Author Archives: Alex R. Howe

About Alex R. Howe

I'm a full-time astrophysicist and a part-time science fiction writer.

What If? Rejects 2 Warm-Up

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

So, a few years ago, I wrote a series of posts on this blog called “What If? Rejects.” (You can read that series from the beginning starting here.) This series was based on the book What If? by Randall Munroe, … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

It’s been three and a half years since the last movie set in the Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. That movie…was kind of a mess. And the state of the fandom has, *ahem* changed significantly since then. … Continue reading →

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New Year’s Resolutions Update, April 2022

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

At the start of the year, I talked about how I was reviving my program of—let’s be honest, they’re not really New Year’s resolutions. That’s not how I’m using them, and for good reason. But anyway, in order to try … Continue reading →

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Essay: Harry Potter Theory: Wizards vs. Muggles: Who Would Win?

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

(That may be a personal record for most colons in one title.) With the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore this week, I though I would answer the age-old question in the Harry Potter universe: who would win in a fight between … Continue reading →

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#46 – Science Fiction Today

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

In the final episode of Season 1, we explore the state of the science fiction genre in the present day. Book recommendation: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin Worlds Without End’s list of sci-fi classicsWorlds Without End’s customizable listN. K. … Continue reading →

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Bonus Episode: More Alternate History

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

I missed a few important books in the previous episode on alternate history. Here is an overview of those works. Recommendation: “If Lee Had Not Won the Battle of Gettysburg” by Winston Churchill (yes, really). Other works discussed:The Grasshopper Lies … Continue reading →

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#45 – Young Adult Dystopias

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

Dystopian fiction has been the core of young adult sci-fi for the past 15 years. In this episode, we explore how they got their start and what makes them so popular. Book recommendation: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins My analysis … Continue reading →

Posted in A Reader's History of Science Fiction | 1 Comment

New Video: How to Terraform Venus

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

I recently wrote a peer-reviewed paper about a speculative way to terraform Venus. I got the idea last summer after Kurzgesagt made a video on the topic. I was originally just going to make a video of my own, but … Continue reading →

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US Presidents: Corrected Link

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

I don’t normally make a separate post for corrections. In fact, I think this may be the first time. But I felt the need to do it here because I whiffed this one pretty badly. In my post on the … Continue reading →

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#44 – The Children’s Sci-Fi Renaissance

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

Children’s science fiction was pretty sparse historically, but it began to take off in the 1990s. In this episode, we explore how sci-fi for kids has changed and expanded over the most recent generation. Book recommendations:Middle grade (ages 8-12): Zita the … Continue reading →

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