n my science-fictional youth, Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) was everywhere. An accomplished painter and pioneer in the realistic depiction of astronomical scenes—with and without human presence—Bonestell was acknowledged as the founder and master of "space art." His work appeared on the covers of numerous SF magazines and books, as well as in educational contexts. Amazingly, for most of his life he worked in an era where only ground-based telescopes provided any hard data for his visions. No automated probes sent back hi-res pictures for inspiration and technical accuracy. Still, his empathy with and knowledge of strange planets and suns and moons allowed him to conjecture realistically. True, his rockets look retro to 21st-century viewers, and his human figures were always a tad stiff. But the majesty of his paintings and their embodiment of the human spirit of exploration endure. Today, his name is carried forward in an annual award for the best such art.
You can learn all this and more by visiting the Web site of Bonestell Space Art, the Web presence of a foundation set up more than 30 years ago to maintain Bonestell's legacy. Here you'll encounter a rich gallery of his paintings and some personal images of the man himself. You'll find links to sites that sell Bonestell prints and also the massive coffee-table volume recounting his career, The Art of Chesley Bonestell. And you'll encounter the recipe for Bonestell's favorite cocktail! I had a bit of trouble loading his biography (in PDF format), and there's a dead link that's supposed to bring the visitor to an "interactive gallery." But overall, the site offers a lot in useful form, not the least of which is a jump to the homesite of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, where you'll encounter many contemporary heirs to Bonestell's marvelous accomplishments.
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—July 6, 2004
n educational site for novice astronomers of any age, Windows to the Universe shines a spotlight on all Earth and space sciences, exploring and explaining everything from geology and climate change to celestial events in the farthest reaches of the universe.
With illustrated articles, multimedia games and extensive image galleries, this site offers an in-depth study of the Earth, our solar system and—literally—everything else. New articles and resources are being added all the time—the latest additions include an overview of ozone, images of Saturn's moons and an explanation of astronomical units and measurements.
In case this all sounds too dry, visitors looking to play instead of study can try out the games on this site, like "Make Your Own Alien" or "Junk in Space." Check out the Windows to the Universe listing of space movies and related TV shows, too—it runs alphabetically from The Abyss to the 1966 film Zontar, the Thing from Venus. This film and TV listing comes complete with cast lists, plot descriptions and links, where available, to a movie or show's official site. Also, in its art section, the Web page provides a gallery of images of famous scientists and links to poems about mythology and space.
Windows to the Universe divides its archive of articles into three levels of complexity: Some can be read and understood by younger visitors, while others are more in-depth. It is also laced with fascinating links to museums and other science sites. With a gorgeous design and a top-notch search engine, it is a joy to visit as well as an education.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—June 28, 2004
edicated to the dean of science fiction writers, Wegrokit is a storehouse of information on Robert A. Heinlein. Visually quiet, with a journalistic tone and matter-of-fact writing style, this Web page is a great introduction of this author's life and writing career.
The backbone of the site is its listing of all Heinlein's published works, which comes with reviews, notes on various editions and a gallery of book cover scans. There is also an FAQ, of course, one that opens with a biography and then moves on to tackling subjects like the differences between Heinlein's juvenile and adult fiction, the three early stories the author dubbed "stinkeroos" and the various periods of his career. The FAQ also thoughtfully provides a listing of Heinlein discussion topics sure to start spirited—even heated—online conversations.
Additional contents of the Wegrokit information archive include sound files (including audio clips of Heinlein interviews), information on the Heinlein memorial blood drives and a range of feature articles—some serious, some less so. One essay, for example, compares Starship Troopers with Joe Haldeman's Forever War and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, while another is a filk tribute to Heinlein and a third is about the thematic use of polyamory in the work of Heinlein and Aldous Huxley.
One of the most delicious tidbits on the site is a transcript from NASA's Apollo 15 mission, detailing a moment when the crew quotes the blind poet Rhysling from the story "The Green Hills of Earth," reflecting on their fondness for the story and the accuracy of Heinlein's imaginative vision. This brief discussion is a powerful reminder of the links between space exploration and science fiction, between the works of writers and the people they inspire.
Wegrokit's links point outward to a host of other excellent resources on Heinlein—tributes, humor pieces, other essays, discussion forums and foreign-language pages. Though with diligent reading a fan might consume every scrap of Heinlein information this site has to offer, this thoughtful index of links will open up a nearly inexhaustible supply of data on this remarkable and often controversial author.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Back to the top.
