Centrist, progressive, radical optimist. Geophysicist, R&D, Planetary Scientist and general nerd in Winnipeg, Canada.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 12th, 2023

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  • Eh, maybe? It’s part of the fantasy-world-is-real trope. A spiritual successor to Narnia, but with adult characters. Or a predecessor to something like The Magicians. If you like these sorts of books, where the real world is part of the setting, then it may appeal. It’s almost Isekai.

    Honestly though, I’ve forgotten most of it. It’s a “read once” book.

    Read “Fred the Vampire Accountant” instead ;)






  • Funny story.

    Two decades years ago, when I first started working in arctic exploration, we were limited to how much weight we could take with us to our exploration camps. Most of us would decided on a couple of books to bring with us. But I didn’t want to bring books I wouldn’t like, because then I’ve wasted my weight allowance. So I brought that gold-coloured LotR copy with me and read it over and over, year over year. Probably read it at least once a summer for seven consecutive years. Sometimes in environments even more desolate than Mordor. Imagine reading it here.

    Later, I got a kindle and the weight problem sort of went away.






  • Neufeld’s von Braun book is great! It doesn’t pull any ethical punches – it’s almost clinical in the treatment of his early career opportunism within the Nazi regime.

    The bottom shelves are dedicated more to rocket science than human spaceflight, generally, which is why I don’t have Hadfield’s book. I met him once though. I did grad school in Planetary Science and got to meet quite a few astronauts and have a few beers.















  • That’s a good idea. Better than my other ideas. Cereal box full of cereal and the modem.

    For a moment I considered putting in a bucket with resin and letting it solidify, then removing the bucket and just shipping them a modem encased in resin. But they’d probably charge me for the modem they’re just going to send to the landfill anyway. Maybe I should do that and turn it into a modem bowl on the lathe…