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.

Book review: The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

Mur Lafferty is the author of the excellent I Should Be Writing podcast, which provides useful advice to writers of all calibers. After self-publishing a variety of fantasy and science fiction works, Lafferty now debuts her first professionally-published novel, The … Continue reading →

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The backwards planets

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

Our Solar System formed from a single, spinning gas cloud in a nebula not unlike the Orion Nebula we can see in the sky today. The whole cloud was spinning the same direction, which means that as it collapsed, almost … Continue reading →

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How to be a writer: getting feedback

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

So you wrote something. Great! Maybe it’s a short story. Maybe it’s a novel. Maybe it’s an epic 300,000-word tome (although if it is, you might have some issues). It’s always good when you can finish a project, but now … Continue reading →

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In the sky: Saturn

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

Saturn is an old favorite for stargazers. The most distant of the classical planets, and widely regarded as the most majestic, its stately 30-year orbit means that it doesn’t move too much from year to year, making it easier to … Continue reading →

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Four far-flung planets

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

Some solar systems have a lot of planets packed in close to their stars. Others are just the opposite. HR 8799 is a young star that is more massive than our Sun. It’s so young–about 30 million years–that it’s planetary … Continue reading →

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Book review: Inferno by Dan Brown

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

In spite of all logic, I have a soft spot for Dan Brown. I genuinely enjoyed his early work. I got started on Angels and Demons, which I thought was pretty good at the time, despite some errors. I also … Continue reading →

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Movie review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I’m a life-long Trekkie. I’ve seen all of the movies (even the absurd Star Trek V) and most of all five series. I also thoroughly enjoyed J. J. Abrams’s in-universe reboot of … Continue reading →

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A planetary six-pack

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

Mercury, the closest planet to our Sun, is often thought of as being super-close to the Sun and super hot. But really, it’s 40% of Earth’s distance from the Sun, and it’s only 430 degrees Celsius (800 Fahrenheit) on the … Continue reading →

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Quality control, part 3: the arts

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

This is final post in my series on quality control. Click the links to see part 1 and part 2. The Internet gives everyone a voice. It either has become or is becoming our library, our newspaper, our encyclopedia, our … Continue reading →

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Quality control, part 2: the sciences

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Alex R. Howe

In my last post, I discussed the implications of interconnected world of the Internet as it failed to track down the Boston bombers before traditional methods did. In this post, I discuss the broader implications as they pertain to my … Continue reading →

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