Fantasist's Scroll

Hey, I always like free!

I’ve had a PalmIIIc for years and years. Originally, I got it with the idea that I could use it to play games and read books, too. The problem was that there just weren’t a lot of books available in a Palm readable format. Problem solved: ManyBooks.net. Not only do they have literally thousands of books in multiple formats, including several for the Palm, but they’re all free!
Well, they do ask for donations, but it’s not absolutely required. I’ve just started to explore their titles, but they seem to have quite a few classics, so it’s worth checking out. Besides, it’s Friday, what else are you going to do?

(This entry also appeared last week on my other blog, Diary of a Network Geek.)

No, not the Jules Verne novel.

In this case, it’s actually someone going into the deepest cave on Earth. At least, according to this article on the Sydney Morning Herald, it’s the deepest cave known to mankind. (Based on this article over at Politiken.dk, I’d be impressed if they found something deeper!) It’s a cave in Georgia, the former Soviet block country, not the American State. And, the current expedition is going further down than anyone has before. They’re litterally miles down into the Earth where the whole ecology is different and sunlight has never penetrated. Cool. Of course, when I posted the review of Descent, it should have been apparent that I dig strange stuff like this. If the articles on the real cave intrigue you at all, get Descent. You’ll love it!

Today is Frank Herbert’s Birthday.

Of course, we haven’t had him with us since 1986, the year I graduated from high-school, but his work lives on. Mr. Herbert is primarily known for his seminal work, Dune, and the Dune books that followed. Though, interestingly enough, he never intended to write sequels.
Often refered to as the science-fiction Lord of the Rings, Dune and the books that followed detail an amazingly rich science-ficiton culture. The novels are some of the first to have detailed political and sociological sub-plots, not to mention ecological sub-plots! The way Mr. Herbert used religion in his work is quite interesting as well. In a genre that often avoids discussing religion, he explored the topic in detail and with a depth that was personally inspiring.

There hasn’t been anyone else quite like Frank Herbert and I am in awe of the ways in which he influenced the genre.

Three-dimensional books. Cool.

There’s a project afoot that makes 3-d books a reality. It’s called Black Magic. So far, they’re still in the experimental stage, but it looks good. They’ve done a story about America’s Cup in 3-d and have a “simulation” that can be downloaded to a PC. The viewer itself seems to be a set of googles or eyepieces on a handle, not unlike the Victorian stereoscopic viewer. I guess everything old is new again. In any case, it seems like an interesting technology and I’ll be watching to see where, or if, it goes.

Space tourists.

Well, if Richard Branson is as spot on as he’s been, we may be flying Virgin Galactic into space for our vacations. Okay, so, maybe that’s a little “forward thinking”, but, according to this article on Wired News, he’s made a deal to to build an “aircraft” based on Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne craft. (Mr. Rutan, and company, is a contender for the X-Prize.) Apparently, Branson’s plan is to start making regular “flights” into space, one assumes with profit in mind. So, in spite of the flamboyant and sometimes downwright strange stunts he’s pulled, Branson may just fullfil the promise of the X-Prize: regular, commercial space-flight.

Cool.

A new age has dawned for spaceflight!

According to numerous sources, my favorite being National Geographic in this case, SpaceShipOne has won the X-Prize. What does that mean? It means that a privately built single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft has been built and successfully launched into space twice within a week. And, if you don’t understand the implecations of that, well… Well, I can’t imagine anyone who could find this blog on the web and not have some idea what that accomplishment means. Maybe I will see a mission to mars succeed in my lifetime. I might even see extraterrestrial mining. The possibilities are limitless.

Wow.

At least, more about the man who cracked it.

Back in June, I mentioned that someone had uncovered the secret of the Voynich Manuscript. Well, to be more precise, he uncovered the fact that it was a fake. This past month, there was an article on Wired News about that man. he’s quite interesting, really. From what I read, he’s basically in the business of, well, thinking about thinking. He looks at how various professionals solve problems and tries to improve their process. He seems to be quite good at it, too! Anyway, read the article.

Okay, this tickled my funny-bone.

This website, A Primer in SF Xenolinguistics, really made me chuckle. It’s really a what NOT to do guide. In a nutshell, it lists all the things that begining writers make when dealing with language in science-fiction and fantasy. Actually, it’s a bit frightening how many people who should know better make these mistakes, too, but I digress.
It’s a fun read and, heaven help me, it’s informative, too.

Hey, it’s Friday, go check it out!