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.

Planet 9 Follow-Up

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

Where it is, where it came from, and why there’s a chance it’s not there at all. Last week, I wrote about the not-quite-discovery of a ninth planet in our Solar System (and I don’t mean Pluto), way, way beyond … Continue reading →

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Planet 9: A New Planet in Our Solar System?

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

“In my day, Pluto was a Planet!” said everyone over the age of…15 or so. Pluto was demoted from planet status ten years ago (a decision I do agree with–see here), and now we only have eight planets–or do we? … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

Alright, so I was torn about reviewing The Windup Girl because I’m really not sure it’s fair to do so. I tried. I really did. But no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get into this book. For the … Continue reading →

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The Wild Chemistry, Geology, and Everything Else of Pluto

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

I just got back from the American Astronomical Society’s winter conference, and let me tell you, there was a lot of great science going on there, but I wanted to focus particularly on the latest findings about Pluto. Pluto’s geology … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Alex R. Howe

To Kill a Mockingbird is considered one of the great American novels. If you’re between the ages of 16 and 65, odds are you read it in high school. Harper Lee’s loosely autobiographical portrayal of racial tension in the American … Continue reading →

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How Many Seconds in Eternity?

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

There’s this wall of pure Azbantium. It’s 400 times harder than diamond and 20 feet thick. Once every few days*, the Doctor comes and punches it a few times. And when the Doctor punches his way all the way through … Continue reading →

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Retro Movie Review: The Star Wars Holiday Special

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

On November 17, 1978, back when Star Wars was only a single film, CBS aired a made-for-TV “movie” entitled the Star Wars Holiday Special. This movie was never rebroadcast and has never been officially released on video (except for a … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

That. Was. EPIC! Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is probably the most anticipated movie of the entire decade. Jurassic World was big, but the hype around that was nothing compared with the revival of Star Wars. Not only … Continue reading →

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Theology and Doctor Who

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

“How many seconds in eternity?” So this post is a little bit TV review, a little bit analysis, a little bit religious commentary, and a little bit blog recommendation. It’s complicated…or wibbly-wobby-timey-whimey, you might say. But Doctor Who tends to … Continue reading →

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Happy Back to the Future Day

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

Today is the day that Doc Brown and Marty McFly arrived in The Future! So put on your self-lacing shoes, load up the Mr. Fusion, and kick back and enjoy Jaws 19. (Also, try driving in New Jersey for a … Continue reading →

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