I talked a little about the concept of hard sf last week. One topic I mentioned but didn’t go into is the idea of hibernation/deep sleep/suspended animation. For all the attention that we pay to physics, we don’t spend much time on this, but if we don’t have an FTL drive or a multi-generation ship, we need it. How would it or could it work? Hibernation does work (at least for bears), so maybe we could find a way to slow our metabolisms and, maybe, the ageing process. If we could, what would it be like getting up after years? I know how stiff I feel getting out of bed in the morning! Then, there are parts of us that are accustomed to moving on a regular basis and become cantankerous if they don’t – like our gut. I explored some of this in Starman’s Saga and I’m sure you’ll let me know if it seems realistic.
The audiobook has gone to QA review! Here’s hoping there are no issues that need correction and that publication is just ahead.
Science fiction conventions, like all gatherings of large groups, have become impossible now and for some time into the future. How long, no one knows. The Nebula Awards at the end of May have gone to an online event. On a smaller scale, I saw that PortCon, up here in Portland, Maine and scheduled for late June, has done the same. It did occur to me, that this cloud could have a silver lining. PortCon is a small, local con, but by going online maybe it can attract folks who would never think to travel here. So, look at the PortCon website and sign up to join the fun!