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Mesklin
Mesklin is a fictional supergiant planet created by Hal Clement and used in a number of his hard science fiction stories. It is distinctive for the interaction of its strong gravity with the centrifugal force due to its fast rotation, originating, according to Clement's original calculations, a gradient in the perceived force of gravity from 3 '' g'' on the equator to 665 ''g'' on the planet's poles. Overview The planet first appeared in the novel ''Mission of Gravity'', which was serialized in '' Astounding Science Fiction'' (April–July 1953). Other fictional works using the planet or its denizens include ''Under'', ''Lecture Demonstration'', and '' Star Light''. The book ''Heavy Planet'' is a collection of Mesklin-related works. Clement described the basic characteristics of Mesklin in the article "Whirligig World" in ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (June 1953). He based the world on an object then thought to exist in the 61 Cygni system, which had been detected by analysis of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Star Light
''Star Light'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Hal Clement. It is the sequel to one of Clement's earlier books, ''Mission of Gravity''. The novel was serialized in four parts in '' Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact Magazine'' from June to September 1970. ''Star Light'' was first published as a paperback book by Ballantine Books in September 1971. Setting ''Star Light'' is set several decades after the events of ''Mission of Gravity''. It takes place mostly on the supergiant planet Dhrawn, which some suspect of being a failed star. The planet has an ammonia/water atmosphere with some oxygen, at temperatures ranging from 70 Kelvins to almost the freezing point of water. The planet rotates extremely slowly, taking around two months for one revolution. It also has a long eccentric orbit around its star, which is a red dwarf, Lalande 21185. Much of the planet's heat seems to come from within. The gravity at the surface is 40 times the Earth's. Almost everything about ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hal Clement
Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under the name George Richard. In 1998 Clement was inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and named the 17th SFWA Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (presented in 1999). Biography Harry Clement Stubbs was born in Somerville, Massachusetts on May 30, 1922. He went to Harvard, graduating with a B.S. in astronomy in 1943. While there he wrote his first published story, "Proof", which appeared in the June 1942 issue of ''Astounding Science Fiction'', edited by John W. Campbell; three more appeared in later 1942 numbers. His further educational background includes an M.Ed. (Boston University 1946) and M.S. in chemistry (Simmons College 1963). During World War II Clement was a pilot and copilo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mission Of Gravity
''Mission of Gravity'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Hal Clement. The novel was serialized in '' Astounding Science Fiction'' magazine in April–July 1953. Its first hardcover book publication was in 1954, and it was first published as a paperback book in 1958. Along with the novel, many editions (and most recent editions) of the book also include "Whirligig World", an essay by Clement on creating the planet Mesklin that was first published in the June 1953 ''Astounding''. Clement published three sequels to ''Mission of Gravity'': a 1970 novel called '' Star Light'', a 1973 short story called " Lecture Demonstration", and a 2000 short story, "Under". ''Mission of Gravity'' was nominated for a "Retro-Hugo" Award for the year 1954. Setting The story is set on a very rapidly rotating highly oblate planet named Mesklin; its "day" is just under 18 minutes long, and its surface gravity varies between 700 ''g'' at the poles and 3 ''g'' at its equator. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lecture Demonstration
"Lecture Demonstration" is a science fiction short story by American writer Hal Clement. It was first published in '' Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology'' in 1973. Plot introduction The story is set on the planet Mesklin as used in the author's novel ''Mission of Gravity'', but in an earlier period when the College established by the Terrestrials is still being set up and the teachers as well as the students are still learning. Plot summary Dr LaVerne, a teacher with the College, takes a party of Mesklinite students on a geological expedition. Whilst examining a layer of rock, it collapses. Teacher and students fall into a cavern. They are unable to climb out; the limiting factor is time, as the teacher is enclosed in a suit with a finite oxygen supply. The students and teacher discuss various possibilities until they realise that they can raise the melting point of the surrounding ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Planets In Science Fiction
Planets in science fiction are fictional planets that appear in various media of the science fiction genre as story-settings or depicted locations. Planet lists For planets from specific fictional milieux, use the following lists: Literature * ''Alliance–Union Universe'' by C. J. Cherryh: planet list * The works of Hal Clement: planet list * '' Childe Cycle'' by Gordon R. Dickson: planet list * ''Demon Princes'' by Jack Vance: planet list * ''Known Space'' by Larry Niven: planet list * ''Noon Universe'' by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky: planet list * ''The Three Worlds Cycle'' by Ian Irvine: planet list * '' Time Quintet'' by Madeleine L'Engle: planet list * ''Uplift'' by David Brin: planet list *Various works by Kurt Vonnegut: Tralfamadore (different planets with the same name) Comics * DC Comics: planet list * Marvel Comics: planet list Film and television * Marvel Cinematic Universe: planet list * ''Star Wars'': planet list Animation * ''Teenag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hard Science Fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the November issue of ''Astounding Science Fiction''. The complementary term soft science fiction, formed by analogy to hard science fiction,) first appeared in the late 1970s. The term is formed by analogy to the popular distinction between the "hard" (natural science, natural) and "soft" (social science, social) sciences, although there are examples generally considered as "hard" SF, such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, ''Foundation'' series, built on mathematical sociology. Science fiction critic Gary Westfahl argues that neither term is part of a rigorous Taxonomy (general), taxonomy; instead they are approximate ways of characterizing stories that reviewers and commentators have found useful. History Stories revolving around scientific a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MIT Science Fiction Society
The MIT Science Fiction Society (or MITSFS) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a student organization which maintains and administers a large publicly accessible library of science fiction, fantasy, and science fantasy books and magazines. History In 1950, the club was instrumental in microfilming ''Astounding Science Fiction'', leading to it becoming a recognized student organization in 1951. In 1961, Anthony R. Lewis became Librarian, and the library growth began in earnest. With the Campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology#Stratton Student Center (1968), Stratton Student Center opening in 1965, the Society moved out of the old Campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology#Walker Memorial (1916), Walker Memorial building to the new building. At about the same time, Erwin Strauss compiled a science fiction index for periodicals from 1951 to 1955, called ''The MIT Science Fiction Society's Index to the S-F Magazines 1951 - 1965''. MIT rules barred the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Known Space
Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) catalogs all works set in the fictional universe that includes Known Space under the series name Tales of Known Space, which was the title of a 1975 collection of Niven's short stories. The first-published work in the series, which was Niven's first published piece was "The Coldest Place", in the December 1964 issue of '' If'' magazine, edited by Frederik Pohl. This was the first-published work in the 1975 collection. The stories span approximately one thousand years of future history, from the first human explorations of the Solar System to the colonization of dozens of nearby systems. Late in the series, Known Space is an irregularly shaped "bubble" about 60 light-years across. The epithet "Known Spac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are '' Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, '' The Mote in God's Eye'' (1974) and '' Lucifer's Hammer'' (1977). The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named him the 2015 recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics. It also often includes elements of detective fiction and adventure stories. His fantasy includes the series '' The Magic Goes Away'', rational fantasy dealing with magic as a non-renewable resource. Biography Niven was born in Los Angeles. He is a great-grandson of Edward L. Doheny, an oil tycoon who drilled the first successful well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field in 1892, and also was subsequently implicated in the Teapot Dome scandal. Niven briefly attended ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jinx (Known Space)
Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) catalogs all works set in the fictional universe that includes Known Space under the series name Tales of Known Space, which was the title of a 1975 collection of Niven's short stories. The first-published work in the series, which was Niven's first published piece was "The Coldest Place", in the December 1964 issue of '' If'' magazine, edited by Frederik Pohl. This was the first-published work in the 1975 collection. The stories span approximately one thousand years of future history, from the first human explorations of the Solar System to the colonization of dozens of nearby systems. Late in the series, Known Space is an irregularly shaped "bubble" about 60 light-years across. The epithet "Known S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Science Fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, extraterrestrial life, sentient artificial intelligence, cybernetics, certain forms of immortality (like mind uploading), and the singularity. Science fiction predicted several existing inventions, such as the atomic bomb, robots, and borazon, whose names entirely match their fictional predecessors. In addition, science fiction might serve as an outlet to facilitate future scientific and technological innovations. Science fiction can trace its roots to ancient mythology. It is also related to fantasy, horror, and superhero fiction and contains many subgenres. Its exact definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and readers. Science fiction, in literature, film, television, and other media, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Precession Of The Equinoxes
In astronomy, axial precession is a gravity-induced, slow, and continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical body's rotational axis. In the absence of precession, the astronomical body's orbit would show axial parallelism. In particular, axial precession can refer to the gradual shift in the orientation of Earth's axis of rotation in a cycle of approximately 26,000 years.Hohenkerk, C.Y., Yallop, B.D., Smith, C.A., & Sinclair, A.T. "Celestial Reference Systems" in Seidelmann, P.K. (ed.) ''Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac''. Sausalito: University Science Books. p. 99. This is similar to the precession of a spinning top, with the axis tracing out a pair of cones joined at their apices. The term "precession" typically refers only to this largest part of the motion; other changes in the alignment of Earth's axis—nutation and polar motion—are much smaller in magnitude. Earth's precession was historically called the precession of the equinoxes, becaus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
