Neil Armstrong dies aged 82

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

 

The very sad news that Neil Armstrong, first man to step onto the surface of another planetary body on the 20 July 1969 has passed away.

 

It will of course be history that will measure his full effect on humankind, but there is no doubt that he stood as an equal with the other great explorers of human history. His name will live on as will his achievements with Christopher Columbus, Captain Scott, Captain James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Edmund Hillary.

 

Although I was born in 1972 some three years after Neil Armstrong left his Luna Lander and climbed down the ladder to step foot on the Moon. The impact of this one individual on both my life and every person’s life after this great achievement has been immense.

 

 

Many would say that so many thousands of hard working individuals contributed to the successful landing in 1969. But it takes a special individual to be selected and then travel a quarter of a million miles to be the first.

 

That landing and the landings that followed inspired a generation sadly let down by politicians on all sides universally. Space the last great frontier of true exploration has been mostly abandoned to robotic explorers. Perhaps this reduces the risks, but it also sanitises discovery and danger and sadly robs us of future explorers and heroes.

 

The moon, left untouched by humans for over thirty years, a sad epitaph for such a heroic achievement that was the Apollo Programme. To so many post war children and their children that our appetites and hunger for greater fetes of exploration were denied by penny-pinching governments more determined to build weapons of mass destruction of spend billions on more elaborate ways to fight wars. If just one tenth of the money spent on the American Military had been spent with NASA. I would place a safe bet that we would have seen a Mars landing by now.

 

For now, we are left with the memories of Neil and his brave crew of Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. All three pushed the boundaries of human exploration which has never been matched by any human since.

 

Rest in peace Neil, you are at home amongst the stars.

 

 "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

 

 

 

Authors Favorite Authors - Harry Harrison

HARRY HARRISON - AUTHORS CHOICE

Harry Harrison - Author March 12, 1925 – August 15, 2012

 

As a young avid science fiction fan, the works of Harry Harrison were not only brilliant, but also inspiring and thought provoking. His books left a legacy and an imprint on my life that only the great Issac Asimov can rival.

The first of his books I remember reading was of course the infamous 'The Stainless Steel Rat'. However, it was his great variety of his works, his style of writing that I as a teenager fell in love with.

He was brilliant with his use of words, but economical with that talent. He never used twenty words where ten would do. Nevertheless, he still enabled the readers mind to picture his thoughts and the image he wanted us to see.

For me this has been a great inspiration. My writing has been described as Screen Play like. In that, I paint the scene well and encourage the reader to image that they are there.

For this ability, I have to thank Harry, an amazingly talented author who is greatly missed by me and by many others like me.

If Harry has inspired you either to read more science fiction or to even, pick up the pen yourself. It would be nice to hear from you.

Harry Harrison - Author and Inspiration

Jonathan O'Donnell

Author - Joanna's Dawn

http://joannasdawn.blogspot.co.uk/p/chapter-one-joannas-dawn-knights-of.html

Readers Feedback

Latest Feedback ''I can vouch for this being a terrific and terrifying opening and extremely well written but I hated it, not because it wasn't good but because of the content. However, for readers who like that sort of thing, I think you would have them in the palm of your hand. No apology necessary. It's not your fault I don't like that sort of subject. You have achieved a graphic and gripping opening chapter. Ugh!'' Quoted from Authonomy - Member Name - Fontaine

Mission to Mars - Announces Nasa

More fantastic News - New lander to discover the Geological History of Mars

With the Curiosity rover testing its muscles on Mars as I write, to see the announcement of another mission to Mars is fantastic news.

There are so many theories about how Mars formed, and of course why it died. From a giant impact to explain the higher and lower plains of the north and south, to it might have once had a hot liquid iron core which has cooled so much that it losts its magnetic sheild.

If you consider that Venus does not have a magnetic shield but still has a very thick atmosphere, even if highly dangerous you have to wonder whether the magnetic shield theory is strong enough.

I believe it is much more likely a giant impact blew most of the atmosphere from the planet, disturbing its magnetic field and destablising the core.

Of course, we all want there to be evidence of life on Mars, or life that once lived on Mars. I think it is highly likely at some point in the next fifty years we will discover basic life forms. How advanced they were is a subject for debate at the moment. But it could well be that life on earth began because Mars died. Could we all be decendants of Martians?

Hopefully the red planet will over the next ten years, thanks to Nasa give us all a greater insight into its history.

Jonathan O'Donnell

Curiosity Rover on Mars

Viking Lander 1970s

Authors Favorite Authors - Issac Asimov

Isaac Asimov

I fell in love with Asimov's books when I was just twelve years old. My mother an avid bookworm and frustrated collector of all books. Gave me Foundation to read one rainy Sunday afternoon. Probably fed up with me saying I am 'bored' there is nothing to do.

Three hours later, I had finished the book. I wanted more, and to my delight, there was Foundation and Empire and then Second Foundation. But they with huge frustration I waited for Foundations Edge and Foundation and Earth. Then of course Prelude to Foundation.

Of course, this led to reading I Robot and about the fifty spacer worlds.

I admired Asimov, and I remember the day his death was announced, I was still in my teens and I was so struck I even recorded the radio announcement. I still have that tape recording to this day. I was as you can expect upset.

However, I also moved onto other authors to feed my passion for science fiction.

To this day Asimov inspired me, I have thought about space travel, the problems with it and have come up with my own solution to travelling between the stars. Gravitational Theories etc have fed that problem solving. Of course, all of it works in my mind and in my book, Joanna's Dawn. http://joannasdawn.blogspot.co.uk/p/chapter-one-joannas-dawn-knights-of.html

Asimov was still inspiring me in 2002. I read a collection of his short stories while on holiday in Lanzarote. At the end of the book, Asimov suggested to readers that they should try writing.

I was so inspired I picked up a pencil, grabbed some plain paper, and sat on the balcony, drinking coffee and smoking, writing my first short story. Samuel VI. This developed into my first book, which has now been placed neatly in a cupboard. Over 400 pages long and 36 chapters. It was a great exercise. Maybe one day that Asimov inspired book will be shared, but for now, it stays in its dusty cupboard.

Therefore, overall, Asimov is a great writer of science fiction, but his greatest gift was engaging young minds.



Thank you Isaac

Goodbye Tony Scott - Director

Sad news about Tony Scott, Director of Top Gun, Unstoppable etc.

Your talent and film making will be missed.

Chapter 1 'Joanna's Dawn'

http://joannasdawn.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one-joannas-dawn-knights-of.html

Please comment and give feedback

Readers Comments on Joanna's Dawn Science Fiction

A selection of feedback from readers:

Amazing Science fiction great opening chapter which makes you read more..... and I hate Sci fi books! Great story line with drama and suspence...... Its great to get into a story which grabs attention and interest..... Great imagination and detail some would say not necessary but really helps you relate to characters & reality.......

Story line is great to keep reader interested.... would buy despite not into sci fi storylines......

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Excellent pace, great hook on the first page. Great story, stands out from most books on thsi site as actually being a good story and not a piece of vanity writing.

Well done, I would buy

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All action, fast paced sci-fi thriller, moves like a bullet train along a trajectory or dead and mangled bodies, most of them caused by the heroine. This is clearly blockbuster stuff, Joanna Bond for the space age.

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Certainly the gore of the first chapter was enough to capture attention. There is a lot of good to be said about this writing and the author moves the plot along well.

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Dear Jonathan, I love Joanna & her diligence, as you portrayed her in your pitch & all the action she is to face, sounds totally exciting. :) You put me right there with you as I read all of the way through chapter 10, to feel what you were feeling & to be in the action like, "water crashed through the darkness" :) - great word usage. :) "so don't show the shining knight with me, sister" :) - I love it. :) "whispering into his collar" :) - all I can say it "what a great write!!" :) I'll write in my mind that Joanna will find her true love & live happily ever after :) - I really love her attitude & I love happy endings. :)

Science Fiction & Mars

You are welcome to read the first chapter of my book 'Joanna's Dawn' part of the 'Knights of Marth' Trilogy.

http://joannasdawn.blogspot.co.uk/#!/p/chapter-one-joannas-dawn-knights-of.html

The second Chapter will be published shortly, please remember to comment and like this page, the more likes, shares and comments will get chapter two published faster.

Or email me direct through the contact me page.

To travel at the speed of light, you need to travel light

Joannas Dawn

Joanna born on mars and a senior agent for Mars security services has her life changed forever by a distant voice from her past. Her first true love a Terran called James is in trouble and she is the only person in the Solar System he can turn to.

With Mars and Earth on the verge of war with agents on all sides that cannot be trusted Joanna must complete her mission using all her skills, intelligence and training to overcome the dark aims of a secret organisation.

Determined to complete her true loves mission she teams up with his older brother to find his murderers and bring peace back to system. Their mission to seek out and bring to justice his murderers and prevent a devasting Solar System wide war.

This tale of love, murder and mystery, brings out the best of Joanna and she finds she can love again after all.

A storming murder mystery with intrigue and mayhem across four planets with mighty star fleets of Earth and Mars ready to bring destruction to all.

Joanna mixes it with the best bad guys the planets can offer and discovers a new way forward for the people of the Solar System.

Currently only available via this group, chapters will be published depending on the reader volumes.

Email the Author joannasdawn@hotmail.com

Download the first Chapter here http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/102694213213462/