Author Archives: Alex R. Howe

About Alex R. Howe

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

#31 – Alien Artifacts and Alien Contact

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Stories about the discovery of mysterious alien artifacts, and the similar challenges of first contact, became prominent in the 70s and 80s. Some of them we have discussed before, but many are new. In this episode, we see an overview … Continue reading →

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What Is a Sport?

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

The Tokyo Olympics begin tomorrow, and while the Games this year have become a messy political boondoggle thanks to COVID (among other things), the likes of which is beyond the scope of this blog, I thought it was time to … Continue reading →

Posted in Existential musings?, sports, Yeah, let’s go with that. | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Writer’s History #4 – Daniel Bensen Interview

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Daniel Bensen is an author of science fiction, alternate history, and stories of speculative evolution. In this interview, we discuss his new book, Interchange, sequel to his debut novel, Junction, and other writings. Dan’s website. Dan’s book recommendations: The Vorkosigan … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Interchange by Daniel M. Bensen

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Last year, I reviewed the book Junction by Daniel M. Bensen, a sci-fi work centered around speculative evolution, that is, imagining how life might evolve on an alternate Earth or other worlds. Junction is a world filled with wormholes connecting … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

#30 – Arthur Clarke’s Comeback

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

After the New Wave era drew to a close, the older authors of the Golden Age continued to produce new works, but Arthur C. Clarke made the strongest comeback, with some of his most famous books coming from his later … Continue reading →

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#29 – Larry Niven and the Return of Hard Sci-Fi

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

By 1970, the New Wave in science fiction had made peace with a surge of new hard sci-fi works and writers. At the forefront of this trend was Larry Niven, who took a unique path in hard sci-fi by proposing … Continue reading →

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Ringworld Theory: Did Teela Brown Have Bad Luck?

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

In Larry Niven’s Ringworld, the alien Puppeteers have secretly been selectively breeding humans for being lucky, which they believe (correctly) is actually a psychic probability manipulation ability. (This seems a little weird because natural selection already involves a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Fiction, Story Analysis | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Science of Project Hail Mary

Posted on June 15, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Andy Weir’s latest book, Project Hail Mary, is a very good hard science fiction tale about a journey to another solar system in search of a way to save Earth from disaster. Mr. Weir always does mostly pretty good science … Continue reading →

Posted in Physics, Science Fiction, Story Analysis | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Essay: Who Was Really the Richest Person in History?

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Every so often, some business magazine or other notable publication will publish a list of the richest historical figures of all time. Topping the list is usually John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the first person ever to earn a billion United States dollars. … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, History | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Writer’s History #3 – Dr. Benjamin Stevens Interview

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Dr. Benjamin Stevens is a professor of classical studies who researches the relationship between the ancient/classical tradition and science fiction and fantasy. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss what makes sci-fi distinctive, classicism and modernity, ancient aliens, and more. Dr. … Continue reading →

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