Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

[Robert Clark]

In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
their own space ships:

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/3b72e4cda04fce38/329993ecb0faeb26?hl=en

I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are
imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their
theme:

Private Space Race On to Launch US Astronauts for NASA.
by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
Date: 30 September 2011 Time: 07:00 AM ET
[Quote]NASA's next crew-carrying rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch
System, will blast off on its first test flight in 2017 at the
earliest, agency officials have said. But a handful of private
companies say they're on schedule to begin lofting astronauts by 2015
— or perhaps even earlier.
"We believe we'll be ready in three years," said Gwynne Shotwell,
president of SpaceExploration Technologies Corporation (also known as
SpaceX).[/Quote]
http://www.space.com/13134-private-space-race-nasa-astronauts-2015.html

Private space launches should see boost this year.
Flurry of liftoffs expected this year, aviation regulator says.
6:50 AM, Mar. 21, 2012
[quote]WASHINGTON — A top federal official predicts as many as a dozen
privately funded flights could be launched into orbit and sub-orbit
over the next several months as the fledgling commercial space
industry ramps up its schedule.[/quote]
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_check=1

U.S. Space Tourism Set for Takeoff by 2014: FAA.
Mar 20, 2012
By Irene Klotz/Reuters
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/awx/2012/03/20/awx_03_20_2012_p0-438438.xml


Here is a list of book reviews by Ken Murphy, some of fiction some of
non-fiction, that includes some books with this theme:

Book Reviews - Out of the Cradle.
http://www.outofthecradle.net/categories/books/


Bob Clark

[art...@yahoo.com]

On Mar 29, 2:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>  In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
> their own space ships:
>
> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)

> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...

>
>  I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
> governmentally, financed space flight?

1990 may not be too "recent" but in Terry Bisson's Voyage to the Red
Planet, Hollywood finances the trip.

[tphile2]

On Mar 29, 1:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>  In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
> their own space ships:
>
> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)

> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...

> industry ramps up its schedule.[/quote]http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_c...

>
> U.S. Space Tourism Set for Takeoff by 2014: FAA.
> Mar 20, 2012
> By Irene Klotz/Reuters

> CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=spac...

>
>  Here is a list of book reviews by Ken Murphy, some of fiction some of
> non-fiction, that includes some books with this theme:
>
> Book Reviews - Out of the Cradle.http://www.outofthecradle.net/categories/books/
>
>     Bob Clark

Heinlein wrote about it all the time. Start with Rocket Ship Galileo
and The Rolling Stone.
then there is When Worlds Collide by Phillip Wylie

[dlzc]

Dear Robert Clark:

On Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:47:49 AM UTC-7, Robert Clark wrote:
...

> I'm still interested in that topic but also
> what are some recommendations about recent
> stories of commercially, not governmentally,
> financed space flight? Such stories might be
> about space tourism, private endeavors to
> produce solar power satellites, lunar or
> asteroidal mining, etc.

"Polaris" by Jack McDevitt, 2004. As ubiquitous as riding an ship or airplane. Interstellar spacecraft even owned by some small corporations.

David A. Smith

[Jerry Brown]

...and Starman Jones, the main body of which is set on a space cruise
liner.

>then there is When Worlds Collide by Phillip Wylie

--
Jerry Brown

A cat may look at a king
(but probably won't bother)

[Greg Goss]

Legacy of Heorot had the Alpha Centauri flight financed by the
National Geographic society.
--
I used to own a mind like a steel trap.
Perhaps if I'd specified a brass one, it
wouldn't have rusted like this.

[DouhetSukd]

On Mar 29, 11:47 am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
not unpleasantly so.

[Matt Hughes]

On Mar 29, 8:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>  I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.

Perhaps not quite what you're looking for, but there are several Jack
Vance stories about space-going tramp freighters in a what is probably
an unlikely distant future. Ports of Call and Lurulu come to mind.

Matt Hughes
http://www.archonate.com

[Michael Stemper]

In article <a8c48579-c7a4-49eb...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>, DouhetSukd <douhe...@gmail.com> writes:

>On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
>not unpleasantly so.

I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.

Did I make a bad call?

--
Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
"Writing about jazz is like dancing about architecture" - Thelonious Monk

[Dave Hansen]

On Tue, 3 Apr 2012 13:18:37 +0000 (UTC), mste...@walkabout.empros.com
(Michael Stemper) wrote:

>In article <a8c48579-c7a4-49eb...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>, DouhetSukd <douhe...@gmail.com> writes:
>>On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn. Bit right-wing libertarian, but
>>not unpleasantly so.
>
>I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
>that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
>them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.
>
>Did I make a bad call?

FWIW, I liked the first one a lot, and looked forward to the second. I
thought the second was pretty good, though perhaps not a good as the
first. And the ending was... weird. I didn't like the direction it
was taking. I never went further.

Regards,

-=Dave

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

In article <4f7bb6d6....@free.teranews.com>,

I liked the later ones less well than the beginning, but it was
still a good read overall.

The ending was odd though as it raised a *lot* of questions that
were never answered. Perhaps he was/is planning another series further
along in that setting.
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

[Snidely]

Jerry Brown speculated:

More to the point would by the series The Man Who Sold The Moon (mostly
short stories, some of them collected in one volume).


/dps

--
Who, me? And what lacuna?

[Snidely]

Matt Hughes speculated:

Well, if you're throwing the net that far out, there's the Cherryh
series that includes Downbelow Station and Infinity's End.

[Robert Clark]

Thanks for that. I was looking primarily for books set in the near
future since my view is private, commercial spaceflight is imminent.
It will be very important then to understand the national security
implications of this, but discussion on this aspect of routine
spaceflight has been virtually nil.
The wikipedia page on Michael Flynn mentions another example, Victor
Koman's "Kings of the High Frontier". These two examples are actually
right up my alley since they involve single stage to orbit vehicles,
which I believe are key to making spaceflight routine.


Bob Clark

cf.,

Newsgroups: sci.space.policy, sci.astro, sci.physics,
sci.space.history
From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:36:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: A kerosene-fueled X-33 as a single stage to orbit
vehicle.
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.space.history/msg/db4b9bcc5ca2dc05?hl=en

[Robert Clark]

> vehicle.http://groups.google.com/group/sci.space.history/msg/db4b9bcc5ca2dc05...

Just saw this on HobbySpace.com:

Moon to be private colony - NASA
by: By Doug Conway
From: AAP
April 04, 2012 2:39PM
"IF mankind ends up colonising the moon, it is likely to be led by a
commercial enterprise rather than a government."
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/moon-to-be-private-colony-nasa/story-e6frfku0-1226318687424

Bob Clark

[Robert Clark]

This book discusses some of the new commercial space ventures:

How to Build Your Own Spaceship: The Science of Personal Space Travel.
[Hardcover]
Piers Bizony (Author)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1846271258?ie=UTF8&tag=itdoethavtobe-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1846271258

Bob Clark

[DouhetSukd]

On Apr 3, 6:18 am, mstem...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper)
wrote:

> In article <a8c48579-c7a4-49eb-9944-06a2e7238...@sv8g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>, DouhetSukd <douhets...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >On Mar 29, 11:47=A0am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >Firestar quadrilogy, Michael Flynn.  Bit right-wing libertarian, but
> >not unpleasantly so.
>
> I quite enjoyed the first one. Only when I reached the end did I realize
> that it was "1 of 4". For some reason, I didn't think that the rest of
> them would be anywhere near as good, so I didn't look for them.
>
> Did I make a bad call?

#2 and #3 were a bit slow going IIRC, but #4 tied it all up together
with a bittersweet heroic ending.

Yes, as Ted mentioned, #4 brings the series to a conclusion, but
leaves some questions unanswered. But not in a burning we-need-to-
know-this fashion. If you really liked #1, you ought not to be too
disappointed by the rest.

Flynn is one of my favorite authors (though his recent second book in
the Up Jim River is a tad stale compared to the first).

For the Firestar series he was still learning his craft, IMHO. Wreck
of the River of Stars and Eifelheim are much more sophisticated
books. But as far as the OP's request goes, this is a very good
series.

[Robert Clark]

On Apr 8, 8:25 am, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> ...
> Just saw this on HobbySpace.com:
>
> Moon to be private colony - NASA
> by: By Doug Conway
> From: AAP
> April 04, 2012 2:39PM
> "IF mankind ends up colonising the moon, it is likely to be led by a

> commercial enterprise rather than a government."http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/moon-to-be-private-colony-nasa/s...
>
>   Bob Clark

Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
By Alan Boyle
[quote]Today's media alert says the new company "will overlay two
critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add
trillions of dollars to the global GDP. This innovative start-up will
create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources.'"
"That sounds like asteroid mining," Christopher Mims writes on MIT
Technology Review's "Mims' Bits" blog. "Because what else is there in
space that we need here on earth? Certainly not a livable climate or a
replacement for our dwindling supplies of oil."
Parabolic Arc's Doug Messier, meanwhile, writes that the venture
will be an "extraterrestrial mining company."
Diamandis has said on more than one occasion that he's intrigued
by the idea of digging into asteroids, for materials ranging from
water (for fuel as well as for astronauts) to precious metals such as
platinum. The Verge points to a TED talk in 2005 where Diamandis
discusses his dream, while Forbes magazine has brought up the subject
with him more than once in the past few months.[/quote]
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11273238-google-billionaires-james-cameron-backing-space-resource-venture

A research report co-authored by two of the participants of this
venture suggests bringing meters-sized asteroids or parts of large
asteroids to lunar orbit for processing to save on costs:

New Study Says Asteroid Retrieval and Mining Feasible With Existing
and Near-Term Technologies.
Posted by Doug Messier on April 19, 2012, at 11:34 am in News
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2012/04/19/new-study-says-asteroid-retrieval-and-mining-feasible-with-existing-and-near-term-technologies/

A science-fiction film from 1969 also expressed the idea that
asteroid mining could only be profitable by bringing the asteroid to
the vicinity of the Earth, so I suppose this is a view that has long
been expressed. The film was "Moon Zero Two":

Moon Zero Two.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Zero_Two

The film was a rather low budget endeavor, still it was enjoyable for
a genre fan. It can be purchased on Amazon.com. However, you can see
it for free on Youtube if you don't mind the Mystery Science Theater
3000 side comments:

MST3k 111 - Moon Zero Two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJHcq85IlQE


Bob Clark

[ala]

"Robert Clark" <rgrego...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:cf82d62a-1b66-4a7b...@fo16g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...

>Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.

"You will either step forward into growth,
or you will step backward into safety."
Abraham Maslow

[William December Starr]

In article <WrqdnVCrE_FbhwnS...@earthlink.com>,

"ala" <alac...@comcast.net> said:

>> Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
>
> "You will either step forward into growth,
> or you will step backward into safety."
> Abraham Maslow

Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)

-- wds

[ala]

"William December Starr" <wds...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:jn1spn$4f5$1...@panix3.panix.com...

next: wildcat play in effect

please report on success

i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative

[William December Starr]

In article <_9CdnSdaXbIiYgjS...@earthlink.com>,

"ala" <alac...@comcast.net> said:

> "William December Starr" <wds...@panix.com> wrote

>> "ala" <alac...@comcast.net> said:
>>
>>> "You will either step forward into growth,
>>> or you will step backward into safety."
>>> Abraham Maslow
>>
>> Then I choose safety, and then profiting from other people's
>> growth while letting them take the risks and occasional losses.
>> Because no matter how hard they try they can't keep all the
>> growth to themselves, Ayn Rand's masturbatory fantasies
>> notwithstanding. (And the smart ones won't even try.)
>
> next: wildcat play in effect
>
> please report on success
>
> i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative

If that had been written in a way such that meaning could be
derived from it, what would that meaning have been?

-- wds

[ala]

"William December Starr" <wds...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:jn50aj$jeh$1...@panix3.panix.com...

you don't keep up with football?

[Bill Snyder]

On 23 Apr 2012 21:40:35 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December

"These are some really *good* drugs, man."

--
Bill Snyder [This space unintentionally left blank]

[ala]

"Bill Snyder" <bsn...@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:vr1cp75jaf7uc0kpf...@4ax.com...

stop trolling me

are you MEN really unfamiliar with jets hiring tebow with the prerogative to
run 20 wildcat plays next season

it's what the people whose risks wds will exploit will be running while
wds is on the sideline waiting for them to win

http://i.imgur.com/7ryw2.jpg

[Bill Snyder]

On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:19:02 -0400, "ala" <alac...@comcast.net>
wrote:

>
>"Bill Snyder" <bsn...@airmail.net> wrote in message
>news:vr1cp75jaf7uc0kpf...@4ax.com...
>> On 23 Apr 2012 21:40:35 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
>> Starr) wrote:
>>
>>>In article <_9CdnSdaXbIiYgjS...@earthlink.com>,
>>>"ala" <alac...@comcast.net> said:
>>>
>
>>>>
>>>> next: wildcat play in effect
>>>>
>>>> please report on success
>>>>
>>>> i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative
>>>
>>>If that had been written in a way such that meaning could be
>>>derived from it, what would that meaning have been?
>>
>> "These are some really *good* drugs, man."
>>
>> --
>
>stop trolling me

I'm trolling a troll? Damn, I'm good.

[Chris]

On Mar 29, 2:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>  In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
> their own space ships:
>
> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written

> From: Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>

> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...
>

>  I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.

>  Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are
> imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their
> theme:

Huh.

_Boundary_ and _Threshold_ co-written by our own Ryk E. Spoor and some
other guy both prominently feature privately funded ventures into
space.

Am I REALLY the first to mention those?

Chris

[Erik Max Francis]

On 04/23/2012 08:03 PM, Bill Snyder wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:19:02 -0400, "ala"<alac...@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> "Bill Snyder"<bsn...@airmail.net> wrote in message
>> news:vr1cp75jaf7uc0kpf...@4ax.com...
>>> On 23 Apr 2012 21:40:35 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
>>> Starr) wrote:
>>>
>>>> In article<_9CdnSdaXbIiYgjS...@earthlink.com>,
>>>> "ala"<alac...@comcast.net> said:
>>
>>>>> next: wildcat play in effect
>>>>>
>>>>> please report on success
>>>>>
>>>>> i think i made someone guilty enough they will use a prerogative
>>>>
>>>> If that had been written in a way such that meaning could be
>>>> derived from it, what would that meaning have been?
>>>
>>> "These are some really *good* drugs, man."
>>

>> stop trolling me
>
> I'm trolling a troll? Damn, I'm good.

[Quest complete.]

--
Erik Max Francis && m...@alcyone.com && http://www.alcyone.com/max/
San Jose, CA, USA && 37 18 N 121 57 W && AIM/Y!M/Jabber erikmaxfrancis
Life is an offensive, directed against the repetitious mechanisms of
the universe. -- Alfred North Whitehead

[Robert Clark]

Thanks for those. They look interesting. I'll definitely give them a
look see:

Boundary by Eric Flint & Ryk Spoor - Baen Books.
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/1416509321/1416509321.htm

Threshold by Eric Flint & Ryk E. Spoor - Baen Books.
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/1439133603/1439133603.htm


Bob Clark

[Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)]

On 4/23/12 11:56 PM, Chris wrote:

> Huh.
>
> _Boundary_ and _Threshold_ co-written by our own Ryk E. Spoor and some
> other guy both prominently feature privately funded ventures into
> space.
>
> Am I REALLY the first to mention those?
>

I was resisting the temptation every single time I saw the thread.
Thank you.

_Portal_ is in the publisher's hands so hopefully should be out within
a year.


--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.livejournal.com

[Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)]

> Boundary by Eric Flint& Ryk Spoor - Baen Books.
> http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/1416509321/1416509321.htm
>
> Threshold by Eric Flint& Ryk E. Spoor - Baen Books.
> http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/1439133603/1439133603.htm

I'll note that there are BOTH private and government-funded groups in
those books, and in fact part of the point is that to get the best
effect you needed to combine the advantages of both approaches (rather
than the DISadvantages of both approaches).

[Robert Clark]

Some examples of space mining in fiction listed in New Scientist:

Roughnecks in space: Moon mining in science fiction
15:39 27 April 2012 by Sally Adee
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21752-roughnecks-in-space-moon-mining-in-science-fiction.html


Bob Clark

[Robert Clark]

On Apr 21, 10:03 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> ...
>

> Google billionaires, James Cameron backing space resource venture.
> By Alan Boyle
> [quote]Today's media alert says the new company "will overlay two
> critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add
> trillions of dollars to the global GDP. This innovative start-up will
> create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources.'"
>     "That sounds like asteroid mining," Christopher Mims writes on MIT
> Technology Review's "Mims' Bits" blog. "Because what else is there in
> space that we need here on earth? Certainly not a livable climate or a
> replacement for our dwindling supplies of oil."
>     Parabolic Arc's Doug Messier, meanwhile, writes that the venture
> will be an "extraterrestrial mining company."
>     Diamandis has said on more than one occasion that he's intrigued
> by the idea of digging into asteroids, for materials ranging from
> water (for fuel as well as for astronauts) to precious metals such as
> platinum. The Verge points to a TED talk in 2005 where Diamandis
> discusses his dream, while Forbes magazine has brought up the subject

> with him more than once in the past few months.[/quote]http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11273238-google-billi...
>

A completely separate team has now announced plans to do mining from
the Moon:

Renowned scientists join tech visionaries at Moon Express to mine the
Moon for planetary resources.
“MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Moon Express, a
Google Lunar X PRIZE contender, announced today that some of the
world's leading planetary scientists have joined its Science Advisory
Board (SAB) to assist the company in its plans to explore and
ultimately mine the Moon for precious planetary resources.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/renowned-scientists-join-tech-visionaries-at-moon-express-to-mine-the-moon-for-planetary-resources-148632035.html

A propos of that would be Bill White's novel "Platinum Moon":

Platinum Moon [Paperback]
Bill White (Author)
"International intrigue, action, adventure and suspense wrapped around
a moon landing.
"Power abhors a vacuum. After NASA abandons its plans to return to the
Moon, New Hampshire native and global entrepreneur Harold Hewitt steps
in to fill the void. Rejecting the notion that the exploration of
space must be reserved to government, Hewitt establishes Lunar
Materials LLC to prospect for lunar platinum – platinum needed for
fuel cells that will help mitigate global warming. Hewitt sees himself
as an old fashioned Yankee trader, touting his lunar ambitions as an
altruistic endeavor undertaken in harmonious collaboration with global
partners. His opponents view Hewitt as a Yankee traitor selling out
his country in pursuit of profit."
http://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Moon-Bill-White/dp/0984405801


Bob Clark

[William December Starr]

In article <db2141ef-2c43-4b4b...@r9g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,

Robert Clark <rgrego...@yahoo.com> said:

> A propos of that would be Bill White's novel "Platinum Moon":
>
>Platinum Moon [Paperback]
> Bill White (Author)
> "International intrigue, action, adventure and suspense wrapped around
> a moon landing.
> "Power abhors a vacuum. After NASA abandons its plans to return to the
> Moon, New Hampshire native and global entrepreneur Harold Hewitt steps
> in to fill the void. Rejecting the notion that the exploration of
> space must be reserved to government, Hewitt establishes Lunar
> Materials LLC to prospect for lunar platinum – platinum needed for
> fuel cells that will help mitigate global warming. Hewitt sees himself
> as an old fashioned Yankee trader, touting his lunar ambitions as an
> altruistic endeavor undertaken in harmonious collaboration with global
> partners. His opponents view Hewitt as a Yankee traitor selling out
> his country in pursuit of profit."
> http://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Moon-Bill-White/dp/0984405801

Looks self-published:

Linkname: Higher Hill Publishing Inc. - Bibliography
URL: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/publisher.cgi?33140

which suggests that he couldn't even get Baen to print it, despite
the fact that everything about that blurb practically _screams_
"Baen Books!"

-- wds

[Robert Clark]

On May 1, 2:38 pm, wdst...@panix.com (William December Starr) wrote:
> In article <db2141ef-2c43-4b4b-b58e-172d258aa...@r9g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,

> Robert Clark <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> said:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > A propos of that would be Bill White's novel "Platinum Moon":
>
> >Platinum Moon [Paperback]
> > Bill White (Author)
> > "International intrigue, action, adventure and suspense wrapped around
> > a moon landing.
> > "Power abhors a vacuum. After NASA abandons its plans to return to the

> > Moon,NewHampshire native and global entrepreneur Harold Hewitt steps

> > in to fill the void. Rejecting the notion that the exploration of
> > space must be reserved to government, Hewitt establishes Lunar
> > Materials LLC to prospect for lunar platinum – platinum needed for
> > fuel cells that will help mitigate global warming. Hewitt sees himself
> > as an old fashioned Yankee trader, touting his lunar ambitions as an
> > altruistic endeavor undertaken in harmonious collaboration with global
> > partners. His opponents view Hewitt as a Yankee traitor selling out
> > his country in pursuit of profit."
> >http://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Moon-Bill-White/dp/0984405801
>
> Looks self-published:
>
>    Linkname: Higher Hill Publishing Inc. - Bibliography
>         URL:http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/publisher.cgi?33140
>
> which suggests that he couldn't even get Baen to print it, despite
> the fact that everything about that blurb practically _screams_
> "Baen Books!"
>
> -- wds

The key question is whether it is a good book or not. I haven't read
the book yet. Clark Lindsay who operates the HobbySpace.com site is
someone whose opinion I respect. He gives it a good review here:

Review: "Platinum Moon" by Bill White.
http://www.hobbyspace.com/nucleus/HSblog.php?itemid=23634&catid=74

Based on that, I'll give the book a read. I'll post my review here in
about a week.


Bob Clark

[jacob navia]

Le 03/04/12 01:06, Jerry Brown a écrit :

> On Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:18:41 -0700 (PDT), tphile2
> <tph...@cableone.net> wrote:
>

>> On Mar 29, 1:47 pm, Robert Clark<rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> In this post I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building
>>> their own space ships:
>>>
>>> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
>>> From: Robert Clark<rgregorycl...@yahoo.com>
>>> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
>>> Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.science/browse_frm/thread/...
>>>
>>> I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some
>>> recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not
>>> governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about
>>> space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites,
>>> lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.

Sorry but I try to avoid any "commercial" science fiction since they
have very similar and very boring plots:

1) Making money is fun
2) The guy with the biggest quantity of money wins (at the end)
3) Capitalism is the only possible society.

They transpose an idealized 60's mentality into some space scenario
and the characters, plot, etc are straight copies of some trivial story
where the future is seen as a repetition of the present ad nauseum.

Obviously you will find many people disagreeing, and
specially in the U.S. you will find a public.

Have fun making money.

[ala]

"DouhetSukd" <douhe...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:4cedfcf3-aed9-49f9...@a8g2000pbe.googlegroups.com...

>For the Firestar series he was still learning his craft, IMHO. Wreck
>of the River of Stars and Eifelheim are much more sophisticated
>books. But as far as the OP's request goes, this is a very good
>series.

http://pbfcomics.com/210/

[Michael Stemper]

"DouhetSukd" <douhe...@gmail.com> wrote in message news:4cedfcf3-aed9-49f9...@a8g2000pbe.googlegroups.com...

>For the Firestar series he was still learning his craft, IMHO. Wreck
>of the River of Stars and Eifelheim are much more sophisticated
>books. But as far as the OP's request goes, this is a very good
>series.

Flynn? The first book in the Firestar series came out in 1996, by which
time he'd had quite a lot published. Was it a trunk novel that he wrote
prior to all of that other stuff?

--
Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
I feel more like I do now than I did when I came in.