Book: "Spacecraft Design for Science Fiction Authors"

[scottlowther]

A number of years ago, there was a World Science Fiction Convention in San Jose, CA. As I lived near there, I decided to go. One of the most memorable sessions - to me at any rate - was a panel discussion scheduled on spacecraft design for SF authors. Sadly, what made it memorable was that the panel discussed, instead, office politics and such regarding the Cassini probe, annoying the hell out of the crowd (who wanted to know how to design warp drives and the like). It was then that I decided that a book on the topic needed to be written, and I launched into it. And I made reasonably good progress, too, getting somewhere over 100 pages of text before reality intervened and the project just sorta faded away. I have recently launched back into it, and am interested in feedback on the concept and execution. I have posted a few bits and pieces of it onto my blog.

An introduction to the concept: http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5258

The actual Intruduction to the book: http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5384

The "Propulsion Systems" outline: http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5348

And the section on Cole/Helios-style internal atomic bomb detonation propulsion systems: http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5353

Suggestions, criticism, discussion, high-praise-with-monetary-reward, all accepted.

[Mayabird]

Are you planning to write it for profit or just fun? I don't know how first rights issues would work with this but I'd rather people and projects not get screwed over if possible.

[scottlowther]

Are you planning to write it for profit or just fun?

Preferably for vast sums of profit. I hear rumors that some authors do in fact make Stephen-king-esque money, and I'm just delusional enough to choose to believe that a technical work written specifically for SF authors (and the interested public) aughtta be just as popular as anything else in the publishing world.

I don't know how first rights issues would work with this but I'd rather people and projects not get screwed over if possible.

I'm a little fuzzy on some of these legalistic details, but since what I'm working on is a textbook-sized work, and so far I've posted at most a few tiny bits, I'd think it wouldn't be too detrimental. I've already had one publisher tell me they're willing to publish based on what I've posted so far.

[open_sketchbook]

Wouldn't that basically be Atomic Rocket without the pictures?

[scottlowther]

Wouldn't that basically be Atomic Rocket without the pictures?

Actually, it'd be Atomic Rocket with substantially more (and more directly relevant) diagrams, and a whole lot more detail on a whole lot more territory.

AR was one of the reasons why I kinda dropped the project in 2004. The guy behind AR is one of those suggesting that I go forward with it.

[scottlowther]

Hmmm. My replies do not seem to have made it... Where'd they go?

[NecronLord]

While you are a new poster (about 10 posts) your posts require Moderator approval. This is to stop spammers.

[RedImperator]

For the record, I know absolutely nothing about rights issues for nonfiction books. You should probably look into it yourself just to cover your ass, but the First Rights post Maya linked to was specific to fiction.

[scottlowther]

While you are a new poster (about 10 posts) your posts require Moderator approval. This is to stop spammers.

Ah. I thought that might be the case, but I didn't see anything on that in the FAQ.

Moving on...

[scottlowther]

For the record, I know absolutely nothing about rights issues for nonfiction books. You should probably look into it yourself just to cover your ass, but the First Rights post Maya linked to was specific to fiction.

Well, this book sorta/kinda falls in between, though I'd think about 90% of the way to non-fiction. I'm not going to devote much space to describing fictional propulsion systems, such as the Star Wars hyperdrive or Star Trek warp drive, but instead will devote the bulk of the effort towards describing *real* propulsion systems. Of course, "real" in this context means everythign from the so-simple-the-Greeks-built-one steam rocket to modern solid/liquid/hybrid/hypersolid rockets, to advanced stuff on the drawing boards to advanced stuff still in the mathematical stage. This of course *does* mean warp drive... but as modern science understand and/or hypothesises.

So far I've posted the outline and a preliminary list of propulsion systems (neither of which constitute a "real" part of the book, just background info), the introduction and two tiny fractions of the propulsion system section. If publishers balk because of this (which is unlikely, since one publisher has already agreed to publish it *based* on the posting of these sections), re-writing them wouldn't be that big a deal.

My primary interest in posting about it here, though, is seeing what sort of interest there might be in the book.

[Mayabird]

It does seem interesting and if/when you could pull it off it sounds like it'd be an interesting tome, the kind I really would've gotten a kick out of as a kid and read several times. (I'm not so much of a "read it over and over" type these days and I probably wouldn't have the time anyway, but anywho...) That was why I first was worried that you might be hurting your chances of publishing it because of...writing legal stuff that I don't know anything about...because then there would be no book.

[Darth Wong]

While you are a new poster (about 10 posts) your posts require Moderator approval. This is to stop spammers.

Ah. I thought that might be the case, but I didn't see anything on that in the FAQ.

Moving on...

That's a good point; there should be something about that in the Announcements forum. I'll go add something.

[RedImperator]

Yeah, the actual book sounds bad-ass. Like Atomic Rockets in glossy print. I'd love to have a copy of it on my reference shelf.

As far as fiction or non-fiction, if it's 90% a reference to real science propulsion systems, with some discussion of fictional propulsion systems, then it's a non-fiction book. I'm under the impression that non-fiction publishers are a lot less uptight about first rights, but it's still in your best interest to look into rights issues. Trust me. It's boring and painful and not what you're interested in, but if you're looking to make money on this project (and if it's half as cool as a glossy print Atomic Rockets sounds like, you should), you need to do your legal homework.

[Darth Wong]

The nice thing about non-fiction is that non-fiction authors can't really sue for copying of ideas because their ideas are based on reality rather than invention, so they can only sue for direct plagiarism, ie- copying of exact phrases or illustrations and diagrams. It's not like fiction where you can have totally different phrasing and no direct copying of any content whatsoever, and yet still get sued because the idea is so similar that it is presumed to be copying.

[scottlowther]

Yeah, the actual book sounds bad-ass. Like Atomic Rockets in glossy print.

As useful as AR is (and its usefullness back in 2004 caused me to shelve the project), one thing I bring is that I am a Real Rocket Scientist (hold your applause), and will produce, I hope, a more comprehensive and detailed work.


An aspect that I hope is especially useful is that for each concept discussed, I describe it in general, layman-accessible terms; then describe it using the relevant data and math; then discuss how it can be appropriately used in science fiction; and describe what it and its effect would look like.

it's still in your best interest to look into rights issues. Trust me. It's boring and painful and not what you're interested in, but if you're looking to make money on this project (and if it's half as cool as a glossy print Atomic Rockets sounds like, you should), you need to do your legal homework.

Ah, hell, my plan from the beginning was to self publish. Yes, I know, that roads leads essentially nowhere*, but I just wanted to write the thing. Finding an actual publisher was just gravy. Granted it's a small publisher, so if'n there's a Big Deal Publisher out there who wants to discuss a million-dollar advance, I'm willing to listen...

*Note: One plan was to print up 200 copies. Openly sell the first hundred, drop rumors of a second hundred, then die. That second hundred would then appreciate substantially in value. My previously unknown identical evil twin would then sell the second hundred copies, and and by the time they figure out what went wrong, I'll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent.

[RedImperator]

Much as I find your "fake death" plan entertaining, it's probably not the best business idea I've ever heard. Self-publishing is a lot more viable for nonfiction than it is for fiction, especially for niche projects, but something like this doesn't sound quite that niche. If you've ever checked out the "writing" section of a big bookstore, it's got a couple shelves of books on writing, and a really dynamite, layman-accessible book on rocket science would have a good home there. It's exactly the kind of a thing a small publisher is ideal for.

Incidentally, Ben Bova published a book on the same subject about 10 years ago (Amazon link), but it appears to be out of print, and if I understand what you're trying to do, your book would be a lot more in-depth (and with less editorializing about Ben Bova's personal definition of science fiction).

[Havok]

Hell, I'll buy it just for your Die Hard reference.

Actually, I always have wanted to sit down with someone form NASA or whoever and design a space fighter, so this book would be great to have in my estimation.

Hey Red, what is Atomic Rockets?

[RedImperator]

Hell, I'll buy it just for your Die Hard reference.

Actually, I always have wanted to sit down with someone form NASA or whoever and design a space fighter, so this book would be great to have in my estimation.

Hey Red, what is Atomic Rockets?

You know that book of mine I've been babbling about for the last three years? This is where I got the initial inspiration and the bulk of my research. It's fucking aces. If you're any kind of space nerd, you should bookmark it.

[Darth Wong]

I hope you get someone good for diagrams and charts. People like me are particularly fond of appendices in textbooks where exhaustive quantitative data is presented for comparison purposes, and of course, good diagrams are worth their weight in gold. Not that such a book wouldn't be useful and interesting without that stuff, but it would broaden the appeal of the material. People who don't already understand the material, in particular, usually understand it much better with the help of diagrams, thanks to the human brain being better at visual learning.

PS. Not to be nosy or anything, but were you planning on using something other than the default Wordpress theme for your blog? Something, you know, "spacey"-looking?

[scottlowther]

I hope you get someone good for diagrams and charts.

A number of graphic artists have offered their services. Additionally, I'm planning a distressingly vast number of line diagrams. It's one thing to describe the geometry of an expansion-deflection rocket engine or the hypersolic concept, it's quite another to simply *show* it. The bulk of those I'll create myself, as I'm a passably good draftsman. See the diagrams I'm working on to complement Paul Suhlers book on the development of the SR-71, "From RAINBOW to GUSTO." http://up-ship.com/blog/?cat=41

Not only diagrams of *stuff,* but also orbital dynamics, performance parameters, etc.

Not to be nosy or anything, but were you planning on using something other than the default Wordpress theme for your blog? Something, you know, "spacey"-looking?

Nope. Any attempt on my part to jazz things up will almost certainly result in the server bursting into flames.

[scottlowther]

Hell, I'll buy it just for your Die Hard reference.

Actually, I always have wanted to sit down with someone form NASA or whoever and design a space fighter, so this book would be great to have in my estimation.

Several "space fighters" have been designed in the real world. Boeing's Dyna Soar, Redding's "spaceplane," Convair's lenticular satellite destroyer, SAINT II, a number of Soviet designs. However, realistically "space fighters" don't have a lot lot of value, and as technology improves, they'll probably wind up being even less valuable.. especially *manned* fighters. Just good ol' missiles.

However, the tech will be there to build a "space fighter," and I'll show a coupel ways of doing so.

[Darth Wong]

I hope you get someone good for diagrams and charts.

A number of graphic artists have offered their services. Additionally, I'm planning a distressingly vast number of line diagrams. It's one thing to describe the geometry of an expansion-deflection rocket engine or the hypersolic concept, it's quite another to simply *show* it. The bulk of those I'll create myself, as I'm a passably good draftsman. See the diagrams I'm working on to complement Paul Suhlers book on the development of the SR-71, "From RAINBOW to GUSTO." http://up-ship.com/blog/?cat=41

Not only diagrams of *stuff,* but also orbital dynamics, performance parameters, etc.

Sounds really good. I would buy a copy.

Not to be nosy or anything, but were you planning on using something other than the default Wordpress theme for your blog? Something, you know, "spacey"-looking?

Nope. Any attempt on my part to jazz things up will almost certainly result in the server bursting into flames.

Heh heh .. it's actually pretty easy to do, and won't stress the server or require any software modifications other than uploading a new theme to the Wordpress content directory and then selecting it from the admin menu. But if you're planning on turning it into a print book rather than leaving it as a "web publication" in perpetuity, I guess you might not particularly want to bother jazzing it up too much.

[Darth Wong]

Hell, I'll buy it just for your Die Hard reference.

Actually, I always have wanted to sit down with someone form NASA or whoever and design a space fighter, so this book would be great to have in my estimation.

Several "space fighters" have been designed in the real world. Boeing's Dyna Soar, Redding's "spaceplane," Convair's lenticular satellite destroyer, SAINT II, a number of Soviet designs. However, realistically "space fighters" don't have a lot lot of value, and as technology improves, they'll probably wind up being even less valuable.. especially *manned* fighters. Just good ol' missiles.

However, the tech will be there to build a "space fighter," and I'll show a coupel ways of doing so.

I think one of the dilemmas of tech realism in sci-fi has always been quite a bit different from real-life technology. In real-life, you look for the most effective, safe, and economical way of accomplishing an objective. In fiction, you tend to have certain things you want to do for dramatic purposes, and then you look for a combination of ideological or technological excuses to make that happen without completely breaking realism. Manned space fighters fall into that latter category.

[Havok]

Well obviously, but c'mon, they are damned cool.

The diagrams and pictures will be nice for those like me that aren't going to understand all the big words.
This will definitely go on my buy list.

[scottlowther]

Much as I find your "fake death" plan entertaining, it's probably not the best business idea I've ever heard.

Everyone's a critic.

a really dynamite, layman-accessible book on rocket science would have a good home there.

The thing is, I want this book to be something akin to the rocket-science equivalent of Dan Raymer's "Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach," in that the educated and enthusiastic layman could use it to not only design Neato Sci-Fi Stuff, but actual launch vehicles and spacecraft, at least to the preliminary level.

Incidentally, Ben Bova published a book on the same subject about 10 years ago (Amazon link), but it appears to be out of print, and if I understand what you're trying to do, your book would be a lot more in-depth (and with less editorializing about Ben Bova's personal definition of science fiction).

I own a copy (and am looking at it right now). Mine will go into vastly more detail on a far vaster array of specific systems. Look at my Cole/Helios writeup and compare.

I will do some philosophizing (such as just how wise it is to go into technical detail when the author doesn't understand the tech his own self... did Roddenberry understand the process behind the Phaser?), but for the most part it'll be straight fact and engineering.