Hard SF discussion

Does anyone have interest in general chat here? I like having all my GR discussions in one place.

sure

'Hard SF' is a very quiet group... In space, no one can hear you type?

..all depends What would you like to discuss?

right now I am reading Eternity from Greg Bear. I read the book Eon some time ago.

Anyone read the Jax stories? Grimspace etc? I liked them a lot.

Nope.. can you give us a summary?

There is an existing thread here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...
I enjoy strong female protagonists; they remind me of my wife!

I went there, but they a talking about the characters..
and how they like the stories

I went online and read the review... it Fantasy not hard SF... me not interested.

Ah, because the FTL process requires a telepathic-like ability. But it's not fantasy - there's no deus ex magica - but it fails the strict test for "hard". OK. Try C. J. Cherryh. Excellent multi-species political intrigue.

Laz, a good example would the book, I am currently reading. Manifold time by Baxter. You have their genetic engineering, time travel, Smart children. all based on today scientific knowledge base. it make the story credible.

Yeah, Baxter and McDevitt are solid.

I hope someone is home in this forum - seems like nothing has happened recently.

I've just finished Soul Searching by Keith Caserta. It's one of the best books I've ever read. It's what got me to join this group. I'm hoping for more like it, while waiting for the Soul Searching sequel. This hard SciFi book had great human characters, a brilliantly-conceived awakening computer, the Singularity, romance, a look at using technology to investigate the spiritual realm, and a plot that surprised me over and over again. It made me think about things in ways I never had. So if you have suggestions for anything like it PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

- Gi

I'm looking for advice on a gift for a friend -- an excellent, new, hard SF novel. He'll be watering my plants while I'm at WorldCon/Chicon. (I'll probably read it on the plane on my way back.) Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Sue

Here's a list that may help: http://io9.com/5929436/10-recent-scie... I hope it is not too late! I read 5 out of the 10 and they were good.

Some great ideas. Thanks!

Well is there any point? I mean, I'm sure I used to post in a 'What are you reading now' thread, but havent seen that in a while! Wheres it gone?

Hard SF? Try Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement from 1954. Definitely not fantasy!

So artificial gravity...

This is one of those facets of sci fi that has always made me cringe and smile. When a story teller waves their magical editing wand and says, "let there be gravity" I cringe. When someone comes up with a novel or at least plausible technology for it, I smile. I'd much rather read about characters inside a spinning tube, keeping their footing only b/c of centrifugal - or is centripetal - force, than read about people hanging out on deck 3 like it's just a giant floating hotel in space... thoughts?

Well artifical G is quite simple to create. You simply arrange for a section of the ship to spin, or the entire ship if need be and voila, artificial gravity!

Gravity and the Centrifugal Force are not the same things; The following found at:

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/ques...

In space, it is possible to create "artificial gravity" by spinning your spacecraft or space station. When the station spins, centrifugal force acts to pull the inabitants to the outside. This process could be used to simulate gravity. It wouldn't be exactly the same, though, because large coriolis forces would also be present, and things would fall in curves instead of straight lines.

in 2001 a space odyssey artificial G is created by rotating the centre section of the ship. The crew actually use that section for exercise.