Have you got a to be read pile? A pile of books you're about to start? How about a pile of books "in process"? I've got several of them: books I'm reading, books I'm about to read, books being used to research other books, books I haven't gotten around to reshelving (I have a lot of books!).

Via BoingBoing, a new Flickr collection of To Be Read piles!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Via Making Light, a look at the new Library of America volume that collects four works by Philip K. Dick. Where will this volume be shelved? In Science Fiction? In Literature? Having seen H.P. Lovecraft move from the SF shelves in your typical big box bookstore to Literature (at least for his LOA volume), I expect more literary shuffling.

Who's next for the LOA? Le Guin? Delany? How about Heinlein?

Alas, Philip K. Dick's android head is still missing!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I kid you not. They've apparently merged Luke and Han.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:05 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Rejoice all ye unwashed masses! Dave Langford's has posted the latest issue of his always entertaining and ever-informative Ansible. Especially recommended are the ongoing As Others See Us and Thog's Masterclass sections. Priceless!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Mailied (Literally, Maysong)

Wie herrlich leuchtet
Mir die Natur!
Wie glänzt die Sonne!
Wie lacht die Flur!

Es dringen Blüten
Aus jedem Zweig
Und tausend Stimmen
Aus dem Gesträuch

Und Freud' und Wonne
Aus jeder Brust.
O Erd', o Sonne!
O Glück, o Lust!
more...

Posted by: JohnL at 02:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Another request for information. Can anybody identify the artist who did the covers for these four Ballantine (not Del Rey!) editions of works by Arthur C. Clarke? more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 03:05 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 03:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Another information search! Anybody ever come across a map of Hal Clement's most famous creation, the planet Mesklin? I've seen a report that a "globe" (if you read a description of the planet, you'll see why that is a slippery term!) of the planet existed and was auctioned at a science fiction convention in the 1960's. The NESFA omnibus The Essential Hal Clement, Volume 3: Variations on a Theme by Sir Isaac Newton (made up of Mission of Gravity, Star Light, plus the shorter works Lecture Demonstration and Under) contains Clement's essay Whirligig World, which shows a diagram of Mesklin's orbit, a cross section of the planet, a scale drawing (no details) of the planet and its ring system...and this enigmatic hint, which leads back to that "globe":

On the whole, I have a rather weird-looking object. The model I have of it is six inches in diameter and not quite two and a half thick: if I added the ring, it would consist of a paper disk about fourteen inches in diameter cut to fit rather closely around the plastic wood spheroid. (The model was made to furnish something to draw a map on; I like to be consistent. The map was drawn at random before the story was written; then I bound myself to stick to the geographic limitations it showed.) I was tempted, after looking at it for a while, to call the book, Pancake in the Sky, but Isaac Asimov threatened violence. Anyway, it looks rather more like a fried egg.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 03:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A look at one of my favorite obscure science fiction films.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 03:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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No, not the nifty source of power seen on Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. A company has developed a method of moving the ISS without using reaction thrusters. Nice to know that somebody out there still reads Robert A. Heinlein's books and stories!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 03:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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An interview with Ben Schott, author of Schott's Original Miscellany and other amazing works of detail. He is the World Wide Web!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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"Meth Coffee"? Somehow I don't see Chock-Full-of-Nuts using such a phrase to describe their product!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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...when...

1. You hold insightful conversations with Mr. Jelly. more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:46 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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In a review from the January 2007 issue of Locus, Gary K. Wolfe looks at the "future histories" of Alastair Reynolds and Stephen Baxter.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:43 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A profile of one of the real-life models for Patrick O'Brians Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey. I recently bought a biography of Cochrane and will post a review when I have a chance to read it.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As I work my way through the Jack Aubrey-Stephen Maturin books, the Horatio Hornblower books, various histories and more, bits of naval lore are starting to sink in. To give my computer a slightly naval theme, I can now install ship's bells! And I've found two handy sites that breakdown the schedules.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Another Nixie clock! Wish I wasn't such a klutz when it comes to electronics and mechanical work!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The review can be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 02:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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