Elven Star

Elven Star
Author: Margaret Weis
Publisher: Spectra
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2008-12-18
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307484246

On steamy Pryan, never-ending sunlight and plentiful rain have created a jungle so vast that humans and elves dwell high in the trees and only dwarves live anywhere near the ground. From the treetops the aristocratic elves sell weapons to the other races, whose incessant warfare sends a steady steam of profits and essential resources skyward. Now, generations of dissent and race hatred will not heal -- not even under the threat of annihilation at the hands of legendary Titans. Armed with little more than their wits and prophecy, an elf, a human, and a dwarf must unite to try to save the world from destruction.

Star Death

Star Death
Author: Leo Emmanuel Lochard
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2010-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1608992527

Star Death is a science-based fiction book depicting "sun death" as revealed by the Prophets and as depicted by the Apostle Peter in the Holy Bible. It also parallels scientific estimations of solar entropy as forecast by major astrophysicists who have pushed Relativity Theory to its applicable limits. This book, based on real scientific theorization, is fresh in perspective and presents the laws of thermodynamics in a way never entertained before. The sun, reacting to inputs from the outer reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, must therefore "negotiate" the "tugs of entropy"; it stretches its electromagnetic curtain to envelop the whole heliosphere into tumultuous radiation eruptions that extend even to the outer periphery of the solar system. Jupiter, Mercury, and the Earth convulse under tremendous pressures that impinge upon their mass and magnetic fields, respectively, to produce turbulence and perturbations uprooting the relative tranquility of the solar system. On the Earth, there is life, human life. Gravi-metric processes become chaotic and erratic so as to disrupt the daily routine of productive life. With impending "star death" came the imperative necessity to create a permanent, safe, space habitation for the human family. As "sun death" affected the whole human species, countries undertook to cooperate internationally in order to alleviate human suffering in the light of the possible extinction of the family of Man.

From a Changeling Star

From a Changeling Star
Author: Jeffrey A. Carver
Publisher: Starstream Publications
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2014-11-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1611384184

Into a dying star . . . Beneath the roiling surface of Betelgeuse, scientists anxiously await the one man essential to the success of Starmuse, the greatest engineering project in human history. But on Kantano’s World, Willard Ruskin battles invisible agents for control of his life, his physical form, and even his memories. Drawn into a conflict from which not even death will free him, Ruskin must find a way to reach Betelgeuse before his enemies sabotage Starmuse—and humanity’s future among the stars. A harrowing journey from inside the human cell... to the mind of a dying star. A stunning blend of hard science fiction with moving characterization, both human and otherwise. Introduces the robot Jeaves, familiar to readers of The Chaos Chronicles. From the Nebula-nominated author of Eternity’s End. Original print publication by Bantam Spectra. A Locus bestseller. REVIEW QUOTES: “Starts with a bang and keeps getting better. Carver handles not one, but two hot topics, and presents both vividly.” —David Brin, author of Existence and Startide Rising “Running from the micro to the macro and back again, redefining sentience, space-time, and perhaps humanity along the way, From a Changeling Star is a fast-paced puzzler, rich in invention, and Jeffrey A. Carver’s most ambitious book to date.” —Roger Zelazny “As audacious and imaginative as the best of John Varley, with characters as memorable as those of Sturgeon or Zelazny, and with one of the most powerful endings in science fiction, this book will both hold and reward your attention.” —Spider Robinson, author of The Stardance Trilogy and Variable Star “Carver does an excellent job of tickling your sense of wonder, and in the end he leaves you both satisfied and craving another serving of his considerable talent.” —Tom Easton, Analog

The Science of Star Wars

The Science of Star Wars
Author: Mark Brake
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2016-11-15
Genre: Young Adult Nonfiction
ISBN: 1944686290

Discover the science behind the most popular sci-fi franchise of all time! Capturing the imagination and hearts of crowds worldwide, Star Wars is a fantastic feat of science fiction and fantasy. The Science of Star Wars addresses 50 topics that span the movies’ universe such as battle technology, alien life, space travel, etc. You’ll find fascinating explorations of the physics of Star Wars, its plausibility, and more. The perfect Star Wars gift for fans of the saga, this book addresses many unanswered, burning questions, including: How long before we get a Star Wars speeder off the ground? What exactly is the Force? How could Kylo Ren stop a blaster shot in mid-air? How could we live on a gas giant like Bespin, or a desert planet like Tatooine? Nature versus nurture: How does it play out in the making of Jedi? How much would it cost to build the Death Star? And much more! We marvel at the variety of creatures and technology and the mystery behind the force. But how much of the Star Wars world is rooted in reality? Could we see some of the extraordinary inventions materialize in our world? This uncomplicated, entertaining read makes it easy to understand how advanced physics concepts, such as wormholes and Einstein’s theory of relativity, apply to the Star Wars universe. The Science of Star Wars explains to non-technical readers how physics and fantasy might merge to allow for the possibility of interstellar travel; communication with foreign but intelligent lifeforms; human-like robots; alien planets fit for human life; weapons and spacecraft such as laser guns, light sabers, and the Millennium Falcon; and Force-like psychokinetic powers. In the 21st Century, we’re on the edge of developing much of the technology from “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away”… These fantasies aren’t as impossible as you might think! Written for every fan of George Lucas’s films, you don’t need to be a Jedi or an astrophysicist at NASA to appreciate all of Mark Brake and Jon Chase’s fun and informative analysis of this classic series in The Science of Star Wars. Prepare your mind to make the jump to light speed and find out about the facts behind one of our favorite modern epics!

Death and the Rock Star

Death and the Rock Star
Author: Catherine Strong
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2016-03-03
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1317154509

The untimely deaths of Amy Winehouse (2011) and Whitney Houston (2012), and the ’resurrection’ of Tupac Shakur for a performance at the Coachella music festival in April 2012, have focused the media spotlight on the relationship between popular music, fame and death. If the phrase ’sex, drugs and rock’n’roll’ ever qualified a lifestyle, it has left many casualties in its wake, and with the ranks of dead musicians growing over time, so the types of death involved and the reactions to them have diversified. Conversely, as many artists who fronted the rock’n’roll revolution of the 1950s and 1960s continue to age, the idea of dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse (which gave rise, for instance, to the myth of the ’27 Club’) no longer carries the same resonance that it once might have done. This edited collection explores the reception of dead rock stars, ’rock’ being taken in the widest sense as the artists discussed belong to the genres of rock’n’roll (Elvis Presley), disco (Donna Summer), pop and pop-rock (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse), punk and post-punk (GG Allin, Ian Curtis), rap (Tupac Shakur), folk (the Dutchman André Hazes) and ’world’ music (Fela Kuti). When music artists die, their fellow musicians, producers, fans and the media react differently, and this book brings together their intertwining modalities of reception. The commercial impact of death on record sales, copyrights, and print media is considered, and the different justifications by living artists for being involved with the dead, through covers, sampling and tributes. The cultural representation of dead singers is investigated through obituaries, biographies and biopics, observing that posthumous fame provides coping mechanisms for fans, and consumers of popular culture more generally, to deal with the knowledge of their own mortality. Examining the contrasting ways in which male and female dead singers are portrayed in the media, the book

The New Astronomy

The New Astronomy
Author: Nigel Henbest
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 250
Release: 1996-08-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521408714

The New Astronomy is a rich kaleidoscope of the finest images of planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. It presents a host of new information, gathered from right across the spectrum: spanning the colourful universe from X-rays, through ultraviolet, visible and infrared, and out to the radio waves. Nigel Henbest and Michael Marten take us on a journey in which we view the variety of the cosmos and its contents through every available window. The first edition of The New Astronomy created a sensation, as no accessible description of modern astronomy had attempted to assemble images from so wide a range. For the new edition there are almost 200 entirely new pictures, selected from the Hubble Space Telescope and orbiting X-ray detectors, as well as from very large telescopes based at Mauna Kea, Hawaii and in the Canary Islands. The new science includes intriguing images from gravitational lenses, which are natural telescopes created by black holes inside other galaxies, and a full description of the latest images of the background radiation of the universe. From the nearby planets to, quite literally, the edge of the observable universe, this book is a brilliant synthesis of all that is new in the astronomy of today. Each object described is displayed in a variety of wavelengths. The non-technical text explains the science behind the objects, and it has been substantially re-written for this second edition.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: A Visual Archive

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: A Visual Archive
Author: Kelly Knox
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2024-04-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Celebrate Return of the Jedi with this deluxe volume that presents incredible photography and concept art, complemented by anecdotes about the film’s production. Drawing connections from the film to contemporary Star Wars storytelling, this book also offers a fresh perspective on its indelible influence. Featuring a wealth of inserts such as booklets and foldout pages, this book is a fascinating tribute to the epic conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy. Return of the Jedi didn’t just conclude the original Star Wars trilogy—its themes, structure, and emotional core paved the way for some of the most compelling elements of modern Star Wars storytelling. Filled with photography and concept art, this book celebrates all things Return of the Jedi, while also examining its ties to modern Star Wars stories such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, The Clone Wars, and beyond. Covering essential aspects of Return of the Jedi, this book further examines the film’s legacy by showcasing the movie’s merchandise, novels, comics, and spinoffs. REDISCOVER THE THRILLS OF RETURN OF THE JEDI: This deluxe coffee table book presents the story of Return of the Jedi in a fun and exciting format, with plenty of facts about the production of the film. From the enduring eccentricities of Jabba the Hutt’s palace, to the climactic showdown between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, this book explores fan-favorite moments from the beloved movie. A BOUNTY OF SPECIAL ITEMS AND INTERACTIVE FEATURES: Gatefolds, booklets, and other interactive features add a new level of insight to this celebration of the iconic film. CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF AN EPIC CONCLUSION: Going beyond the production of Return of the Jedi, this book explores forty years of merchandise, books, comics, and spinoffs, including Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, and the animated Ewoks television show. AN IDEAL GIFT FOR ALL FANS: Return of the Jedi has timeless appeal among movie-goers and aficionados, making this book the perfect gift for the Star Wars fan in your life. COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION: This book joins Insight Editions’ library of exciting Star Wars titles, including Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection, and Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees