Solar System Books

Planetwatch is a very good book with many interesting experiments, from tracing the moon to viewing Jupiter. The experiments range in level from beginner to expert. I like many of the experiments, but even the beginner ones are sometimes very complicated for anyone that has never tried astronomy before. It is still a very good book, though. It shares a lot of information about the solar system and makes you aware of what possible things an amateur astronomer could see. Overall, it is a very good astronomy book for beginners and advanced alike.

This was just too cute to pass up, and it is a good, entertaining overview of some of the aspects of space travel and what would be involved in a tourist trip to the moon. However, there are some appalling factual errors in here. In particular, he seems to have a grudge against the space shuttle and comes out with some blatant untruths about it: not all of the shuttle's heat-resistant tiles need to be replaced after a mission, only a few do; and the shuttle does in fact have a braking parachute though he says it doesn't. He also indicates that total solar eclipses only happen about once every 150 years when the actual figure is about 1.5 years, a factor of 100 error.

If you can take it with a grain of salt, though, the text and cartoons (by the author) are entertaining, and it's well illustrated with space photos, though unfortunately the geared-for-portability size of the book (4.5"x7.5") scarcely does them justice. So read it for fun and a little bit of education but don't believe all of it.

A Science Fiction Story

Colony killer.


3 out of 5 stars

This is the first book I've purchased in the Bison Frontiers of Imagination series. The entire line aims to bring early science fiction stories, from the very beginning of the genre, to a mass audience. It is a worthy series and I plan on buying more in the future.

This book is actually two stories in one, both of which were originally published as serials in the pulp magazine All Story Weekly. The Girl in the Golden Atom was written in 1919 and its sequel, The People in the Golden Atom, in 1920.

Needless to say, the science is extremely dated. Luckily, like most pulp stories at the time, the science fiction element is kept to a minimum.

The plot is relatively simple. A man, identified only as the Chemist, discovers a microscopic world inside a golden ring. Soon, he becomes transfixed with a girl he observes there and determines to shrink himself down and find her. He does this by inventing two drugs, one pill to make him smaller and one pill to make him bigger. He then tells this plan to a group of friends, and asks them to safeguard the ring while he is away. Once he returns, he tells them all the story of his adventures inside the world of the ring. After his tale is over, he shrinks himself down again and returns to his love's side.

It is similar in structure to H.G. Well's The Time Machine. Indeed, this is purposefully done by Cummings, who is attempting to bridge the gap between the science romances of Wells and fantastic voyages of Verne.

The tale is very basic, but it has its charms. The descriptions of shrinking and growing, with the world falling away or rushing up, is very well done. The culture that lives inside the ring is only briefly touched upon. Some might see that as an unimaginative copout, but I think it gives it just the right touch of otherworldliness. Unfortunately, in a story like this, characterization is practically non-existent; it's really the adventure that keeps you reading.

The second story, The People in the Golden Atom, picks up right where the last one left off. The Chemist's friends from the previous novel gather together to read a letter he left behind. It tells them to come find him if has not returned within five years. To aid them, he leaves instructions on how to make his shrinking and growing pills.

The rest of the story follows their own adventures in the world of the ring and what happens when they find their wayward friend. All is not well, for a civil war is brewing and the Chemist is right in the middle of it.

I didn't like the second installment as much as the first. The story lagged in the middle. I think the problem is that it has too many protagonists. Also, it gets bogged down in descriptions of the world of the ring instead of moving the action forward. I also didn't like the resolution of the conflict. It didn't seem inevitable enough. Of course, being a serial, the story isn't supposed to be sophisticated.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, the pulp stories of the 20s and 30s, or who is interested in learning more about the Golden Age of science fiction.

It took one evening to get through. Well written by a man who loves astronomy. There is lots of anecdotes, history of human relation with heavens which gives food to your thought.

The book has been written well before great modern observations: Hale-Bopp, Haley, Jove impact and scientific material is not up-to-date.

Not for observer, too. Nothing about observing technique, ephemerides, magnitude approximation, etc.

Good to compare with more recent issues to how fast science changes those days.

A Science Fiction Story

Sociological problem.


2.5 out of 5

This is the kind of book that I devoured while in elementary school. It is a collection of facts about the solar system, with short chapters on each of the planets, the sun, galaxies and the Earth's moon. Conspicuously absent is any discussion of other bodies such as the asteroids, comets and the potential for other planets. While it is certainly a good introduction to the facts about the solar system, these omissions make it a weaker book that a few more pages could have corrected. Also note that the publication date of 2001 means that recent explorations may have altered some of the "facts."

A Science Fiction Story

Frog brothers kid.


2.5 out of 5

The Moon Book explains the basics of the moon's orbit, why the phases progress as they do, eclipses, tides, tips and techniques for photographing the moon, and so forth, with lots of clear diagrams and pictures, including a lunar gazeteer. There are so many diagrams that the short 128 pages makes for a rather quick read. It is not a historical book, but rather a quick overview, tutorial, and reference. A few pages are devoted to historical moon watching and various cultural moon calendars. Someone looking for a detailed scientific text, an in-depth history, or a book about moon lore should look elsewhere.

I read this book as part of my study while I was working for NASA in 1967. It is a great introduction to the knowledge before then and gives references to a lot of papers you cannot find anymore in current references. That said read this with a current book like Dr. John Wassons. I readded it to my library for the reference lists.