First things first: truth in advertising or full disclosure or whatever it's called. First, I received a free copy of The Galactic Center Companion. Since I don't have an eBook reader, Gregory Benford sent it to me by way of a link in an email. Second, I am one of the contributors to the book. A series of posts I made in this blog were combined into an article for the New York Review of Science Fiction which Benford included in this eBook. It is included in the last section, titled "Perspectives." I do not receive any financial remuneration from the sale of the work. My sole reward, therefore, is being included in the work and being associated in some small way with what I consider to be the most imaginative hard SF series ever written.
Sections
INTRODUCTION
A Bit of History
A brief history of the sequence of the creation of the Galactic Center series during the years 1972 to 1995
A HUNGER FOR THE INFINITE
"Hunger for the Infinite" is a novella written for Robert Silverberg's Far Horizons, a collection of short works set in an author's universe. The collection includes short works by Ursula Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, Joe Haldeman, Nancy Kress, Dan Simmons and others.
This story tells of an attempt by the
Mantis (a recurring character in the last four of the six novels in the
series) to gain a fuller and deeper understanding of the way organic
beings think. One of the mysteries which the Mantis and all the higher
intelligences of the mech civilization can not crack is that of art. Mechs can do just about everything humans can do, but art is something
that puzzles the Mantis. Is art something that could enhance mech
survival? In "A Hunger for the Infinite," the Mantis interacts with a human in an attempt to discover the nature of art and its significance to humans.
LIFE AT THE GALACTIC CENTER: THE BIOLOGY I ENVISIONED THERE.
An accounting of the various life forms at the galactic center that Benford created for the series.
WRITING THE GALACTIC CENTER SERIES: THOUGHTS ON WRITING A SERIES ALMOST WITHOUT MEANING TO
An extensive account by Benford of the growth of the series from 1972-1995.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 1988: An Electrodynamic Model of the Galactic Center: my first published paper on the physics of the galactic center.
This is just what the title suggests: Benford's first paper on the galactic center and much of the science in the series comes from this paper.
PERSPECTIVES
Reviews and commentaries
Articles by
Gary K. Wolfe
Damien Broderick and Paul Di Filippo
Fred Runk
Interview conducted by Paul Witcom
Congratulations, Fred!
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Now you need to get an a publisher to put all your reviews in book format. Maybe Benford could help you accomplish this?
DeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeleteHighly unlikely a publisher would be interested, but thanks for the kind thought. .
Your blog postings almost always provoke me to seek out books that I would have otherwise overlooked or ignored, and I am grateful for the provocation. Even as my own blogging activities have deteriorate (due to too many of life's monkey wrenches), I persist in following other superb blogs -- yours included. All the best from the Redneck Rivera where unemployment (i.e., retirement) is not a very enjoyable way of life -- at least for the time being. Once I dispose of the monkey wrenches, things should be more pleasant. In the meantime, I will -- I think -- look into the Galactic Center
ReplyDeleteI grew up on the Redneck Rivera, born in Mobile, raised in Fairhope-Robertsdale... wonder how you got there & why retirement = unemployment ?
Deletethat blog is dead...
DeleteGregory,
DeleteIf you are referring to Beyond Eastrod Redux, R. T. has just begun a new blog. The address is http://theabbessofandalusia.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-life-of-flannery-oconnor.html.
How goes all with you?
What's the status of Centrifuge?
CHECKED IN AT RT'S BLOG, INTERESTING... a Moby Dick guy, yes.
DeleteCentrifugal, my original title, is now THE BERLIN PROJECT, out in May 2017 from Simon & Schuster. Have contracts for 2 novels after that--an odd one, REWRITE, nearly done, and the next novel with Niven, concluding the 3-book novel Niven & I thought we could do in one book!--6 years ago... Onward!
Gregory,
DeleteI will be looking forward to THE BERLIN PROJECT. What's odd about REWRITE?
Will the third be the last of the one book project with Niven?
RT,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and the kind words. That's my hope--to provoke a few into reading or viewing what I consider to be works worth reading or viewing.
I hope you get those monkey wrenches disposed of soon..