Awesome Finds: NASA Space Photos

Posted on May 16, 2019 by scarywhitegirl
Infrared photograph of Messier 101 galaxy

Public domain (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia11796-spitzer-space-telescopes-view-of-galaxy-messier-101)

Did you know that you can find a wide variety of photographs of space thanks to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology? These include photographs like this one, which is an infrared view of the Messier 101 galaxy. But you can also find historic photos in the NASA Image Library and a huge number of photos related to our own solar system in the JPL Photojournal. Whatever kind of space photographs you’re looking for, whether for your own research, teaching, or story plotting, you can likely find what you’re looking for in one of these places!

 

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Review of Her Silhouette, Drawn in Water by Vylar Kaftan

Posted on May 15, 2019 by scarywhitegirl

Cover art for Her Silhouette, Drawn in WaterHer Silhouette, Drawn in Water by Vylar Kaftan (Macmillan, 2019) is a queer psychic thriller that can be a quick read, but you’ll find yourself wanting to slow down to savor the gorgeous language and beautiful characterization.

The main character, Bee, is in an unusual prison without guards, where every day is an exercise in survival. She has few memories of what she did to get there, but Chela, who shares this prison, has told her that they are both psychics who caused a massive disaster. When Bee begins reaching out with her allegedly stunted psychic abilities, she discovers layer upon layer of lies and deceit as she struggles to break free from her imprisonment and its after effects.

The world had a bit of a dystopian feel, and both the world and the memory loss reminded me in places of Altered Carbon. If you enjoy thrillers that deal with issues of oppression and disability, along with a stunning cast of queer characters, you’ll love Her Silhouette, Drawn in Water. It’s available on May 21, 2019, but you can pre-order now.

The publisher provided us with a free copy of this novel in exchange for review consideration.

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Throwback to Other Linguistic Stories

Posted on May 14, 2019 by scarywhitegirl
Chinese characters embossed on metal

David Yu (https://www.everypixel.com/q/chinese-language?image_id=8368539370177640734)

We’ve published a few stories about linguistics and languages. If you enjoyed Monday’s story, check these out too!

“Handling the Contents of Consciousness” by Soramimi Hanarejima (secrets, words, and beauty)

“Introduction to the Epic of Centipidus” by Hamilton Perez (insect language) (available in Spring 2017 quarterly)

“Linguapocalypse” by Michael Monaco (the end of language) (available in Winter 2016 quarterly)

“Sport of Kings” by Judith Field (telepathic hearing aids) (available in Summer 2014 quarterly)

“A Dispatch from an Otherwise Unremarkable Planet” by S. R. Algernon (messages from outer space) (available in Winter 2014 quarterly)

 

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Fiction: Ice Words, Fire Fonts, and Other Scripts Unwritten by Human Hands, An Introduction

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Mad Scientist Journal

An essay by Dr. T. van E. Tengbergen, as provided by Tais Teng
Art by Leigh Legler

From the Institute for Nonsapient Linguistics:

Fire fonts are most often discovered in burned roof beams: traceries in slightly shinier carbon. Messages range from: “She certainly looked beautiful, but she didn’t want to die alone” to “Never smoke in bed. It might be your last cigarette.”

Fire fighters, who have fought a particular blaze in vain, often can read those messages, but they seldom mention them to their spouses.

Frozen words, their complements, are written in spiky frost flowers on windows, creeping across the glass in the middle of the night.

They predict the future. “You’ll be found in the arms of your lover, your lips frozen together in a last kiss,” is a common one.

Reading such a message in the morning doesn’t help you to avoid your fate. That future is invariably fixed, and not leaving your house during the blizzard isn’t an option.

The storm will first peel the panes of your roof away and then take the roof itself. Or your sleeping room will fill with smoke the moment you finish reading, making you and your significant other gasp for breath.

Art for "Ice Words, Fire Fonts, and Other Scripts Unwritten by Human Hands, An Introduction"

Fire fonts are most often discovered in burned roof beams: traceries in slightly shinier carbon. Messages range from: “She certainly looked beautiful, but she didn’t want to die alone” to “Never smoke in bed. It might be your last cigarette.”

To read the rest of this story, check out the Mad Scientist Journal: Spring 2019 collection.

Dr. T. van E. Tengbergen PHD studied biochemistry and advanced xenolinguistics at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of Listening to the Wind and Beyond Bee and Ant Dialects, a Survey. He is married, with six children, a dog, and a dozen ant farms.

Tais Teng studied biology before he became a full-time writer and illustrator. He is coauthor of a scientific paper about blood-sucking mites and wrote more than a hundred rather less scientific novels afterwards.

Leigh’s professional title is “illustrator,” but that’s just a nice word for “monster-maker,” in this case. More information about them can be found at http://leighlegler.carbonmade.com/.

“Ice Words, Fire Fonts, and Other Scripts Unwritten by Human Hands, An Introduction” is © 2019 Tais Teng
Art accompanying story is © 2019 Leigh Legler

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Strange Science: What Should We Terraform First?

Posted on May 10, 2019 by scarywhitegirl

Our story this Monday hypothesized the possibility of terraforming the moon, and how it might go awry. And there’s plenty of talk these days about terraforming Mars. But in this article, one author suggests that instead of looking toward Mars as a place to terraform, we should consider other options, including Earth’s own moon.

The main problems presented with terraforming Mars involve issues of the length of time it would take, the distance from Earth, and the difficulties that would be encountered without sufficient genetic diversity. The moon, on the other hand, could have a habitable area within 15 years, and is much closer to Earth–perhaps even close enough to permit travel between Earth and the moon, or near enough that people could flee Earth in the case of a catastrophic event.

Another possibility this article presents is Venus, which has gravity closer to Earth-norm. The terraforming process would be similar to that of Mars, though Venus would have to be terraformed before people could move there, while terraforming on Mars could take place with some inhabitants already there.

Finally, the author suggests that perhaps the future of life off Earth could take the form of free-space colonies–that is, colonies on man-made structures in space, rather than on an existing planet or moon.

Though it may take some time before the details of a plan to move people from Earth are complete, it seems that many folks are thinking in that direction. It may not happen in our lifetimes, but there may someday be people on the moon, Mars, Venus, or elsewhere in our galaxy!

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The Future of Mad Scientist Journal

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Mad Scientist Journal

Mad Scientist Journal will be discontinuing our journal in early 2020. The existing books won’t be going anywhere. Just the regular weekly features you’ve come to know and love will end as of April 2, 2020 and no new books will be produced after that time.

Continue reading →

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Review of The Adventure of the Dux Bellorum by Cynthia Ward

Posted on May 8, 2019 by scarywhitegirl

Cover art for The Adventure of the Dux BellorumThe Adventure of the Dux Bellorum by Cynthia Ward (Aqueduct Press, 2018) is a sequel to The Adventure of the Incognita Countess, which we reviewed previously. If you’ve read the first book, you’re in for a delightful treat of Lucy Harker’s continuing adventures.

This time around, Lucy is protecting Winston Churchill on the front in World War I, while Countess Karnstein is elsewhere in Europe. When they meet up again, things have gone more than a little bit sideways, and they spend the remainder of the book sorting out the troubles they’ve encountered.

With dashes of wolfmen and other unusual creatures, plus more characters from literature tucked in, The Adventure of the Dux Bellorum is a lovely sequel, sure to delight fans of Ward’s character, Lucy Harker. We can only hope to read more of her exploits in the future!

The author provided us with a free copy of this novel in exchange for review consideration.

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Awesome Finds: Honey Walls

Posted on May 7, 2019 by scarywhitegirl

Cover art for Honey WallsWe’re definitely intrigued by Honey Walls, an illustrated novel that’s currently funding on Kickstarter. With some tantalizing speculative fiction elements, this novel’s protagonist is a trans man, and the story “explores the difficulty of relating to a childhood that isn’t quite yours. In addition, it wrestles with themes anyone can relate to like grief, growing up, and the legal ramifications of losing your socks.” The creators are trans, making this an Own Voices novel!

If this sounds like your jam, you can check out the Kickstarter, which ends on May 15th. The book will be produced in ebook, print, and audio formats, so you’ve got several options for what you prefer to read (or if you prefer to have someone read to you).

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Fiction: Excerpts from “Mission Log”

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Mad Scientist Journal

An essay by Aleksandr Karamazov, as provided by Ashlyn Churchill
Art by Errow Collins

January 24

My name is no longer Aleksandr Karamazov. When this record is released, you will finally know that I am the man who brought you the possibility of colonization in previously dead space. But for now, I am nobody–officially nobody.

I’ve been chosen to work with the greatest minds on the planet, geniuses who transcend nationality, race, and law. We are ASA, the Aeronautics and Space Administration. We operate independently for the good of mankind, and our identities have been wiped. I, Sasha Karamazov, who suffers the nickname “Smerdyakov” among my university colleagues, am now an essential cog in the world’s most efficient and well-hidden machine. I will never see anyone I knew again, but it is no great loss compared to what will be gained.

So, it was not, as Rector Mikhailov sneered, a pipe dream as I designed my life-giving pods. Roscosmos refused to pay attention to me, but they were not worthy of my time in the end. I am where I need to be.

I only wish I could see Mikhailov’s face when, tomorrow, I am nowhere to be found, and neither is any record of my employment. His legacy is nothing: a university full of brats with their noses stuck in old books and a nickname (I am certain he started it) that dies with the ascension into history of its sufferer. Tomorrow, my mission begins.

~

Art for "Excerpts from Mission Log"

The moon looks like a bastardization of the earth. Gray clouds swirl over a scarlet sea, and white islands poke through like boils on a diseased surface. It makes me sick to look at it.

To read the rest of this story, check out the Mad Scientist Journal: Spring 2019 collection.

Aleksandr “Sasha” Karamazov has high hopes for humanity, excluding his university colleagues. He is a professor of astronomy at a far too literary school where he is called “Smerdyakov” after someone in a book with a title that escapes him. Graciously brushing off this insult, Sasha is driven to save all humankind from the planet we are destroying. His greatest and most overlooked accomplishment is a device that will turn the moon into a thriving biome. Now, having made the right connections, he expects the world to begin lunar colonization within the year. He awaits your thanks.

Ashlyn Churchill is a literary studies student and the proud mom of a rabbit named Molly who doesn’t enjoy watching The Twilight Zone reruns as much as mom would hope. Ashlyn is an avid Dostoyevsky fan and spent too many of her teenage years reading H. G. Wells, but she would give absolutely anything for a conversation over cucumber sandwiches with Oscar Wilde.

Errow is a comic artist and illustrator with a predilection towards mashing the surreal with the familiar. They pay their time to developing worlds not quite like our own with their fiancee and pushing the queer agenda. They probably left a candle burning somewhere. More of their work can be found at errowcollins.wix.com/portfolio.

“Excerpts from ‘Mission Log'” is © 2018 Ashlyn Churchill
Art accompanying story is © 2019 Errow Collins

This story was originally published in Warp & Weave.

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Strange Science: Wildlife-Train Collisions

Posted on May 3, 2019 by scarywhitegirl

Many animals are killed each year due to being struck by trains or otherwise having their habitat affected by the presence of trains. Little research has been done on how many animals and how to prevent this. But scientists are now taking a closer look at both the numbers and how to reduce those numbers.

Some of the options for reducing wildlife-train collisions include environmental modifications that give the animals a safe way to get across the train tracks–whether that is under the tracks, for turtles, or over the tracks, for deer. Other options include warning systems to keep animals away from the tracks in the first place–especially in areas where the presence of train tracks has created an environment that encourages the animals to hunt or forage in the vicinity of the tracks.

While no one solution will work in all circumstances, there is increasing work being done on the topic. You can learn more here.

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