Author Archives: Alex R. Howe

Unknown's avatar

About Alex R. Howe

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

The Great Silent Treatment

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

A Short Story Author’s Note: For the first time, I am publishing a piece of my original fiction on this blog. I’ve previously been looking at trying to break into traditional publishing, but the online medium is becoming moreand more … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Great Silent Treatment

Fan Fiction Review: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

A very well-written and scientifically-minded retelling of Harry Potter has just been completed: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. Fan fiction is in the news lately. This genre, in which fans of books, movies, or television shows like Star … Continue reading →

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

Movie Review: Chappie

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

Chappie is the story of a robot brought to life by one kidnapped scientist and three brutal gangsters. Given an upbringing like that, he turns out better than you’d think. In 2016, the police force of Johannesburg, South Africa deploys … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: Chappie

What If? Rejects #4.1: Volcanoes

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

Well, it’s been a while, but it’s finally time I got back to my What If? Rejects series, where I answer the questions that Randall Munroe declined to answer in his book, What If? Previous post in this series: Umm…? … Continue reading →

Posted in Geology, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #4.1: Volcanoes

Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

Astronaut Mark Whatney got the chance of a lifetime when he was picked to join the third manned mission to Mars. But after they landed, things went wrong. A freak dust storm far beyond anything the crew anticipated nearly destroyed … Continue reading →

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

See Comet Lovejoy While You Can

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

This is Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy). Like many comets, it has a bright green color due to the fluorescence of diatomic carbon molecules in its tail, broken off from its surface. And most notably, Comet Lovejoy is visible to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Comets, Stargazing | Tagged , , | Comments Off on See Comet Lovejoy While You Can

Book Review: Soulminder by Timothy Zahn

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Alex R. Howe

I’m a big fan of Timonthy Zahn’s Star Wars novels, but Soulminder is the first non-Star Wars offering of his that I’ve read. I was happy to find it was up to his usual high standards. After losing his young … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Book Review: Soulminder by Timothy Zahn

Bible Reading Revised

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

One year ago I started on a plan to read the Bible cover to cover in, well, one year. I wrote my own reading plan to do this because I was dissatisfied with the various other plans I could find. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reading, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Bible Reading Revised

Movie Review: Exodus: Gods and Kings

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

I reviewed Noah last spring with a follow-up post on the finer points of the film’s theology. I thought that film was pretty good, but you had to be willing to think deeply about its message and not just watch … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Movie Review: Exodus: Gods and Kings

What If? Rejects #3.3: Umm…?

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

Randall Munroe’s What If? Previous post in this series: Planet of the Apes Next post in this series: Volcanoes Q: If people had wheels and could fly, how would we differentiate them from airplanes? Randall’s response: No response. My response: … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, What If? Rejects | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What If? Rejects #3.3: Umm…?