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"Weapons Technology of the Future" up on Fantastic Worlds
Reposted my 2000 Usenet and 2006 Livejournal essay "Weapons Technology of the Future" onto Fantastic Worlds (http://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2011/02/weapons-technology-of-future.htmlRead more... ) -
Retro Review of Jack Williamson, "Prince of Space" (1931)
Reposted my old retro review of Jack Williamson's "Prince of Space" (1931) from 2006 onto Fantastic Worlds. This is the story that introduced the space hab to science fiction: it's also contains clear conceptual links to his later (and much better) "Legion of Space" series.
Review is here: retro review, fantastic worlds, repost"How to Make a Family Conspiracy Theory" on Fantastic Worlds
I reposted and edited my old world-building essay about how to make family conspiracy theories, onto Fantastic Worldshttp://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-make-family-conspiracy-theory.htmlRead more... )Retro Review of "The Star Stealers" (Edmond Hamilton, 1929) on Fantastic Worlds
Put my long analysis of "The Star Stealers" on Fantastic Worlds:
http://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2011/02/retro-review-edmond-hamilton-star.html
Comments are welcome, especially at the FW website."To a Fallen Hero" on Fantastic Worlds
Put my 2006 poem "To a Fallen Hero" on Fantastic Worlds:
http://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2011/02/to-fallen-hero.html
Comments are welcome, especially on the Fantastic Worlds website."Like Father Like Son" on Fantastic Worlds
Put my 2006 short-short story "Like Father, Like Son" onto Fantastic Worlds:
http://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2011/02/like-father-like-son.html
Commentary welcome, especially at the FW site.Fantastic Worlds updates
Reprinted, edited and slightly improved my old Livejournal articles "The Fear of Boundlessness: Explanation for the Mundane SF Movement" and "Historical Cycles and the Anachronism Argument as Applicable to Space Opera ( Read more... )RP - SF Story Review - "The Fulcrum," by Gwyneth Jones (2005)
(this is a repost of a review from January 1st, 2008)
I read this in Science Fiction: The Very Best of 2005 (ed. Jonathan Strahan) and was astounded by how little sense it made. Furthermore, it seemed to be (in its setting) copying a much better story by George R. R. Martin, which also made very little sense but whose superior style papered over ( Read more... )RP - Retro Review - Jack Williamson, "The Prince of Space" (1931)
Introduction
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When I saw the title of this short story, I was reminded mainly of a really stupid Japanese SF movie which I saw on MST3K. On the other hand, the writer was Jack Williamson, so I had some hopes of the story being good.
( How Was It? Click to Find Out )RP - Language and Culture Amongst Other Animals
I wrote this back in 2006. Alex and Washoe have died since then, but the truths they demonstrated are still true.
===There has been strong resistance from the scientific community to the use of the terms "language" and "culture" to describe animal communication and learned behavior. But this resistance seems to me to be essentially irrational and ( Read more... )