I've read it three times now and I'm planning on reading it a fourth time soon. I've also been in contact with the author, trying to talk him into doing something like "The Elements" on the iPad - love to see his 3D models and be able to spin them around at a touch!

I could see some kind of laser-telemetry relayed from a satellite to the tail end of the rod. That would be interesting.

Cool stuff. If any of you are interested in other alternative lunar landing schemes, check out the book by Robert Godwin, "The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook: A Pictorial History of Lunar Vehicles." It's on Amazon. Great book - tons of cool blueprints, schematics, sketches and 3D model renderings. Fun read and a great…

I love the space war scenes that David Weber describes in all of his series. There's just something about the way he writes that brings the sheer amount of destruction and immense sense of scale to vivid life for me. This compendium sounds great - I'll have to add it to my reading list. Thanks for the heads-up!

Not sure where you got your information, but this suit is most definitely not a "gimmick." Is it still a prototype? Yup. Is it currently ready for use? No. Is it a "gimmick?" NO. Geez.

Wow. Not sure where you got your information, but this suit is most definitely not a "gimmick." That's also an amazingly sexist take on Dr. Newman.

I know one alternative that was seriously investigated was the arsenal ship. It was basically a ginormous vessel that had something like 250-500 vertical launch cells for cruise missiles. If I recall correctly, the crew complement was very small, with a lot of automation. The cost of one of these things would be way…

It dissolved after about half an hour, as I recall from the comics.

If everyone else has already pointed this out, my apologies. It should be "tensile strength." "Tinsel" is the silvery stuff you throw on the Christmas tree (or in your sibling's hair - either works.)

A FAE in the 200-500 kiloton range? That seems a little over-stated. Does anyone else have more info on this? The Hiroshima atom bomb was around 10-12 kilotons, I believe.

Flexible laser cannon turrets. They'll "Glow With The Flow."

You're very right. Excellent point.

You just managed to put down in words my own reaction. Thank you. :)

I like the ones where the astronaut is on the Victorian-era beaches. Those and the snail & rhino.

I hear you, Chip. May sound trite, but you have control over how the rest of your life is spent. I'm telling myself the very same thing. Glad there have been and still are people like Sally Ride, Dennis Ritchie and Steve Jobs among so many, many others to remind us of what it's like to do something that can make a…

I actually prefer the suit that Professor Dava Newman at M.I.T. has designed, the BioSuit.

Drat. This actually sounded pretty promising. Oh, well ... maybe another company will be able to perfect it.

Neat. I like the "Leslie Charteris" cover ... I read several of his "The Saint" books, way back when.

I'll have to now, thanks! :)

Interesting premise. Sounds like one to keep an eye on.