Alex R. Howe
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My blog of science, science fiction, and more.
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Category Archives: Science Fiction
Ringworld Theory: Did Teela Brown Have Bad Luck?
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 Larry Niven, Ringworld, Teela Brown, Theory
2 Comments
The Science of Project Hail Mary
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 andy weir, Planetary Atmospheres, Project Hail Mary, Relativity, Rocket Equation
5 Comments
Do the Demographics of Logan’s Run Make Sense?
As a companion to this week’s episode of A Reader’s History of Science Fiction, I wanted to take a closer look at the science behind one of the books I’ll be talking about: Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan and … Continue reading
The Logic of “The Gordian Paradox”
In my recent short story, “The Gordian Paradox,” a human attempts to defeat an evil artificial intelligence with a logical paradox: “This sentence is false.” However, instead of getting the AI stuck in a loop, the evil AI and the … Continue reading
Posted in math, Science Fiction, Writing
Tagged fiction analysis, Liar Paradox, Logic, storytelling
2 Comments
The Gordian Paradox
A Short Story “Duck!” Raven yelled, and Dave dropped to the floor. Two bullets whizzed over his head before she blocked the rest of them with her improvised shield. He didn’t know how she could stay ahead of the automated … Continue reading
#17 – Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke was the fourth of the “Big Four” authors of the golden age of science fiction. In this episode, we explore his work and his unique writing style, especially centered around “sufficiently advanced technology.” Book recommendation: The City … Continue reading
Posted in A Reader's History of Science Fiction, Science Fiction
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#16 – Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is most famous as the author of Fahrenheit 451, but he was an important and unique figure in science fiction at-large, a master of short fiction with a colorful, Hollywood-centered career. Here, we explore some of his most … Continue reading
Posted in A Reader's History of Science Fiction, Science Fiction
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#15 – Robert Heinlein Part II: Politics, Religion, and Sex
Robert Heinlein’s later career went to some unusual places, including books with heavy philosophical and political themes, while still continuing with his classic hard sci-fi rigor. In this episode, we explore the highlights of his later work. Book recommendation: The … Continue reading
Posted in A Reader's History of Science Fiction, Science Fiction
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#14 – Robert Heinlein Part I: The Juveniles
Robert Heinlein was one of the first major authors to write science fiction specifically for children. In this episode, we explore how he did it and what sets him apart from his contemporaries in this area, along with the other … Continue reading
20020: the Sequel to 17776
Three years ago, I reviewed a web serial/visual novel called 17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future created by Jon Bois of the SB Nation blog, an absurdist tale about a far future where humans are immortal, and … Continue reading
Posted in Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Web Review
Tagged 17776, 20020, football, Jon Bois, SB Nation, surrealism
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