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News: New Giant Telescope Aims to Answer the Question: Is There Anybody Out There?

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Lima telescope

On a remote hilltop 8,000 feet above sea level in Chile’s Atacama Desert, scientists hope to answer one of the most fundamental questions facing humankind: Is there life elsewhere in the universe? That’s one of various goals of the Giant Magellan Telescope, or GMT, now in the early stages of construction and scheduled to start scanning outer space in 2021. Once it does, it’s expected to offer views of the farthest depths of the universe ever achieved. With seven curved mirrors giving it a record optical surface 80 feet in diameter, the GMT will have the sharpest images of any … Read more

Announcement: A Little Bit Langston, by Andrew Demcak

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A Little Bit Langston

QSFer Andrew Demcak has a new paranormal book out: Being different can be dangerous, and discovery can be deadly. High school freshman James Kerr is finding out he’s not quite like his classmates. Around the time he realizes he’s attracted to his best friend, Paul Schmitz, James starts channeling a dead writer’s poetry and also discovers he has an ability to manipulate energy—a super power. Before James can figure out why this is happening to him, tragedy strikes in the form of Paul’s abusive father, and James is sent to a government-run school, The Paragon Academy, which specializes in juvenile … Read more

Discussion: Pop Culture After the Apocalypse

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Mr. Burns Play

Anyone see the play Mr. Burns? One of our local theaters put it on last season, and it was fascinating to me. Basically, there’s some kind of apocalypse, and some of the survivors gather and start recalling the details of an episode of the Simpsons. It’s a comforting bit of shared culture that literally helps them get through the night together. As the play moves forward in time, troupes form to perform remembered episodes, going so far as to pay people for remembered scenes or dialogue to complete each episode. And by the end, the Simpsons show has evolved and … Read more

Announcement: The Harvest: A Tah’Narian Christmas, by M.A. Church

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The Harvest: A Tah'Narian Christmas

QSFer M.A. Church has a new Sci Fi book out: So what’s an alien to do when his mate refuses to say what’s bothering him? Why, he sends a deep space message to his mate’s mother on earth, what else? Keyno not only learns the importance of Christmas to his chosen, he’s also shocked and confused as to why Dale hasn’t shared this with him. There is no such celebration on Tah’Nar, but that doesn’t stop Keyno from trying to bring happiness to Dale. He’s not only a starship captain, he’s also an excellent strategist. He gathers his closest friends—Doc … Read more

Discussion: Visiting the Scene of the Crime

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Last year, while working on a story set in San Francisco after global warming, the hubby and I drove down to San Francisco to scout out some of the scenes (OK, it’s also a great excuse to visit The City!). I was projecting a sea-level rise of 20-30 feet, so I wanted to see if it would be possible to hop from building ledge to ledge above the new water line, among other things. I was setting part of my story in the then abandoned Giants stadium too, so I needed to get a first-hand look. Doing so improved the … Read more

Discussion: New Discoveries Day

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New Discoveries Day

Hey all, Recently we launched New Discoveries Day – a day once a month (usually on the first day of the month) when we discuss recent discoveries that fascinate us and that could spawn plot bunnies (or plot squirrels or plot mongeese – your plot animal of choice). So chime in and let us know about any new discoveries you ran across in the last month – links are always appreciated. Thanks to Freddy MacKay for the great idea! –Scott Come Join the Chat!

Announcement: Wolf Caller, by Silvia Violet

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Wolf Caller

QSFer Silvia Violet has a new paranormal book out: As their world draws closer to war, the future of Albion is in the hands of a werewolf pack who must protect the country’s most carefully guarded secret, a new magically-generated power source. Rumors about the mysterious Lord Derek Valmont abound, but no one in Albion’s Upper Circles knows the whole truth. Valmont is an alpha werewolf and an operative for the Office of Clandestine Affairs. Captivated—literally—by the hauntingly beautiful Serena, Valmont is furious that he can’t break the hold she has over him in wolf form. When she flees their … Read more

News: The Massive Drone That Will One Day Deliver Your Packages

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Two years ago, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos appeared on 60 Minutes to show off what he said would be the future of package delivery: a drone that would fly from Amazon headquarters to dump your goods off at the front door. Today, the company unveiled the latest iteration of its idea, along with actual footage of the drone in flight, in a video narrated by Jeremy Clarkson. It has grown in size and can reportedly fly 55 mph for a distance of 15 miles. Full Story at Towleroad.com