Mars Frontier Novel - New web location

RobS · 2005-02-09 00:07:04

I have thought about saying more about illnesses but I am not a physician and therefore have avoided medically complex situations. I do have a child with Downs Syndrome, but she has disappeared and has not been an active part of the story. Some of the medical conditions I mention are ones my family or friends have encountered.

I am also uncertain what to say about cancer. There is a new study that suggests that exposure to Martian levels of radiation will REDUCE cancer exposure, because the immune system is stimulated to be more sensitive to detecting and repairing cell damage or destroying the damaged cells.

Rik, I could post the whole thing, sure. I decided to roll it our chapter by chapter and thus I posted it that way. But my master copy in Word is the entire volume. I could pdf the entire volume and upload it in about fifteen minutes. Shall I do that?

-- RobS

P.S.; I'll try to get up more chapters tomorrow.

More PSs: Ian, sure, give me information and I'll add it. In case you allwere wondering when and how this saga would ever end, I think it will draw to a close in volume 14 or 15 (I am now finishing up 13). I won't give away any details right now!

Rxke · 2005-02-09 00:34:52

No! not the *whole* story in one go, but only finished volumes...

But if it's too much of a hassle, don't bother.

Ian Flint · 2005-02-09 14:32:12

You know, since I'm working on my own Mars novel, I had better not sabotage it. You already have so many good ideas, it's going to be hard not to steal them. So, I'll just hang onto mine.

By the way, I've got my own idea for a twist in the old radiation problem -- too little radiation.

RobS · 2005-02-11 22:42:54

Ian, I'd love to see your novel when it's ready. Rik, I'd pdf each volume and put them up separately. Maybe I can do volume 1 as a test case over the weekend.

I had a flurry of editing today because it helped me avoid an office task I have to get done and don't want to! Anyway, now I have to do office work part of the weekend; but SEVEN more chapters are ready and upon the website! Volume 8 now has only 2 more to go.

-- RobS

P.S.: In volume 7 I coined terms for the periods of wetter and drier climates on Mars. I didn't like them, so I switched from classical Greek to Latin. Now a period of Martian climate with a high axial tilt, loss of the permanent polar caps, and extensively snow and ice on the equator is an "estival" (from the Latin word for summer) and conversely when Mars has a vertical axis of rotation with almost no axial inclination and the polar caps get thick, Mars enters a hibernal. The in between times--such as right now on Mars--would be a "vernal."

Rxke · 2005-02-12 01:45:24

I like the names. Verily so.
Probably, because I'm European, and live in a bilingual country (Dutch and French,) the olde Latin must stir some memories, or something.

And... Ooooh! .pdf! Goody, I've come to love that format, as a rabid Word-loather, heehee.

Ian Flint · 2005-02-14 21:46:23

Oh Rob, you crack me up! :laugh:
Is everybody on Mars going to become Bahai?
I'm sure it's a fine religion, but two converts in one volume? :laugh:
So, when is the Bahai religion going to sponsor an astronaut, or an entire crew for that matter?

Anyway, about your silane engines in the Sunwing E; as far as I understand, when silane burns in CO2 it makes silica (SiO2) among other things. Basically, silica is sand. From your description in chapter 12, it sounds like to run the propellers you're using silane in an internal combustion engine -- which sand would ruin pretty quickly. Is this what you meant?

From earlier chapters I thought you had silane rockets on the Sunwings. Did you change things up?

RobS · 2005-02-14 21:58:56

Don't worry, the Baha'is will never get to be more than 3 or 4% of the total population up there. In future volumes I have Mormons arriving, a Zen monastery, a strange Nigerian Christian group, a nature religion, Shi'ites, and Wahhabis. Then a Catholic priest who wants to convert everyone also arrives. The place gets lively! But no one gets nasty.

I should add that there has already been one American astronaut who was a Baha'i, and in addition to me, there is at least one other Baha'i with a graduate degree in planetary science. So statistically we seem to be doing better than one might think.

I am assuming that silane will have to be used in external combustion engines, rather like coal in steam engines, or in some other engine that can take corrosion by silica particles or silica buildup. It may be that a turbine engine could be designed to handle silica waste; they'd have to be scraped clean periodically, though. Possibly thr spinning blades would be self cleaning, but they'd have to be made of a pretty tough alloy.

I should make that clearer.

-- RobS

RobS · 2005-02-14 23:23:25

I just got chapters 15 and 16--the last two of volume 8--up on the website. And now I'll write the closing scene of volume 13 before going to bed!

-- RobS

Ian Flint · 2005-03-03 11:24:35

tsk...tsk...

What are we going to do with you Rob? You're thiiiiiiis close to getting fired!

:;):

RobS · 2005-03-04 23:31:21

Sorry, I have three chapters of volume 9 just about ready, but volume 14 has been so much fun to write I haven't been able to stop it to go back to volume 9. This weekend, I promise.

I didn't know anyone was noticing. . . .

-- RobS

Ian Flint · 2005-03-05 06:51:51

I didn't know anyone was noticing. . . .

I can't get enough!
It's torture the way you taunt us saying you're on Volume 14, but you've only given us up to Volume 8.
But hey, no pressure.
<Flint slowly retrieves a cattle prod from the sinister-looking black case...>

RobS · 2005-03-06 07:43:26

Here are chapters 1-5 of volume 9!

http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/9/index.ht … /index.htm

It's a short volume; only nine chapters. I'll try to get the rest up in the next few days.

-- RobS

RobS · 2005-03-09 00:16:14

I just added chapters 6 through 9, so the entire volume is now up!

-- RobS

Ian Flint · 2005-03-28 11:50:44

I finished this volume days ago but forgot to comment. I'm lovin' it. Got anything new?

RobS · 2005-03-28 18:44:23

Sorry; I've been immersed in writing volume 14, which is getting interesting. I'll try to get some of volume 10 up, maybe tomorrow (not tonight; I have to write more of 14).

How's your novel? I assume you got my comments, and I hope they were useful?

-- RobS

P.S.: This is posting 999! I'm almost at 1,000!

Ian Flint · 2005-03-29 11:20:36

How's your novel? I assume you got my comments, and I hope they were useful?

I haven't worked on it much. I've got too many school projects to work on right now. This summer I'll hit it harder.

RobS · 2005-04-11 18:40:42

I FINALLY got chapters 1 through 3 of volume 10 posted to my website! Go to

http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/10/index.h … /index.htm

To read them. I'll try to get a bunch more posted in the next few days. I finished volume 14 and have started on volume 15, which may be the last volume of this never-ending saga.

-- RobS

RobS · 2005-04-16 00:36:47

I've now added chapters 4 and 5. They seem pretty interesting, if you are curious about day-to-day (sol-to-sol) life on Mars.

-- RobS

Ian Flint · 2005-04-23 10:15:19

Still reading...

Everyone still sounds like an ultra-nerd, but here I am reading it. So what does that say about me?

RobS · 2005-05-09 01:09:18

I FINALLY got chapters 6 and 7 up; sorry for the delay. Writing volume 15 has been too much fun! It's amazing how long it takes to proofread and edit a chapter or two, also.

-- RobS

RobS · 2005-05-12 23:01:06

I've updated chapter 7 and added chapter 8 to the website. I'm trying to post chapters one at a time to keep things moving.

-- RobS

RobS · 2005-05-31 23:21:35

It's been a long time--three weeks--but I finally have updated the content of volume 10 and posted two more chapters. Is anyone still reading? it'sgetting rather long. Don't worry, the story will end soon; I think!

-- RobS

Rxke · 2005-06-01 11:08:31

Around next week i'll finally have time to read up on it

(but i think i'll first download every chapter and glue them together in one file, then print it out, have spent too much time behind a screen already)

RobS · 2005-06-01 22:32:42

Rik, which volume do you want as a single pdf? I can make that in a few minutes, I think, and email it to you. I should have your email somewhere.

-- Rob

RobS · 2005-06-04 13:59:44

By the way, all of volume 10 is now available on the website.

-- RobS

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Re: Mars Frontier Novel - New web location

#152 2005-02-09 00:34:52

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#153 2005-02-09 14:32:12

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#154 2005-02-11 22:42:54

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#155 2005-02-12 01:45:24

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#156 2005-02-14 21:46:23

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#157 2005-02-14 21:58:56

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#158 2005-02-14 23:23:25

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#159 2005-03-03 11:24:35

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#160 2005-03-04 23:31:21

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#161 2005-03-05 06:51:51

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#162 2005-03-06 07:43:26

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#163 2005-03-09 00:16:14

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#164 2005-03-28 11:50:44

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#165 2005-03-28 18:44:23

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#166 2005-03-29 11:20:36

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#167 2005-04-11 18:40:42

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#168 2005-04-16 00:36:47

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#169 2005-04-23 10:15:19

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#170 2005-05-09 01:09:18

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#174 2005-06-01 22:32:42

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