and in Roy’s near-future “Flying the Coop,” slavery is gut-wrenchingly normalized.

We hope you enjoy the events from this year’s Science Fiction & Fantasy stage!

This is a guest post by Deziree Arnaiz, a program specialist in the Literary Initiatives Office.

Source: https://blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2022/10/best-of-the-fest-2022-science-fiction-fantasy/

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Tag Archives: Science Fiction

12 Sci-Fi Stories Written Before Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

The Modern Prometheus is a bit too modern to have solely created science fiction, although it did revolutionize it.

Like this:

Murder Mysteries In Space | Book Riot

Like this:

Space Elevators Are Less Sci-Fi Than You Think – Scientific American

I’ve been working on space elevators for almost 20 years, and though we still have issues to solve, we are getting closer to making them reality

Like this:

Five Classic SFF Collections That Are Too Good to Be Forgotten | Tor.com

Like this:

Farewell to Westworld | EW.com

HBO has ended the futuristic epic years after the original inspiration got lost in ludicrous twists and shaky concepts.

Like this:

Best of the Fest 2022: Science Fiction & Fantasy | National Book Festival | Library of Congress

Like this:

all things library and life.. from a librarian

The Modern Prometheus is a bit too modern to have solely created science fiction, although it did revolutionize it.

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I’ve been working on space elevators for almost 20 years, and though we still have issues to solve, we are getting closer to making them reality

For Sharing

Like this:

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Like this:

HBO has ended the futuristic epic years after the original inspiration got lost in ludicrous twists and shaky concepts.

For Sharing

Like this:

For Sharing

Like this:

all things library and life.. from a librarian