I couldn't finish two of the other three I started to read.
I don't know what the future will bring, but if I'm going to read about it, I want it to be optimistic. Because even if the future is dystopian, I am going to meet it head held high and determined to be in good spirits.
"We were all pessimists back then, in the very early days of the Soul War, when we didn’t even realize it was a war, when the species was just starting to notice the vampire squid that had been wrapped around its face since the Bronze Age." This SO GOOD!
I'm telling myself I'm going have to record a reading.
This is my favorite! This is the kind of future I want to help manifest. Reminds me of Robert Heinlein at his best, e.g. Farnham's Freehold / Moon is a Harsh Mistress level envisioning.
I think I'll bask in your vision again, now, before celebrating it on my platforms.
The historical prerequisites you mention help explain how it could turn out so well. I dare not name them here. I thank you for alluding to them. I pray we have more men like you.
Alas, I am not as optimistic about living in space colonies as I was when young and a member of the L5 society. It was Larry Niven and Gregory Benford's "Bowl of Heaven" that made me do some calculations. Those cylindrical O'Neill colonies would pop like balloons. As radius of cylinder goes up, radius of curvature goes down, which means tension needs to go up. Tightropes have to be tight to avoid sagging.
A cylinder holding air is like a bunch of rope bridges anchored at the two ends like you seen in old jungle adventurer movies. Except those ropes need to hold the weight of 30 feet of water. Even if the "ropes" consists of quality steel cables one millimeter apart, this is still challenging unless you have significant sag (== small cylinder).
A ring topology is more promising, as the "cylinder" diameter can be kept smaller. But still: notice the thickness of the cylinder walls of a commercial jet. Those walls don't have to handle full vacuum on the outside. (But they do need to handle air turbulence.) The required thickness of the metal balloon goes up in proportion to the ring's cross section diameter. (There's bound to be a better name for this. I'm not a topologist.)
But we haven't factored in cosmic rays yet! We on Earth are protected by both a magnetic field and the equivalent of 30 feet of water. Equivalent shielding for a spinning habitat -- be it cylinder or ring -- is a LOT of spinning weight.
The writers of [the original] Star Trek may have gotten it right when they kept most of the action on planets. Living in space for long periods of time may well require deflector shields and artificial gravity.
Such calculations make me greener than my younger self. Terraforming Mars and Venus are going to be double plus long projects. We need to keep Earth operational in the meantime.
I could stand some more of this story. Brought back younger days, buried in the latest ERB, imagining myself the heroine in distress, fighting a losing battle, perhaps near death, knowing rescue by her hero was surely to come....allowing myself just one more chapter before I had to tear myself away for homework or some such dreadful mundane task. Ahhh, those were the days, and memories I thank you for awakening. You created a vivid picture of your characters and excited one's desire to get to know them. That's what a true story-teller does.
That backstory is so tantalising. I want to know all about it, but this way I have to make it myself. It's better this way, it gives me something to fight for.
Saw someone say that this reminded them of Heinlein. I thought kind of the same thing with a little bit of Frank Herbert thrown in and a dash of Edgar Rice Burroughs. But I should know "My Favorite Martian" would have to have a touch of Burroughs added in. Not sure I liked the ending, would have liked to see Tom perhaps make a change to where he is at. A new beginning here and rather than away and then perhaps Azadeh could still see the stars without leaving. Perhaps a sequal would change my mind. You are the second of the six that I have read, still have four more to go. Good read!!!
I'm not sure why people find this so optimistic. I see a contentious and aggressive marriage, in which decisions are ultimately reached through forced submission, whether it be her or him doing the forcing. I find little reason to have hope for them.
I couldn't finish two of the other three I started to read.
I don't know what the future will bring, but if I'm going to read about it, I want it to be optimistic. Because even if the future is dystopian, I am going to meet it head held high and determined to be in good spirits.
Good stuff. I want a prequel where the storming of Area 51 yields memory metal! ;)
Love this vision! Way more optimistic than me - which is very refreshing.
"We were all pessimists back then, in the very early days of the Soul War, when we didn’t even realize it was a war, when the species was just starting to notice the vampire squid that had been wrapped around its face since the Bronze Age." This SO GOOD!
I'm telling myself I'm going have to record a reading.
This is my favorite! This is the kind of future I want to help manifest. Reminds me of Robert Heinlein at his best, e.g. Farnham's Freehold / Moon is a Harsh Mistress level envisioning.
I think I'll bask in your vision again, now, before celebrating it on my platforms.
The historical prerequisites you mention help explain how it could turn out so well. I dare not name them here. I thank you for alluding to them. I pray we have more men like you.
Beautifully written.
Alas, I am not as optimistic about living in space colonies as I was when young and a member of the L5 society. It was Larry Niven and Gregory Benford's "Bowl of Heaven" that made me do some calculations. Those cylindrical O'Neill colonies would pop like balloons. As radius of cylinder goes up, radius of curvature goes down, which means tension needs to go up. Tightropes have to be tight to avoid sagging.
A cylinder holding air is like a bunch of rope bridges anchored at the two ends like you seen in old jungle adventurer movies. Except those ropes need to hold the weight of 30 feet of water. Even if the "ropes" consists of quality steel cables one millimeter apart, this is still challenging unless you have significant sag (== small cylinder).
A ring topology is more promising, as the "cylinder" diameter can be kept smaller. But still: notice the thickness of the cylinder walls of a commercial jet. Those walls don't have to handle full vacuum on the outside. (But they do need to handle air turbulence.) The required thickness of the metal balloon goes up in proportion to the ring's cross section diameter. (There's bound to be a better name for this. I'm not a topologist.)
But we haven't factored in cosmic rays yet! We on Earth are protected by both a magnetic field and the equivalent of 30 feet of water. Equivalent shielding for a spinning habitat -- be it cylinder or ring -- is a LOT of spinning weight.
The writers of [the original] Star Trek may have gotten it right when they kept most of the action on planets. Living in space for long periods of time may well require deflector shields and artificial gravity.
Such calculations make me greener than my younger self. Terraforming Mars and Venus are going to be double plus long projects. We need to keep Earth operational in the meantime.
Maybe I'm just turning into an Olde Phaerte.
I enjoyed the "vision" of the future John. I wish you had added a plausible explanation of how we get human IQ levels back up.
I could stand some more of this story. Brought back younger days, buried in the latest ERB, imagining myself the heroine in distress, fighting a losing battle, perhaps near death, knowing rescue by her hero was surely to come....allowing myself just one more chapter before I had to tear myself away for homework or some such dreadful mundane task. Ahhh, those were the days, and memories I thank you for awakening. You created a vivid picture of your characters and excited one's desire to get to know them. That's what a true story-teller does.
John, will be linking all six articles today in a special edition of https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
Wiil be reading all over the next few days when I get some time.
So good! I recorded a reading for those who prefer to be read to: https://heroesvsvillains.substack.com/p/inspiring-short-story-2043-heroes
Wow, really good story. So good...I’m a paid subscriber now ;)
You left out the creation of the primarchs and their scattering across the galaxy,but other than that very nice. : )
That backstory is so tantalising. I want to know all about it, but this way I have to make it myself. It's better this way, it gives me something to fight for.
Saw someone say that this reminded them of Heinlein. I thought kind of the same thing with a little bit of Frank Herbert thrown in and a dash of Edgar Rice Burroughs. But I should know "My Favorite Martian" would have to have a touch of Burroughs added in. Not sure I liked the ending, would have liked to see Tom perhaps make a change to where he is at. A new beginning here and rather than away and then perhaps Azadeh could still see the stars without leaving. Perhaps a sequal would change my mind. You are the second of the six that I have read, still have four more to go. Good read!!!
Well, now, out of 5 posts I've read, there's 2 novels I want to read.
This is a great one!
Edit: Make that 3 novels I want to read.
I'm not sure why people find this so optimistic. I see a contentious and aggressive marriage, in which decisions are ultimately reached through forced submission, whether it be her or him doing the forcing. I find little reason to have hope for them.
It's well-written, nonetheless.