Table of Contents
I'm a novelist and have an interest in space science and physics. I've been a programmer for more than 40 years and I like reviewing new and up-and-coming authors.
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Mars Weather Page Update
I've updated the format of the Temperature Over Time chart on the Mars Weather page to make it more readable. The sol numbers were overlapping each other, despite being broken into two rows. The chart is now interactive, in that you can use your mouse (or other pointing device) to select a position on one of the temperature graphs, and the sol number will be displayed at the bottom.
Silvertongue
Silvertongue is the first in a series named “Remnants of Magic”, and both the title of the novel and the series become readily apparent in the first scene. Speaking of the first scene, it's a big one at 100 pages spanning eleven chapters, but don't let that put you off - it's one hell of a scene. The story kicks you straight into the action and that first scene is a long and continuous battle - and the poor protagonist (Jon) hasn't got a clue what's going on or why he's roped into this.
It's hard to talk about this story without spoilers, but there's a familiar theme here - Jon has to accrue allies, all of which become useful as he is attacked again and again by different groups. It's a big story, spanning 586 pages, most of which depicts life-and-death battles for survival, so hang on to your hats for a wild ride!
Casey writes her novels by first writing them as serials published on her websites before collating, editing and polishing them. Andy Weir's The Martian began life this way - it worked for him, and it seems to work well for Casey too.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland
Chris Morton is a writer with a certain pedigree, having been shortlisted for a Guardian award, this story is his third novel and his first in science-fiction.
It tells the story of a man (Maggie Flycatcher) who has almost certainly the most boring job in history: he's a lemon tree supervisor. The creative talent that can come up with such a pointless job is one that deserves some recognition, so it instantly grabbed my attention. Flycatcher's life takes a turn for the better (he thinks) when he gets recruited as (unlikely as it seems) one of Earth's best test pilots, putting a new class of spaceship through its paces.
The story is related in first-person, in the style of the old hard-boiled gumshoe detectives. It is wry, witty, and told with a depth of feeling that is often missing in stories by lesser writers. Morton is an English teacher, and his deft grasp of the storytelling art never waivers for a moment.
The hard-boiled style leads to some quirkiness with syntax and grammar, but this lends the story an atmosphere quite effortlessly, even before any action takes place. There are plenty of eccentric characters in the cast that somehow avoid being clichés, and each of them is delightful in their own right.
NASA Receives 2 Emmy Awards
NASA recently won (14th-15th Sept 2019) two Emmy's for interactive content. Aside from the obvious achievements of winning the awards, there is something else going on here that should be recognised and encouraged. Awards, of course, are intended to recognise, encourage and promote excellence, but I'm talking about NASA not only reaching out to the public, but interactively engaging them.
Orbital Calculator v2.x Release Notes
This lists the important notes on each new release, explaining what has changed and what's new.