A Long, Long Journey Into Space
598999
The time is about 200 years from now. Faster-than-light travel is routine. Space ships can be managed by a crew of one (plus a very advanced, talking computer). There is not much left to discover and humankind has grown a little bored with space travel. Disappointingly, we have not found any aliens out there to converse with. Only some ruins and one semi-intelligent race, the Noks. Then, an unexplained radio transmission gets everyone excited. And see, there's this organization--The Contact Society--that will do almost anything to prove that there ARE alien intelligences out there!
Priscilla Hutchins is a star-ship captain who is getting tired, and wants to retire. She reluctantly agrees to make one last  trip, hired by the Contact Society to take them on a jaunt of discovery, and follow that mysterious signal. After a number of mishaps caused by impulsivity and poor judgment, they find the Chindi, a ghostly thing/machine/whatever zooming through space. And of course, they have to pursue it, break into it, tramp around in it, and maybe get themselves killed. Not very scientific but hey, it's fiction.
That, in a nutshell, is the plot. The book takes a long time getting up to warp speed. In fact, nothing much happens for the first hundred and fifteen pages. If you can stay with it, the book eventually hits its stride and becomes quite entertaining. If old fashioned sci-fi and space adventure is your thing, then you should definitely read Chindi. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
1331742
A must read!  It was mind boggling to read all the things this astronaut has done in his lifetime.  It gave me a better appreciation of what astronauts must go through and the dedication to the space program that they have.  It was a fascinating read.
2755871
Some people call the author of this book Magellan II, and only partly in jest.  This is because Taylor is the only person to have navigated spacecraft to every planet in the Solar System, no mean feat.  These spacecraft missions have entered popular lore as a sort of combination of science, scientific engineering, and voodoo, so are widely seen as being at the interface of science and science fiction, not a bad source of material for a contemporary science-fiction book.

Taylors long experience with space missions has given him a unique insight into both the missions that design and control the spacecraft, and the people whose business it is to do so.  He can therefore bring both the people and their activities to very realistic life, highlighting not only their technical passions, but also the human ones, to which they are subject no less than the rest of us.

The world of space missions often interfaces with astronomers--people  who peer into the sky, and thus the cosmos, for a variety of purposes. In the course of the peering, astronomers are well aware of asteroids, chunks of space debris that range in size from fractions of an inch to miles.  Most of this debris travels in paths far, far away from Earth, but some does not. Small debris that falls on Earth provides us with the displays of meteorites and fireballs, which are mostly spectacular rather than dangerous. But asteroids whose path might plausibly bring them to collide with Earth are the most terrifying objects we know of.  We can predict their path within certain limits of uncertainty; we can predict when they will impact, and we can do nothing about this event which, if it really does happen, will bring about the demise of most life and all civilization on Earth.  This is drama of the highest order, and he book makes good use of it.

Another aspect of the book has to do with the reluctance of certain religions to accept the march of science (even though there is no necessary basic conflict between the two).  After all, it was only some 400 years ago that Galileos removal of Earth from the center of the Universe was viewed as the grossest heresy. Such outraged views continue into our own day; the outrage provides yet another conflict and source of drama for the book which, however, is resolved in an unexpected and highly imaginative way.

All in all, I find this book fascinating, well written, and of great contemporary interest.  I do not hesitate to recommend it to the public.

Ivo Lucchitta
2280678
You couldn't ask for a more inspirational story about the new entrepreneurial space pioneers.  Author Kenny Kemp has done a comprehensive job of researching these heroes and telling their stories. However, perhaps because I am from the US and Mr. Kemp is from Scotland, I had a difficult time with his writing style which seemed a bit rough.  For someone interested in space exploration and development this is a worthwhile read.  For American readers looking for a smooth, comfortable reading experience -- keep looking.
3909297
This book opens with the visit of the author to Frank Drake the great pioneer of the search for Extraterrestial Life. In this chapter Lee Billings tells the story of SETI's getting underway and outlines the roles of the various distinguished scientists present in a key first meeting among whom were Drake, Philip Morrison, Harold Urey,Joshua Lederberg and a young and most optimistic Carl Sagan. For this riveting chapter alone the book is worthwhile. In it Billings also explains why SETI has in a sense gone out of fashion and why scientific enthusiasm in astrophysics focuses in good part on the search for Exoplanets. Very simply fifty years of SETI have yielded nothing in the way of concrete results, while in the past twenty years or so there have been revealed close to one- thousand exoplanets including most recently those earth- like in size.
Still even in this area as Billings will go on to relate Progress is not where it could be. One major theme of the book is that Humanity and most especially its leading nations are not properly invested in the kind of tools and equipment that could more deeply investigate the Exoplanents. The tools are not available now to know  which planets are good candidates for sustaining life. We cannot now read their biosignatures, cannot know whether they have liquid water, suitable atmospheres, methane.oxygen etc.
Billings too talks about the search for exoplanents in a series of conversations with leading researchers. These conversations are valuable both in exploring the complicated nature of the search for Life in other worlds, and presenting portraits of the individual scientists.
One of the surprising and most appealing elements in the book is Billings meditations on the whole question of human Aloneness and the search for life. He  understands how difficult our discovery of other civilizations might be, and how difficult for us our failure to discover them might be. He understands the pain Humanity felt in losing its sense of itself as central in the universe, living as it does in a not -special place in the Universe. He understands too the awesome responsibility that could be involved should Humanity be in fact the only Intelligent Life in the Galaxy.  He on the other hand has no doubt that in order to survive Humanity must move out into Space. And in fact the Five Billion Years of Solitude which is the poetic title of this work, refers to the time 4.6 billion years we have been here, and the additional approximately half- billion years in which complex life will be possible here. He speaks of us being in a critical time and the importance of making these moves into Space as soon as possible.
This book will be of great value to readers who have real concern about the nature of our Universe and the character of the human future.
298048
"Don't Know Much About The Universe" takes the reader on a delightful journey through space.  It provides an educational introduction to the known Universe without becoming boring or getting over your head. It provides a good combination of scientific information with historical explanations of man's investigation of the mysteries of the Universe.

This book overwhelms the reader, in a good way, with the unimaginable vastness of space.  The billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars is more than we can comprehend.  The descriptions of comets, meteors and meteorites, planets and asteroids, stars, quasars, black holes, white dwarfs, brown dwarfs and others which I do not remember raise the reader's scientific knowledge while keeping him entertained.

The recitation of exploration of the cosmos brings to mind manned and unmanned spaceflights which, those of who are old enough, followed intently during the golden age of space exploration during the 60s and 70s.

Author Kenneth Davis engages in inquiry into matters such as whether there is life out there, how did it all start and how it will all end.  He presents the best theories available without engaging in groundless speculation.

This is a definite recommendation for anyone with an interest in the mysteries of the Universe which we are just beginning to comprehend.
603511
This is an excellent book for anyone intersted in the engineering possibilities of interplanetary and interstellar spaceflight.  I read this book years ago as an aerospace engineering undergrad and it helped inspire me in my dream to help make starflight a reality.  As can be found here, the technologies for limited interstellar flight have already been investigated, and in some cases, could be implemented today with sufficient funds.  The books provides background on all types of rocket based propulsion, covering chemical, nuclear, anti-matter, electric (ion), solar sail, and solar thermal propulsion systems.  It also provides an introduction to astrodynamics, space power systems, and the inherent problems encountered by long duration spaceflight over vast distances.  As wonderful as this book is, it is badly in need of an update.  It barely touches on more recent ideas like long range laser power transmission, as well as more "out-of-the-box" concepts like propellant-less propulsion.  Granted there is alot of controversy surrounding notions of artificial wormholes and warp drives, but I'd like to see such ideas at least included as possibilities.  As mentioned before, this book is not exceptionally mathematically rigorous, but that could be beneficial to those interested in these concepts without having to possess a background in differential calculus.  These ideas stir the imagination and perhaps, someday, we may see these dreams become reality as mankind reaches out to the stars.
2371519
This book starts out slow, but it has to, there is a lot of ground to cover. What is covered is simply a rather complete discussion of celestial navigation through time. And how that clear , simple and concise system was somehow lost to us. The Cross of Thoth is easier to use than an Octant, Sextant, or most other devices of navigation. Its existense adds more possibilities to the argument that global exploration occured at a far earlier age and with better or at least equal instruments to the best we have today. In any event certainly adequate for world wide travel. The argument presented in the book as to the determinaiton of longitude is hardly new, and fraught with danger of mistake, but possible, if excercised with great care. I ordered the DVD too and enjoyed it. it allows me to share the concepts with others while we watch the DVD at the same time. Read this book and discussions on plasma and electromagnetic energy dominating Interstellar spacethe "Electric Universe" and you will waste not a moment more on anything a modern astronomer has to say. This book is THAT seminal in importance to an understanding of the intersection of religion, science, and navigation and a host of other branches of knowledge. A lot of "Ah ha's" happen while reading this book.
116475
Of course! How could I not have realized that it took a gargantuan effort to send Apollo 11 to the moon and allow a world full of people holding their breath to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon? I've been an avid follower of the space programs of the world since I was in grade school. I had space maps and photos of the astronauts all over my bedroom walls. And yet, I never thought about all the people who made the moon walk possible. Catherine Thimmesh did. Through precise research and personal interviews, she has crafted the story of the people who made it happen. The number 400,000 and a period of eight years qualifies the effort as gargantuan. Thimmesh writes the story in an accessible manner that will leave readers eager to turn the page. From flight director Gene Kranz taking the stairs because he didn't want to risk being stuck in an elevator to the program alarm that occurred twelve minutes before moon landing, Team Moon reveals the drama that evolved at key steps in the mission to set foot on the moon. People needed to see images. How do you take can't-miss photographs on the moon? Parachutes had to open, without fail, on re-entry. Heat shields needed to protect the capsule from burning up and destroying lives. I'm so glad that Thimmesh took the time to interview the people who had such valuable stories to tell us. Especially gratifying is the beauty of this book. The well-chosen photos are startling in contrast to the rich black background. Sources, references, and pointers for further reading will help fascinated readers continue their own journey into space. Highly recommended for schools, classrooms, and every home that has a reader who is curious about the world--and space.
3250259
Alec Baldwin takes us on a journey through space. We see Neil Armstrong's footprints on the moon. Then it is on to Venus, Mercury and the sun. To Mars and the search for extraterrestrial life. The gas giants and Pluto. Interstellar space. Alpha Centauri 25 trillion miles away. Gliese 581. Algol. The Pleiades. Betelgeuse. Orion Nebula. Star birth. White dwarf. Crab Nebula. Supernova. Pulsar spinning 30 times a second. Black hole. Hypernova. We are outside the Milky Way in intergalactic space. Dark matter. Andromeda Galaxy. We see patterns, order in the chaos. Quasar. Countless galaxies. Light. The Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. Baldwin ties mythology and science together with a sense of awe.
4285116
A good read and fun, about the beginning of the move to space.
Lots of interesting concepts about permanent living in space, and the advantages of zero g.
3017428
The Starship and the Canoe is not a book on kayaking, any more than A Tale of Two Cities is a Victorian travelogue. I felt as though I had to correct that impression created by Amazon's page on the book. Although it is twenty-five years old now, it remains a vital and engrossing tale of a father and son separated not only by the familiar gulf of misunderstanding and culture shock, but by their remarkable journeys, some through the vast and perilous estates of the mind, some through the cold and sparsely settled inlets and bays of the Queen Charlotte Sound and the Pacific shoreline of Alaska and British Columbia.

The father and son are celebrated physicist (and author in his own right) Freeman Dyson and kayaker, tree-dweller, solo marine traveller (and also an author) George Dyson. In the wild, anarchic 1970s, author Kenneth Brower (who, it turns out, is also a friend of George's) takes us along with George and Freeman as they explore and plan explorations. His book is engrossing and one feels as though one has actually spent time with these fascinating, sometimes incredibly eccentric and singular men.

Freeman Dyson, an influential theoretical physicist, spent a great deal of time in the optimistic 1950s and 1960s preparing to push the New Frontier outward on nuclear explosion-powered spacecraft. This work, Project Orion, was supported and funded by NASA and the US Air Force until the atmospheric nuclear test ban, competition for funding from Project Apollo and the Vietnam War finally killed the project's funding leaving him and fellow physicist Ted Taylor to develop the concept further.

Together, the two men pushed the original project's concepts to their ultimate limits, and Project Orion grew to become spacecraft the size of Chicago leaving for nearby stars - so far, however, only in the minds of Dyson, Taylor, and those of us who have become enraptured by the concept of Orion.

Later, son George Dyson ventures up and down the Pacific Coast from California northwards before finally settling (sort of) in the area between Vancouver and the glaciers of Alaska, sometimes living in a treehouse at the top of a tall and spindly fir, sometimes setting off from southern British Columbia up the Queen Charlotte Strait, meeting people on the islands of the strait in voyages oddly reminiscent of Antoine du Saint-Exupery's Le Petit Prince. Brower narrates these journeys with unobtrusive wryness, allowing the reader to chuckle at the interplay between author and subject as they paddle to and fro between Alaska and Canada.

Buy this book. Read it. Few other books reward their readers as richly as the Starship and the Canoe.
4386918
I have read Clarke before, but I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up.  It was a little tough to get into at first, as it seemed like no one stayed around long enough for the reader to become invested in really caring about.  Yet, the big idea implications of where the story is going makes the trip more enjoyable as the pages turn.  Jan's story-thread is particularly intriguing and makes up for any early lack thereof.  His introduction was almost off-hand, but he proves to be a worthy character that may make one think of their place in the Universe.

There are definately "wow" moments, but don't expect them to come shotgun-style.  The chapters are like pieces of one great mosiac, so an appreciation of "the big picture" is handy to have while reading this.  Throughtout the story, there is a sense of something inexorable coming.  Something you can't really quantify or understandand, but at the same time cannot deny its very existence.  I especially like how the book makes a point to comment that all that even the most alien of creatures are slaves to their beliefs, in a certain sense.  The prose is readable, and while the dialogue is good, it is a little spotty to follow at times (to be fair, this may just be how it is spaced on my Kindle).

On a final note, I would like to mention that this was originally written in 1952-53.  Big props to Clarke for writing this in a time before there was a space program, years before the first satellite even went up into space (yea..."holy crap!" pretty much sums it up)  Whether it was great foresight or great imagination, or a sublime mixture of both, Clarke is worth picking up.
2132869
Steven Cutts is something of a first time author, with this great debut, "Viking Village". He also wrote the screenplay for the film, "Adieu Marx" (clips on Youtube). There is a stark difference in both, indeed, in that, while Adieu Marx is very talky and good in dialogue, This novel is quite direct and unapologetically technical in alot of it's speech and dialogue, in the Astronauts, especially American ones, can be quite perfunctory in their use of the English language, when they speak. As they are, here. I'm skirting awfully close to just stating... this is a book for the guys. But what a book. It charts  the preparation for a trip to Mars, and how the astronauts and Mission control have faith is a new Somewhat hyperdrive spaceship that can cut the time it takes to get to Mars from Earth, from 9 months, down to 17weeks. Both Hewish and Kazu are Naval pilots; they are in command of the mission to Mars. There are about twelve sci/tech officers on board, and of them, the three women hold their own well in the gender politics that occasionally, inevitably, come to the surface on such a long, confined mission-time.  They hope to find aspects of soil on Mars, that will enable Earth-plants to grow, and therefore establish a long term 'Village' on the surface, thereby to prolong the growing of Vegetables and plants; such will ensure viability-of-human-life, on the Red Planet. As of June 18th, 2017, it has just been confirmed that Mars Curiosity lander has found Nitrogen in very large, dense quantities on Mars, just slightly sub-surface. This is a huge find; a huge leap in solid belief that Earth-plants could grow comfortably, on Mars. This novel, "Viking Village" , somewhat predicted by about 10 years, this recent find by NASA's Curiosity. Steven Cutts has wrought a very fine novel in the rich vein of Space travel science-"Fiction-to-Fact", and travel-to-Mars especially.
1622545
Although the premise behind Deep Space Nine was that of a run-down space station at the edge of nowhere, by the middle of the second season, life seemed to be getting a little too easy for the crew of the station.  Not to say that they didn't have problems, but the adversaries and adversities they faced weren't a thousand miles away from the type of troubles that beset the crew of the USS Enterprise.  But the end of the second season of Deep Space Nine changed all that.
For almost two years, the wormhole had been attracting all sorts of relatively positive attention towards the station.  Scientists, explorers, and Ferengi business were all attracted to this spatial oddity in hopes of furthering their own interests.  But in the season finale to the second year, the series was completely turned around when the wormhole suddenly becomes a threat -- beyond it lies the mighty Dominion, who appear to be taking a very proactive, almost Rumsfeldian role in their "defense".  Suddenly, the people on the station are frightened and scared.  A Dominion attack could come at any moment.  In the third season we see Starfleet sending, not a scientific research starship, but an experimental warship, so powerful and unstable that it is almost a menace to itself.
This was the shot in the arm that Deep Space Nine needed.  Not only is this a cantankerous old space station in the middle of nowhere, but now it's a cantankerous old space station in the middle of nowhere that could come under overwhelming attack at any time.  The change in premise seemed to energize the writing and production staff.  Even the stories that do not directly involve themselves with the running story seem like a step up from the past two years.  Although Deep Space Nine hadn't been a bad series in the past by any means, we can see it developing further in this season.
As with the last two DVD box sets, the extras here are geared mostly towards the third season.  Documentaries focus on revealing the makeup "secrets" or unearthing the original design sketches of the various buildings and spaceships seen during this year.  There's also a special on Odo, featuring Rene Auberjonois who these days appears to be basing his look on that of Santa Claus.  Again with this set, the documentaries are on the short size, mostly five to ten minutes long (I doubt there is one over a quarter of an hour).
Season three slowly ratchets up the tension, mixing standalone episodes with stories that enhance the overall arc.  The big story and the characters are moving along nicely now, and the changes in the series fundamentals gave the producers and writers some great new potential for stories in the future.
3026085
Very good story - a story of Humanity's foray to the stars and the adventure that awaited the crew out there. A highly recommended read.
4433350
There are many who believe that the space program is just an unexciting shadow of its former glory with all missions merely reaching low orbit and a few remotes sent further.  Ellis takes it a little further and has the whole manned program shut down completely.

The time is the near future and the manned space program has been completely shut down since a shuttle just disappeared ten years earlier.  But suddenly the shuttle returns to Kennedy.

The return of the shuttle sets off a cavalcade of action as teams are quickly assembled to discover just what happened and what it means.  One team is checking out the shuttle and how it is operating.  One is checking out where it has been.  The third team is looking into the one crew member to return; the pilot.  This will not be easy as the shuttle seems to be covered in skin, the pilot is near catatonic, and there is evidence that it landed on Mars.

This is a story of a world where the doors to space travel ravel and exploration have been closed.  Now a new enthusiasm is sparked and the reader is taken on a wonderful ride of discovery as the teams delve into the possibilities.  Ellis handles the techno-jargon (it's not babble) very well.  The excitement the engineer feels as research progresses is almost tangible.  He races through ideas an possibilities in a very believable manner.  The other team's actions follow similarly-believable lines.  In the end the reader is left with one simple thought: I want more!