The landing of the Huygens probe on Titan is one of the cooler things to happen in planetary science in recent years. (See Space.com and Astronomy Picture of the Day.)
I suppose that’s true both literally and figuratively — the temperature on the surface of Titan was measured at -179 degrees Celsius (-290 degrees Fahrenheit). And I’ve been shivering here in Boston at a measly 3 degrees Fahrenheit!
I wonder if they’ll find a Lake Carver there. (I was quite flattered when the late Hal Clement created a feature by that name in his hard SF novel, Half Life.) For that matter, I wonder if they’ll find anyone like Four Pod, a mild-mannered Titan creature who appeared briefly in my own novel, The Infinity Link, back in the 1980’s!
I do hope they find some methane lakes. It’s just too exotic an image not to be true.
Anonymous
In an earlier blog, you said “I like to think that some of my work is pretty good . . .” Huh?? Speaking as a fellow Midwesterner, I think you’re falling prey to the tribal tendency to excessive modesty. Speaking as a reader, I like to think that ALL of your work that I’ve read is pretty DARN good! The Chaos Chronicles are my favorite, but I also love the Dragonrigger books–some of the best SFnal dragons ever–and Eternity’s End. Your aliens rock, and your human characters combine integrity with a down to earth sense of humor. That’s not the easiest thing to do!
Just thought someone should point that out early in the history of this blog. . . .
Titan: Yay!! It’s so cool. Ice boulders? Methane rain?? I want to go there!
Ann Z.
Jeffrey A. Carver
Garsh, thanks for the plug, Ann. Methane rain! Methane lakes! I think I’ll say more about this in my next entry.
Jeff