This piece originally appeared as part of my weekly newsletter, The Full Lid . If you liked it, and want a weekly down of pop culture enthusiasm, occasional ketchup recipes and me enjoying things, then check out the archive and sign up here. Five years ago, I wrote a piece about Interstellar and the death of the astronaut myth. […]
Presented without additional commentary because when it comes to Alasdair’s writing, it truthfully doesn’t require any.
I somehow managed to miss this post about the evolution of the astronaut mythos in book and film when it was originally posted last month, but for all NASA kids who grew up in the shadow of the Saturn V, the Marshall Spaceflight Center, who know their grandparents laid hands on the science that got us to the stars, it’s required reading.
Truthfully I don’t have the time or the bandwidth to write in-depth commentary on all the stuff that has snagged my interest, and I’ve got this sneaking suspicion that my tiny cohort of readers also don’t have the time or bandwidth to devote to one blogger’s commentary. But I want to write about stuff I like! And the stuff I like is pretty cool.
Hence, new category: quick picks.
“Hello, Hello,” by Seanan McGuire
What is it? A podcast version of the short story “Hello, Hello,” originally published in Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft. What’s it about? Language, communication, parenthood–and birds. A computational linguist is befuddled by the speech, appearance, and uncanny behaviour of an unknown woman’s avatar on the neural network system she uses to communicate with her sister, Tasha. What’s so good about it? Beautiful authorial voice and exploration of both animal and human behaviour. Where can I find it? Lightspeed Science Fiction & Fantasy Magazine.
Huntsvillain, by John O’Brien
What is it? An extremely well-researched and outrageously funny history blog about the state of Alabama. What’s it about? In the author’s own words, “short bursts of hilarity from Alabama’s otherwise miserable history.” What’s so good about it? In addition to being written by a very good friend, Huntsvillain is an honest and unapologetic look at the history of my home town and home state. It will gift you with more knowledge than you ever realized you wanted about what marriage and divorce looked like during the 1800s, and a scholarly examination of just what lead John B. Haynes to rip apart a local silversmith’s cabin, log by log, with his bare hands. Where can I find it? Right here–> Huntsvillain
no shrinking violet 