Hoffman’s Quartet Possible
Or, putting a little more science into science-fiction.
Way back in the Old Days, before I was so weighed down with bills and obligations to creditors, I dreamed that I’d pay my way writing science-fiction. As a result of that dream, I commissioned one Sheridan Simon to build a solar system for me. Specifically, a system with four habitable worlds that might have developed independantly. The result was far more than I could have hoped for and I made that available via this website some time ago, as Hoffman’s Quartet.
Now, however, it seems that Dr. Simon was more spot on than I could have imagined, lo, those many years ago. Just recently, National Geographic ran a news story talking about habitable planets circling so-called “hot Jupiters”, which are more properly “brown dwarfs”. Back in 1992, when Sheridan Simon crafted this hypothetical world system for me, that’s precisely how he got me my requested four habitable worlds.
It’s been interesting over the years to see the several pseudo predictions he made in creating that extra-solar system for me come true. Or, more accurately, becore more popular. I wish he were still around to see it, but, sadly, Sheridan Simon passed away a number of years ago.
Maybe I’ll take up that system again and write a story or two, dedicated to Dr. Simon. Just because that world system has become timely again, and, somehow, evokes an interesting flavor of nostalgia in me. Ah, the good old days. Everything old is new again.
Ah-ha! I thought that the name Sheridan Simon sounded familiar! I click on the link to your Hoffman’s Quartet, and lo and behold it’s that professor from college! I attended Guilford at the same time he was creating that for you. That’s something I haven’t thought about in a long time!
I remember there being something said of his writing sci-fi himself. Is that true? I don’t find any under his name. Did he perhaps have a pen-name? Anyway, thanks for the memory!
Comment by Deb — 11/15/2006 @ 9:59 pm
He did write sci-fi, but under a very anonymous pen name that even his widow didn’t know, apparently. I’ve always been sorry that I never got to meet him in person.
Comment by the Fantasist — 11/15/2006 @ 10:18 pm