Pillar to the Sky

Given the economic, political and international turmoil of the last decade and its personal impact for many, it is no wonder that speculation about what will happen next is an intense preoccupation. It is fueled daily by political leaders and their parties and, of course, the omnipresent media. Literary forays into "what might be" have a long, long history: sometimes for moral guidance and other times for projecting possible consequences of something going on now. It is a tricky business, at best.William R. Forstchen has jumped into the fray with two very different takes about the future of the U.S. and the world: "One Second After" (2009) and "Pillar to the Sky" (2014), the latter being promoted in Scientific American Magazine (March 2014). Both will be covered in one review for comparative purposes and published in each of its respective Amazon sites."Pillar to the Sky" (four stars)Have the U.S. and other international governments back pedaled from the "reaching for the stars" spirit of the 1960's and settled for a slower development pace due to other pressing public priorities? Certainly, the risk-reward factors on a human level have been dramatically explored in the recent Academy Award nominated film, "Gravity."This is essentially the point of departure for William R. Forstchen's latest futuristic novel, "Pillar to the Sky" covering a time span from roughly the late 1980's through the early 2020's. The premise is based on the creation and development of an alternative means to achieve space travel: using a cable tethered on Earth, achieving geo-synch orbit for space station deployment and offsetting the pull of gravity on the cable back to Earth with an extension of the cable even further into space as a counterweight.Simple, right? Actually, the concept for the technology exists in a material called Carbon-60 nanotubes (or C-60 fullerenes) that can create a tubular structure currently used for more down-to-earth commercial applications such as baseball gloves. However, as with Electromagnetic Pulse weapons (EMP) in "One Second After", Forstchen has extended the fundamental principle into future reality upon which to base his story.The tale follows the efforts of a core group of characters to develop and deploy the Carbon-60 nanotube technology, first, as a "thread" from the earth to geo-synch orbit and, later, as larger more substantive piece called a "ribbon." The main characters are: Gary Morgan, an American astrophysicist (I use the term loosely); his Ukrainian-born wife, Eva, also an astrophysicist; their daughter, Victoria who eventually gets involved with - you guessed it - astrophysics; an early former German engineering wiz, Eric Rothenberg, who worked with Werner Von Braun after World War II presumably at Huntsville and at Goddard Space Flight Center.And Franklin Smith, an African-American technology entrepreneur who has made billions and wants to give back to the people in the spirit of Rockefeller, Carnegie and Morgan.Franklin essentially becomes the "fairy godfather" for underwriting the protection, development and deployment of the concepts that Gary, Eva and eventually Victoria have conceived. Some of this execution is fairly substantial, namely, creation of deployment platforms/stations in Aranuka and Tarawa islands, Republic of Kiribati at the equator in the Pacific Ocean.The less obvious but real motivation for Franklin to pursue this project is the prospect of bringing low cost energy gathered by enormous solar-array panels in geo-synch orbits down the thread, ribbon or "pillar" as an offset to the rising worldwide cost of fossil fuel consumption - a concept Isaac Asimov pondered in 1964.Of course, there are opposing forces to this program: some well meaning but misguided such as Senator Proxley who objects to this "pillar" concept from the get-go and chairs the U.S. Senate oversight committee for space exploration and Professor Garlin who teaches about the impact of "disruptive technologies," i.e. new systems that displace people working in older systems. While the Senator is plausible regarding the use of public funds, the Professor is pretty unbelievable, especially if Wall Street got wind of this investment opportunity (hello, Franklin!)And there are the oil-producing countries that view the "pillar" as a threat to their dwindling but lucrative monopoly. Whether directly or through proxy military groups, they dramatically make their views known in an attempt to sabotage the "pillar."The plot and some of the conditions described have credibility within a science-fiction genre and move at a reasonably quick pace to hold interest. Given the recent press surrounding private business groups or individuals seeking to develop orbital space travel on their own, the plausibility of the private sector taking over space exploration for commercial programs is acceptable.As with "One Second After," the author's characters seem slightly unreal - as if they were being sketched for a film or TV pilot. Franklin Smith is clearly indicated to be a role for Morgan Freeman, especially with the latter as a spokesperson for the Science Channel's TV series, "Through the Wormhole." Other situations presented for the main characters to realize their dreams of seeing space from Earth orbit feel like the "Space Cowboys" movie with aging astronauts.For more fun and authenticity Mary Roach's 2010 witty book, "Packing For Mars", will deliver great insights about the current challenges for space travel and why the program should continue to get full endorsement by the U.S.: "Since when has money saved by government redlining been spent on education and cancer research? It is always squandered. Let's squander some on Mars. Let's go out and play.""One Second After" (two stars)Imagine you are going about your daily routine and using the electricity-based tools such as cell phones, laptops, household appliances, radios and TVs, automobiles as you are accustomed to doing... then, they stop. It is not just you, your family, your friends, neighbors but everyone that you can immediately know about. And these devices do not come back within hours, days, weeks, a month or a year. And there is no sign of relief from anywhere else in the country. What do you do to survive?That is the premise of "One Second After" and the experiences of John Matherson, a former U.S. military officer now college teacher in Black Mountain western North Carolina (near Asheville), his mother-in-law Jen and two daughters, 16-year old Elizabeth and 12-year old Jennifer who is diabetic (his wife Mary had passed on four years prior).Initially, the Mathersons and their neighbors treat the problem of all electronic devices dying as a temporary outage and take to cooking food with gas grills and conserving water as needed. However, after a run on local food and other supply stores, it is evident that something more persistent is happening. Cars have stopped running in the middle of major highways, fires in nearby towns are burning unchecked, hospitals are unable to care for life-support patients. And only some vehicles from earlier pre-electronic configurations are able to run, e.g. an Edsel Ford.Based on his military experience and confirmation from other military friends, John realizes that the cause of these outages are Electromagnetic Pulse weapons (EMP) that have enough concentrated energy waves when detonated at sufficiently high altitudes to wipeout entire electric grids as well as individual electronic-based devices across broad areas - unless the devices and grids have been "hardened" to withstand these pulses.Within weeks, John, his family, including his daughter Jennifer dependent on regular insulin injections, and neighbors are coping with a very different world: determining how to organize and govern themselves, how to ration food and medical supplies, where to bury people who have died and, ultimately, how to form alliances with other groups and defend themselves against lawless gangs until relief from the Federal government and other countries can eventually reach them.It is also a scenario that makes quite clear that governments are ill prepared to handle these situations - even though some in office and perhaps the public had been forewarned of the potential impact of EMP weapons."One Second After" is reminiscent of several works dealing with the impact of unexpected events on human behavior: William Golding's 1954 dystopian novel, "Lord of the Flies" (a literal translation of Beelzebub); Nevil Shute's 1957 classic novel made into a movie with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, "On The Beach"; a Twilight Zone TV episode of small town people being turned against each other through the manipulation of devices by space aliens.Unfortunately, while the EMP weapon-based premise is real and drives the initial conditions within which the story unfolds, the characters are not very substantive except in a vaguely GI Joe sense. The author seems to be saying that unless you have had military training or that kind of mental preparation, you are unlikely to survive in these circumstances (Ft. Hood personnel might differ with this point). Other characters seem to be throwbacks to movie roles popularized by John Wayne, Patricia O'Neal, and others in post-World War II movies.In addition, the introduction to the novel is written by Speaker Newt Gingrich. This approach may underscore the credibility of EMP weapons and the lack of U.S. preparation or "hardening" for this type of attack but also raises red flags as to how much of the story is to entertain and how much to push a political agenda.As discussed in "Harvard Magazine" (March-April 2014), a more interesting exploration might have been Professor Elaine Scarry's thesis that nuclear weapons (with the potential to release EMPs), by willful or accidental detonation, are ungovernable in today's democracy. Are the consequences for so many too concentrated in the hands of so few?

Ever since I read Charles Sheffield's and Sir Arthur C. Clarke's treatment on the subject of a space elevator I have been enamored with the idea. Imagine a kind of rope that would provide quick and easy access to the heavens cheaply and safely! Oh what a boon to the human race! But how would something like that come about? The first one would be gigantically expensive with plenty of learning bumps as the builders ran into roadblocks to their goal. And Fortschen puts that in the book, along with some pretty fun characters to boot, including someone who acted like the former senator William Proxmire with his hated golden fleece award. As an aside I thought it a hilarious thing, and right on the money until Proxmire showed his lack of vision by awarding it to NASA. I then stopped believing in it altogether, but I digress. This story has passion on both sides of the story, brilliant characters, a plot that seems somewhat realistic and a bright and optimistic ending. So if I liked it so well, why the four stars? Well, toward the end the story slowed markedly. And quite frankly, Fortschen got so hooked into killing off the characters that after a while I said quietly to myself, "Who's next?" He could have gotten away with only one or two deaths in the story to emphasize how dangerous building the space elevator is going to be but by the fifth or sixth incident I wanted to say, "Okay, Willie, I get the point. Now please get on with the story."Still, I was glad to have read this book when I finished it. Should you get this book? Only if you don't mind hard science fiction. If technology turns you off, then this might be the wrong read to pick up. Still, as I have already said, the characters are engaging and the storyline, though revolving around technology, has plenty of the human stuff to keep one entertained. There are plenty of books out there that are worse. If you don't mind taking a chance, then go ahead and try this one. I think you might find yourself pleased in the end. This is a novel that rewards the reader for reading it with some very fine storytelling.

I am a reader. There, I've said it. Throughout my long life I've been a reader. I enjoy reading much more than TV and even more than music. This book was an absolute joy to read.It made me think back to memories of the USSR and USA reaching for the high ground and the gradual death of manned spaceflight. It is an optimistic book and one with a heart. The long book is almost a 'history' of what could be our future with characters that we care for [or despise] with just enough depth to engage our interest.There is scope here for the author to give us 'the next generation' in space or to fill out the profound and possibly dangerous implications here on earth.One minor niggle: why so bashful in naming 'the famous Brit' or 'the famous actor' or the famous well-loved old sci-fi star? Surely they are Branson and Hanks and Shatner? I'm not sure how many times the term ''the famous Brit' was used but it was a LOT and it grated! Despite that I was sorry to come to the end of this wonderful book.

By the same author as One Second After, One Year After and The Final Day.(All worth reading). This is a fantasy, futuristic story but it kept me occupied and once started I had trouble putting the book down. It kept me occupied during coronavirus lockdown.I was left imagining what the characters would look like if the plot was for real.

Definitely one of the best real sci fi books I have read for a long time. Real characters, real science, real emotion. Keep writing.

Damit ist nicht der deutsche Titel des englischen Romans The Fountains of Paradise" (1979) von Arthur C. Clarke gemeint. Wie man sieht ist die Idee eines Space elevators" nicht neu, neben SF Autoren wie Clarke haben sich schon lange auch normale Wissenschaftler und Visionäre mit dieser Idee befasst. Man muss den Begriff Space Elevators" nur kurz im Netz recherchieren, die Informationsflut kann einen glatt erschlagen. Nun hat sich also Forstchen an dieses Thema gemacht und schreibt über den Bau einer Säule in dem Himmel (Pillar to the Sky), der deutsche Titel wird Der Sternenturm" lauten.Wer diesen Autor kennt kann sich schon mal neben gut recherchierten, wissenschaftlich (überwiegend) belegbaren Fakten, auf eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt gefasst machen. Die realistischen Fakten werden allein schon durch die Zusammenarbeit mit der NASA, wie er sie im Anhang erwähnt, für diesen Roman garantiert.Forstchen ohne Drama, ohne menschliches Elend, ohne das wichtige Figuren sterben, gibt es nicht. Das emotionale Klavier beherrscht er hervorragend und so zieht er den Leser in die Geschichte. Doch anders als in seinem Roman One Second After", der sich den Gefahren der Technologie und den Auswirkungen widmet, wenn diese ausfällt, herrscht in dieser Geschichte ein fast klassischer Sense of Wonder" vor, wie er früher in den Romanen von z.B. Heinlein, Larry Niven oder Jules Vernes zu finden war - es geht mehr um die Möglichkeiten der Hochtechnologie.Forstchen Ansatz in dieser Erzählung ist nicht so sehr die mathematisch, physikalische Seite so eines Projektes (wobei es dazu schon sehr weitgehende Fachliteratur gibt, u.a. hat die FAZ unter dem Titel Fahrstuhl in den Weltraum Die achtmillionste Etage" 02.10.2014, von Ulf von Rauchhaupt etwas dazu geschrieben), sondern eher die ökonomischen und politischen Probleme und Auswirkungen. Wer sich für eine mehr wissenschaftliche Studie zur Machbarkeit und dem Nutzen interessiert, der sollte sich einmal  Space Elevators (English Edition)  anschauen.Wenn jemand allerdings an diesen Roman herangeht und sich nicht für Weltraum /Raumfahrt /Astronomie begeistert und nicht von der Notwendigkeit die Zukunft der Menschheit auch in dieser Richtung zu suchen überzeugt ist, für den dürfte so eine Geschichte nichts sein - Wie folgender Auszug aus einer kritischen Rezension in den USA zu dem Buch zeigt: I really did not buy into this story. I don't like some of the author's assumptions and conclusions. I don't believe the earth is over populated and over polluted everywhere. I don't believe that only NASA is the way to "save our planet". I don't believe that going into space has real value for our world at this time."Ich muss aber einräumen, dass es für mich nicht die beste Erzählung von diesem Autor ist, die ich bisher gelesen habe. Mich haben nach gewisser Zeit bestimmte Ausdrücke gestört, die der Autor wahrscheinlich als eine Art Running Gags" eingebaut hat, u.a. die ständige Verwendung von feet und miles" gepaart mit dem Hinweis, dass sogar in den USA in der Wissenschaft das metrische System Einzug gehalten hat. Daneben lesen sich einige Passagen in der Mitte eher wie Exposees, als wie eine ausgearbeitete Geschichte, so überspringt der Autor die Geschehnisse mehrerer Jahre und spult einfach nur Entwicklungsschritte ab, bis er dann wieder zu seinen Stärken kommt. Die liegen in der lebensnahen Schilderung von Ereignissen durch die Augen seiner Protagonisten.Forstchen hat sich mit diesem Thema ein sehr nahes SciFi Szenario ausgesucht, bei aller schriftstellerischen Freiheit und dem Versuch so eine Entwicklung spannend, romanhaft zu schildern, ist dies durchaus eine Möglichkeit wie sich die nähere Zukunft der Menschheit gestalten könnte. Ein Fahrstuhl zu den Sternen liegt auch in der Realität schon sehr dicht an unseren heutigen technischen Möglichkeiten und ist soweit es die mathematisch, physikalischen Lösungen angeht weitgehend durchkalkuliert, ob er aber jemals verwirklicht wird steht sprichwörtlich in den Sternen. Space Elevators (English Edition)

Enormously fun and stimulating read, which could easily be a well-imagined and romanticized tale of our near-term future in space exploration. This is a project whose time has come, and the costs are relatively minor compared to the potential benefits. We need access to space for a whole host of reasons, and lower lift costs could break the logjam keeping us from doing some really important jobs like cleaning up orbital debris, establishing orbital and extra-orbital stations and fabs, etc. Could this be reality in the next decade or two? Is there another Elon Musk out there to get it done?