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hootinglance's review against another edition
3.0
Basically a run down of Earth's history and our solar system with small references to fictional works
tardycreative's review against another edition
1.0
Way too complicated for someone who just wants to write about new planets and stuff. Is it really necessary to need to know as much as an astrophysicist to write believable science fiction?
Also I should add that as long as you know something of basic geology and ecology, shouldn't that be enough? My husband is a geologist and engineer and I am pretty sure with what he has taught me, my worlds will be just fine without all the mathematical babble!
Also I should add that as long as you know something of basic geology and ecology, shouldn't that be enough? My husband is a geologist and engineer and I am pretty sure with what he has taught me, my worlds will be just fine without all the mathematical babble!
jessmahler's review
4.0
At first glance, this book looks like it will mainly be of interest to hard-science fiction writers.
That's... half true.
Honestly, the science gets very heavy at times, and the math... oy, the math. Let's say I didn't retain much of the details.
What I did come away with was a much greater understanding of the options for creating realistic or plausible planets and solar systems that are far outside of the usual Earth-analogs. And a better grasp of what the different labels for stars mean.
Highly recommended for sci-fi writers looking for inspiration, folks who want to know more about the wild variety of worlds, stars, and other space objects, and science buffs who are looking for a short but intense read on what (might be) out there.
That's... half true.
Honestly, the science gets very heavy at times, and the math... oy, the math. Let's say I didn't retain much of the details.
What I did come away with was a much greater understanding of the options for creating realistic or plausible planets and solar systems that are far outside of the usual Earth-analogs. And a better grasp of what the different labels for stars mean.
Highly recommended for sci-fi writers looking for inspiration, folks who want to know more about the wild variety of worlds, stars, and other space objects, and science buffs who are looking for a short but intense read on what (might be) out there.
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