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Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 3rd 12, 03:45 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
DouhetSukd
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Posts: 8
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

On Mar 29, 11:47*am, Robert Clark wrote:

Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.
  #2  
Old April 3rd 12, 02:18 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
Michael Stemper
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Posts: 63
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

In article , DouhetSukd writes:
On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark wrote:


Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.


I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.

Did I make a bad call?

--
Michael F. Stemper
#include Standard_Disclaimer
"Writing about jazz is like dancing about architecture" - Thelonious Monk
  #4  
Old April 4th 12, 04:02 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
[email protected] (Ted Nolan
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Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

In article ,
Dave Hansen wrote:
On Tue, 3 Apr 2012 13:18:37 +0000 (UTC),
(Michael Stemper) wrote:

In article

,
DouhetSukd writes:
On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark wrote:


Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.


I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.

Did I make a bad call?


FWIW, I liked the first one a lot, and looked forward to the second. I
thought the second was pretty good, though perhaps not a good as the
first. And the ending was... weird. I didn't like the direction it
was taking. I never went further.


I liked the later ones less well than the beginning, but it was
still a good read overall.

The ending was odd though as it raised a *lot* of questions that
were never answered. Perhaps he was/is planning another series further
along in that setting.
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
  #5  
Old April 5th 12, 03:07 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
Robert Clark
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Posts: 1,150
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

On Apr 2, 10:45*pm, DouhetSukd wrote:
On Mar 29, 11:47*am, Robert Clark wrote:

Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. *Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.


Thanks for that. I was looking primarily for books set in the near
future since my view is private, commercial spaceflight is imminent.
It will be very important then to understand the national security
implications of this, but discussion on this aspect of routine
spaceflight has been virtually nil.
The wikipedia page on Michael Flynn mentions another example, Victor
Koman's "Kings of the High Frontier". These two examples are actually
right up my alley since they involve single stage to orbit vehicles,
which I believe are key to making spaceflight routine.


Bob Clark

cf.,

Newsgroups: sci.space.policy, sci.astro, sci.physics,
sci.space.history
From: Robert Clark
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:36:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: A kerosene-fueled X-33 as a single stage to orbit
vehicle.
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.s...5ca2dc05?hl=en
  #6  
Old April 8th 12, 01:25 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
Robert Clark
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Posts: 1,150
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

On Apr 5, 10:07*am, Robert Clark wrote:
On Apr 2, 10:45*pm, DouhetSukd wrote:

On Mar 29, 11:47*am, Robert Clark wrote:


Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. *Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.


*Thanks for that. I was looking primarily for books set in the near
future since my view is private, commercial spaceflight is imminent.
It will be very important then to understand the national security
implications of this, but discussion on this aspect of routine
spaceflight has been virtually nil.
*The wikipedia page on Michael Flynn mentions another example, Victor
Koman's "Kings of the High Frontier". These two examples are actually
right up my alley since they involve single stage to orbit vehicles,
which I believe are key to making spaceflight routine.

* Bob Clark

* cf.,

Newsgroups: sci.space.policy, sci.astro, sci.physics,
sci.space.history
From: Robert Clark
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:36:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: A kerosene-fueled X-33 as a single stage to orbit
vehicle.http://groups.google.com/group/sci.s...4b9bcc5ca2dc05...


Just saw this on HobbySpace.com:

Moon to be private colony - NASA
by: By Doug Conway
From: AAP
April 04, 2012 2:39PM
"IF mankind ends up colonising the moon, it is likely to be led by a
commercial enterprise rather than a government."
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news...-1226318687424

Bob Clark
  #7  
Old April 8th 12, 02:04 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
Robert Clark
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Posts: 1,150
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

This book discusses some of the new commercial space ventures:

How to Build Your Own Spaceship: The Science of Personal Space Travel.
[Hardcover]
Piers Bizony (Author)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...SIN=1846271258

Bob Clark

  #8  
Old April 9th 12, 08:47 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
DouhetSukd
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Posts: 8
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

On Apr 3, 6:18*am, (Michael Stemper)
wrote:
In article , DouhetSukd writes:

On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark wrote:
Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. *Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.


I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.

Did I make a bad call?


#2 and #3 were a bit slow going IIRC, but #4 tied it all up together
with a bittersweet heroic ending.

Yes, as Ted mentioned, #4 brings the series to a conclusion, but
leaves some questions unanswered. But not in a burning we-need-to-
know-this fashion. If you really liked #1, you ought not to be too
disappointed by the rest.

Flynn is one of my favorite authors (though his recent second book in
the Up Jim River is a tad stale compared to the first).

For the Firestar series he was still learning his craft, IMHO. Wreck
of the River of Stars and Eifelheim are much more sophisticated
books. But as far as the OP's request goes, this is a very good
series.
  #9  
Old April 22nd 12, 03:03 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
Robert Clark
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Posts: 1,150
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

On Apr 8, 8:25*am, Robert Clark wrote:
...
Just saw this on HobbySpace.com:

Moon to be private colony - NASA
by: By Doug Conway
From: AAP
April 04, 2012 2:39PM
"IF mankind ends up colonising the moon, it is likely to be led by a
commercial enterprise rather than a government."http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/moon-to-be-private-colony-nasa/s...

* Bob Clark


Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
By Alan Boyle
Quote:
Today's media alert says the new company "will overlay two
critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add
trillions of dollars to the global GDP. This innovative start-up will
create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources.'"
"That sounds like asteroid mining," Christopher Mims writes on MIT
Technology Review's "Mims' Bits" blog. "Because what else is there in
space that we need here on earth? Certainly not a livable climate or a
replacement for our dwindling supplies of oil."
Parabolic Arc's Doug Messier, meanwhile, writes that the venture
will be an "extraterrestrial mining company."
Diamandis has said on more than one occasion that he's intrigued
by the idea of digging into asteroids, for materials ranging from
water (for fuel as well as for astronauts) to precious metals such as
platinum. The Verge points to a TED talk in 2005 where Diamandis
discusses his dream, while Forbes magazine has brought up the subject
with him more than once in the past few months.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...source-venture

A research report co-authored by two of the participants of this
venture suggests bringing meters-sized asteroids or parts of large
asteroids to lunar orbit for processing to save on costs:

New Study Says Asteroid Retrieval and Mining Feasible With Existing
and Near-Term Technologies.
Posted by Doug Messier on April 19, 2012, at 11:34 am in News
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2012/04/...-technologies/

A science-fiction film from 1969 also expressed the idea that
asteroid mining could only be profitable by bringing the asteroid to
the vicinity of the Earth, so I suppose this is a view that has long
been expressed. The film was "Moon Zero Two":

Moon Zero Two.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Zero_Two

The film was a rather low budget endeavor, still it was enjoyable for
a genre fan. It can be purchased on Amazon.com. However, you can see
it for free on Youtube if you don't mind the Mystery Science Theater
3000 side comments:

MST3k 111 - Moon Zero Two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJHcq85IlQE


Bob Clark
  #10  
Old April 22nd 12, 03:50 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,rec.arts.sf.science,rec.arts.sf.written
Ala
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Posts: 115
Default Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?


"Robert Clark" wrote in message
...

Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.


"You will either step forward into growth,
or you will step backward into safety."
Abraham Maslow

 




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