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August 20, 2022
The chances of anything coming from Mars... are quite high!
Hello again, Reader.
Last time I mentioned the Writing Tournament I was helping to judge, and this time I can share one of the YouTube readings with you. This one is read by the author herself, who kindly agreed to share her story with us all. Sixteen year old Maria lives in Ukraine, and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about the terrible things happening there at the moment. But I urge you to listen to Maria's words about the unsung heroes she sees every day, in her entry 'Steel People'. youtube.com
My readings of some selected stories are also up - check out the Tournament YouTube channel! youtube.com
In other news, I was interviewed by the creators of 'The Martian Diaries' - I've mentioned them in the newsletter before, but they've made a remarkable audio trilogy of stories. They explore the same idea as I have, that the Martians are coming back, but naturally we have each put our own spin on things. Their audio production is excellent, but if you prefer the written word then eBooks are also available. Check them out at martiandiaries.com
My interview can be read at preview.mailerlite.com
Space News
Nasa Will Inspire World When It Returns Mars Samples to Earth in
The Perseverance rover is currently gathering samples of Mars' surface, and while it can do some pretty complicated analysis on-board, it's nothing compared to what even a modestly-equipped laboratory on Earth can do. So the plan is to send some of those samples back, for precisely that! NASA has finished nailing down the requirements for the mission, and now it moves into the design phase - the image here is a concept of the kinds of robots that will most likely be involved in the process. There'll be a lander which takes the samples delivered to it by Perseverance, transfers them into a rocket and launches it back to Earth. And so as to be able to send back the maximum number of samples, it'll also have two helicopters (since Ingenuity demonstrated that this was feasible) to dash off and gather other samples stashed across the Martian surface. I can't wait to see what experiments we can carry out with these samples! And there's no need to worry about safety, NASA has a very careful plan worked out so even if life did still exist on Mars it couldn't infect us back here. We won't be facing the same fate as the Martians in 'War of the Worlds!'
Artist's impression of the robots involved in the sample return.
Source: NASA Mars Exploration Program
Other Books To Check Out
I've gathered a few great books from independent authors like me, I hope you'll check them out.
And let me know if you have any books to recommend! I'm particularly interested in indie authors, but anything you've read and loved would be awesome.
UBL
Cover of 'The Seeker of Solace' - a spacesuited figure carries a gun.
"Get up, scum. Time to die."
The gallows await notorious outlaw Orlan Bazhaev in a small backwater town on a Neg world until a Frontier Marshal intervenes and spares his life. The price for this freedom? He has to hunt down his former gang and kill his mentor.
Orlan hunts the gang systematically, using his intimate knowledge of them to his advantage, all the while struggling with his choice. Ready to leave this murderous life behind, he questions if he deserves to return to civilized life.
Rules of Crane
Free
Cover of 'Rules of Crane' - a gravity defying paper crane on a knife edge.
Any direction can be down when gravity is broken.
How do you stop a dangerous outsider when the rules say you can't kill him?
Crane likes rules almost as much as she likes her knives. Rules give structure to her world. She can depend on rules to provide firm footing. Unlike, say, gravity.
The Space Roads Vol.1
Free
Cover of 'The Space Roads' - a barren alien landscape.
Ever want to explore interstellar space?
In these interconnected stories, you're the main character. You've just discovered life on a new world, or you're running from monsters on a derelict warship. You're an interstellar emperor who's just lost a war, or an ordinary galactic citizen falling into alien tourist traps. So live through these stories. Explore the vast unknown!
Beyond Imagination!
A wonderful collection of free SciFi books, absolutely spanning the spectrum from thriller to romance, and everything in between. This offer ends on 22nd August, so this is your last chance!
Check it out!
Strange News
The Honey Island Swamp Monster
I have often featured articles from Atlas Obscura, one of my favourite sites for finding unusual places and curious stories, but this time I'm sharing a podcast. The intrepid reporter delves into the Louisiana swamplands just outside New Orleans, and takes us along for a remarkably immersive trip. The eponymous 'monster' sounds dangerous enough, but there are all sorts of other creatures to be wary of - bears, alligators, coyotes, even fish-eating spiders!
Source: Atlas Obscura
Miscellany
Good ways to tackle your 'To Be Read' pile.
If you're anything like me, there are more books out there that I want to read than I have time for. And you have a pile of the ones you already own that threatens to topple over and frighten the cat. This list offers some useful tips for making progress.
Source: juvenpress.com
No doubt your social media feeds are clogged with 'AI Generated' images, and I admit I've put some into past newsletters. It's a fascinating development of recent years, but it comes with a new variety of intellectual property challenges. Who owns the image? The person who coded the AI? The person who gave it the prompt? The people who created images used for the training database? Or the AI itself?
That veers into philosophy, but the terms and conditions of the various websites do control whether you're allowed to sell any images 'you' produce.
Source: medium.com
'Cheat Sheets' are great - I'm not suggesting you cheat on exams, but this handy resource has quick reference guides for all sorts of applications. It runs the gamut from programming languages, software applications, games and even holiday planning. There's something for everyone!
Source: cheatography.com
And Finally
I said last time that I was off to watch Sandman on Netflix, and boy-oh-boy was that fun! I highly recommend it, although given that it's number one on Netflix in pretty much every country of the world, I suspect you already knew it was a hit. If that's not your thing (or even if it is, for that matter) how about an abandoned race track? I used to live near Brooklands in Surrey, which has been 'regenerated' in recent years to include supermarkets, a museum and a hotel, not to mention a Mercedes 'driving experience centre'. This video outlines the history of the place, including its time spent as an aerodrome and aircraft factory.
Source: youtube.com