Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel the universe? How would Saturn’s rings look from a spaceship sailing just above them? If you were falling into a black hole, what’s the last thing you’d see before getting spaghettified? While traveling in person to most of these amazing worlds may not be possible – yet – the would-be space traveler need not despair: you can still take the scenic route through the galaxy in Under Alien Skies, with renowned astronomer and science communicator Philip Plait, author of Bad Astronomy.
But you may just want to hold off from buying his new book, Under Alien Skies, for now, because by the author’s own admission, the hardback edition has a couple of factual errors he’s corrected for its paperback edition, out next May, spotted during recording the audio edition… much to Philip’s frustration.
Under Alien Skies offers a lively, immersive adventure through the cosmos, Plait draws ingeniously on both the latest scientific research and his prodigious imagination to transport you to ten of the most spectacular sights outer space has to offer.
In vivid, inventive scenes informed by rigorous science – injected with a dose of Plait’s trademark humour – Under Alien Skies places you on the surface of alien worlds, from our own familiar Moon to the far reaches of our solar system and beyond. Try launching yourself onto a two-hundred-metre asteroid, or stargazing from the rim of an ancient volcano on a planet where, from the place you stand, it is eternally late afternoon. Experience the sudden onset of lunar nightfall, the disorientation of walking – or, rather, shuffling – when you weigh almost nothing, the irritation of jagged regolith dust. Glimpse the frigid mountains and plains of Pluto and the cake-like exterior of a comet called 67P. On a planet trillions of miles from Earth, glance down to see the strange, beautiful shadows cast by a hundred thousand stars.
For the aspiring extraterrestrial citizen, casual space tourist, or curious armchair traveler, Plait offers an illuminating, always-entertaining guide to the most otherworldly views in our universe.
Writing on his own “Bad Astronomy” Substack this week, the author notes he made a couple of irritating mistakes in his text, despite his own careful editing and that of others, and explains the more complicated process than expected way he’s correcting the paperback edition.
For authors who’ve experienced such issues themselves, it’s an interesting and entertaining read in itself. I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences.
But given it exposes issues to this first hardback edition of Under Alien Skies, which definitely sounds like a book I’d buy, do I now wait for the amended paperback or order the hardback and stick a copy of Philip’s Substack post inside?
Hardly an important dilemma, but the way my brain works, this might bug me today…
Philip Plait is an astronomer, author, writer, and science communicator – “even an evangeliser, if I may!,” he says. “I love science in general and astronomy in particular, and my goal is to get people as excited and passionate about them as I am. I try to write my books to be informative, interesting, and most of all fun. Yes, even the one (Death from the Skies!) about cosmic apocalyses.”
• Under Alien Skies – the hardback edition – is available to preorder here (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
• Follow Philip Plait on Substack
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Books, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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