Author Jeffrey A. Carver writes to tell us about Diamonds in the Sky, “a new collection of science fiction stories, each related to a specific theme in astronomy.” The online anthology, edited by Mike Brotherton, was sponsored by a National Science Foundation grant, and it’s available for free at www.mikebrotherton.com/diamonds.
Brotherton writes, “The purpose of the anthology is to provide stories with ample and accurate astronomy spanning a range of topics covered in introductory courses. Instructors in high school and college may these stories useful, as some students may learn concepts more easily through story than from lecture. Fans of science fiction with good science should also enjoy these stories.”
Each of the stories is presented with notes as to which specific scientific topics it discusses. Some of the stories are reprints, and some have print publication coming in the future. Contents of the anthology (all of which are currently available for free, and Brotherton says downloadable versions may soon be available) are:
“In the Autumn of Empire” by Jerry Oltion (topics: the seasons; misconceptions)
“End of the World” by Alma Alexander (evolution of the Sun)
“The Freshman Hookup” by Wil McCarthy (stellar nucleosynthesis)
“Galactic Stress” by David Levine (scales of the universe)
“The Moon is a Harsh Pig” by Jerry Weinberg (phases of the Moon; misconceptions)
“The Point” by Mike Brotherton (cosmology)
“Squish” by Dan Hoyt (the Solar System)
“Jaiden’s Weaver” by Mary Robinette Kowal (planetary rings)
“How I Saved the World” by Valentin Ivanov (killer asteroids)
“Dog Star” by Jeffrey A. Carver (dark energy)
“The Touch” by G. David Nordley (supernova)
“Planet Killer” by Kevin Grazier and Ges Segar
“The Listening-Glass” by Alexis Glynn Latner (radio astornomy, the Moon)
“Approaching Perimelasma” by Geoffrey A. Landis (black holes)