Author Archives: Alex R. Howe

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About Alex R. Howe

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

Sunday’s Total Lunar Eclipse

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

On the night of Sunday-Monday, January 20-21, there will be a total lunar eclipse. (Official NASA info.) This eclipse will be especially significant because it will be the first total lunar eclipse visible from most or all of North America … Continue reading →

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Highlights from the AAS Conference

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

For the past week, over three thousand astronomers from all over the world (including yours truly) met in Seattle, Washington for the American Astronomical Society Winter Meeting, the largest astronomy conference in the world. Much science was announced and discussed, … Continue reading →

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On Covering Science News

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

I feel like I’ve been pretty lax about talking about science news stories here. This blog is called Science Meets Fiction, but lately, when I have time to post at all, it only seems to be about fiction. Part of … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Mary Poppins Returns

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

In the endless string off remakes and sequels that plagues Hollywood, Mary Poppins was not one I expected to see on the list. The 1964 classic has stood the test of time for more than half a century; it told … Continue reading →

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New Horizons and Ultima Thule: Where to Watch

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

Update: it turns out that the coverage of the Ultima Thule flyby is “forward funded”, so it will proceed on NASA TV as normal. New Horizons, the spacecraft that famously imaged Pluto three years ago, will be making history again … Continue reading →

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Could Mortal Engines’ Municipal Darwinism Work?

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

In Mortal Engines, based on the book series by Philip Reeve, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by nuclear war, the surviving settlements have become “traction cities,” putting themselves on wheels to roam what was once Eurasia (an area known in … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Mortal Engines

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

Well, here it is. Possibly the most ridiculous movie of the year is Mortal Engines (although I have a post on the plausibility of it coming up). Mortal Engines is based on a young adult science fiction series by Philip … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is dominating the box office, they haven’t completely abandoned other stories. Deadpool, Venom, and the X-Men are still getting their own movies, for better or worse, but this month’s big offering is the Spider-Man: Into … Continue reading →

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Book Review: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

John Green is the famed young adult author of hits such as The Fault in Our Stars—but this post isn’t about him. His brother Hank Green, on the other hand, is an internet-famous science communicator and musician and co-host with … Continue reading →

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Who is Credence Barebone?

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

Warning: MAJOR spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald below. This is my take on breaking down the big end-of-the-movie reveal, so if you haven’t seen it, click away now.

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