Common Themes

One of the ways I spend my time is by devouring books whole reading science fiction (and fantasy.) I’ve always leaned toward the space opera camp in sci-fi, and although I’m not finished with it yet (at over 900 pages, I’m sure you’ll forgive me), I can heartily recommend The Space Opera Renaissance, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. This book is a blow-by-blow survey of the development of space opera, what it meant when it started (not what you’d think!), what it means now, and the best examples of every era. What I find unique is that it also includes a few parodies of the sub-genre, like Clive Jackson’s The Swordsmen of Varnis (the ending lives on as a visual gag in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark), commentary on what these authors were going for, and in some cases, how the parody caused a resurgence of interest in space opera.

Stories range from a few pages to over 100 pages in length, and the book offers a broad spectrum of authors, from forefathers of science fiction to present-day greats. It’s a great way to dabble in the sub-genre, and find new authors to read. (There’s also a lovely hardcover edition, if you’re interested.)

U.S. Human Spaceflight: A Record of Achievement, 1961-2006 is a monograph from NASA’s History Division, covering every human spaceflight mission from Mercury 1 on. Download the PDF here, or write for a free paper copy:

U.S. Human Spaceflight: A Record of Achievement, 1961-2006 (Monograph in Aerospace History No. 41) was compiled by Judith A. Rumerman and updated by Chris Gamble and Gabriel Okolski. This handy and richly illustrated reference work is an updating of the similarly titled Monograph 9 that was published in 1998. Interested readers may obtain a free copy of this monograph by sending a self-addressed, stamped 9×12″ envelope ($2.84 domestic first-class postage for 13 ounces) to the NASA Information Center, NASA HQ, Washington, DC 20546 or by coming in person to the NASA History Division in room CO72 of NASA Headquarters.

A gift from Etherbrian, this collection of 1950s Spanish sci-fi novel covers is both fascinating and highly amusing. Great stuff.

After Sputnik: 50 Years of the Space Age is a fantastic book, showcasing not only space artifacts but some of the items influenced by the space age as well. I can’t wait to purchase it, and many a future Themes article seed is nestled in the pages!

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first human-made object to orbit the Earth. This single act jump-started a new era in history—a broad effort to explore, learn about, survive in, utilize, and fully understand the implications of humanity’s first steps beyond Earth. As much as any other twentieth-century undertaking, the achievement of sending humans and machines into space has transformed and shaped the way we live. From Sputnik to today, from heroic first journeys to the everyday application of space technologies, spaceflight has cut a broad swath through the contemporary experience.

As time marches closer to the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launch, I expect we’ll see more books of this basic theme popping up.

Postcards From Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet is another amazing book I look forward to having on my shelf. The author is the lead scientist for the color imaging from Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and has this to say in the preface:

My goal in this book is to share the beauty, desolation, grandeur, and sometimes plain old alien strangeness of the [fourth planet from the Sun] Mars, that has been revealed to us through the [Mars Exploratory] Rover [MER] cameras. In editing the enormous number of photographs we’ve taken down to 150 or so [of the best images] included here, I chose images that were representative of different phases of each rover’s journey, and of major scientific successes (or occasionally disappointments) along the way. I’ve included some of the history and the stories behind the [MER] mission [in the text that accompanies the images] and the pictures as well.

Definitely one to pick up, if only to thumb through as you read The Martian Chronicles.