uturismic's FAQ says it all: It is a site "for people interested in the future and the effects of science and technology on the present." Equal parts blog, essay archive and fiction magazine, this site grapples cheerfully with humanity's future—not merely questioning where
we are going, but pointing out all the scenery along the route.
A glance through the site's recent blog entries shows links to articles on the Chinese space program, information about tsunami detection technologies and a piece about downloadable "SHHH!" cards that Web surfers can print and then hand out to rude cell-phone users. Every day brings new gems to light: the sort of items that inspire SF writers, delight gamers and thrill anyone interested in the advance of science. There are few puff pieces and no entertainment news: The site publishes fiction, but in every other way Futurismic's focus is on the real world.
Futurismic was created by SF writers—among them Judith Berman and John W. Campbell Award nominee Tobias Buckell. Hip and charming, it is a site whose blog alone would make daily visits worthwhile. But there's more: For one thing, terrific SF stories by Jay Lake, Tom Doyle, Carrie
Vaugn and others began appearing on the web page in May 2004. The Futurismic team is also constantly adding to its small archive of essays, with pieces on writing, the ongoing Industrial Revolution and futuristic traffic enforcement.
Barely a year old, this site is already one of the best gateways to the most interesting science and technology writing—not to mention fiction—on the Web.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—January 31, 2005
he homepage of SF author Nancy Kress is a quiet, straightforward space where readers can check out fiction samples, keep up with new works and learn about upcoming appearances and readings.
Winner of Hugo and Nebula awards for the 1993 novel Beggars in Spain, Kress has written about topics from genetic engineering and biological weapons to poverty and increasing human infertility. Her second Nebula Award was for the novella "The Flowers of Aulit Prison," a
1996 Asimov's piece that spawned three related books (Probability Moon, Probability Sun and Probability Space). This trilogy plays out an interstellar war between humanity and an alien race called the Fallers. Site visitors interested in trying out some of these outstanding novels will find sample chapters in abundance, as well as book covers and links to reviews.
The Nancy Kress homepage also has a list of SF publishing links, an FAQ targeted at beginning authors looking for advice on writing SF, a bio and full bibliography of Kress' works and a bookstore. Longtime fans of Kress' fiction will find that this Web site is the best place to keep up with her writing. Meanwhile, those who have missed out on following her career until now can surf here to find out what they've been missing.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—January 24, 2005
f becoming an astronaut is the cherished dream of many an SF fan, it is also one that few can hope to achieve. But—for those of us who won't be on the first manned ship to Mars—the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., provides a taste of the outer space experience with its Spacecamp programs. Offering astronaut training and spaceflight simulations to both children and adults, Spacecamp can take a visitor through everything from a mission briefing to the sensation of weightlessness that comes with being in zero-gravity conditions.
Spacecamp's various learning streams are available to would-be mission specialists, aviators and robotics experts. A robotics track trainee might learn to build a rover designed to rescue a stranded astronaut, for example, while campers interested in piloting a spacecraft study the basics of flight dynamics. Spacecamp Online details on every training regime offered by the center—its general features and goals, its target age group and even the possibility of tie-in college credit.
Though anyone interested in manned spaceflight will find this site well worth browsing, Spacecamp Online is—like many museum sites—largely focused on attracting flesh-and-blood visitors to its facility and programs. Its Current Exhibits section is disappointing, with only a few photographs to tie in to the V2 Rocket and MIR Space Station exhibits currently being shown at the Center. The links available on the site are primarily for referring international visitors to other Spacecamp programs around the world. Rather than providing hard but distant facts about the space sciences, this site invites Web surfers to once again consider personally exploring the unknown, while giving a glimpse into what the reality of an astronaut's life is like.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Back to the top.
