Beam Me Up 485 now online

Beam Me Up episode 485 is now online.

Two stories are available this episode.

The first is by a new author to BMU  To Watch the Storms by J.D. Byrnes.

And  Johnny's Last Affair by Doug Hilton.

The blog address is www.beammeuppodcast.com

Stories that Changed the Science Fiction Landscape

Listener Nelson sent me a fascinating web address that posits the 17 books that could have changed the science fiction landscape.

For me, I began reading SF in the early 70s, so the titles that really lit a fire under me were tomes like:

Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delaney - so few people read this powerful work by Delaney which deftly bent reality.... 

Foundation by Isaac Asimov - started me down the Asimov SF super highway which turned out to be a three book series.

c  

Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison - I still get flash backs from many of the stories from this and other stories in this volume and follow on volumes.

Dune by Frank Herbert - what else needs saying than just the powerful title. So many works today can pay homage to the ground breaking series of Frank Herbert's Dune.

Check out this article that references some of the most powerful stories in science fiction.                      HERE                                       

Beam Me Up Episode 474 now onlone

Episode 474 came together this week without much of a problem.

I start with a cut to give me a few moments to get organized.  Next I travel over to the Beam Me Up blog wrfrbeameup.blogspot.com.

First on the agenda is the loss of the ESA's Schiaparelli lander.   Next SyFy has picked up Van Helsing with an order for 13 new episodes. 

Hubble continues to do phenomenal science.   SyFy has pushed back Star Trek Discovery.

Rosetta considered successful.  

Musk still thinks Mars colonization viable. 

Osirus Rex mission still go. 

Dave Scholes The Real Dream World is our story of the afternoon. 

Podcast 474 HERE

Enjoy

Beam Me Up Episode 473 is online

Welcome to episode 473 of Beam Me Up.

This week is a David Scholes episode.

I open with David's Feeding Time, Then from the blog a review of the latest Captain America movie, troubles with China's space station, a possible SETI class radio signal plus others. 

The closing story is Not So Brave New World. Plus other odds and ends I hope you enjoy. 

To listen to the program, please click HERE

BMU Episode 465

Episode 465

This week I have two stories.

Opening Doors by Sean Mulroy and Handyman by Frank Banta.

 I start with Elton John's Rocketman, then head over for a few articles from the blog.

Astronomers have observed the most luminous galaxies in the universe. 10 bil 4 after big bang. Bigelow spacecraft module. Supergirl still has not been reserved. The Batman / Joker animation "The Killing Joke" is due out this summer and The Justice League vs Tean Titans is available as of this publication. Finally Adam Nemoy "For the Love of Spock" has released a trailer. Adam raised over 600 thousand dollars towards the final project. No time line yet, but I can not imagine it being too far out there.

Thanks to Mebbles for the update!

Here is the direct link to the program.   Press Here

Episode 435 of BMU now Online

After my opening for this week's episode (435) I spend a moment memorializing Jason Kahn who passed away 12/16/14 after a long illness.

Next - the first story of the afternoon is Venus or Bust pt2 by Alec Jones

From the Blog  wrfrbeameup.blogspot.com

A fake tweet from NASA and a planetary alignment might make you feel lighter?

2015 is an auspicious year for Back to the Future, how much did they get right and how much was plain misses.

Some people have way too much time on their hands and way too many legos!

SpaceX is another step closer to crew transport.

Finally this episode ends with part two of Margaret Karmazin's Sound Effects.

Enjoy!

The program can be listened to or downloaded from Here  
or  the podcast  beammeuppodcast.com

BMU 431 is now online

Episode 431
I open with are review of the science fiction movie Snow Piercer I also note that Chris Hadfield's version of David Bowie's Space

Oddity is back on YouTube thanks to the man himself!

First story of the weekend is Episode 30 of the Dark Inspectre Jason Kahn.

From the BMU log:
You can win a ride into space for free!  Most stars may not be in a home galaxy...  The ISS almost had a close encounter with some space trash.  How about an astronomy first?  The first ever pictures of a proto, planetary system.  And the universe may have started out of nothing?

Final Story  Wizard's Bane ch5 pt1 by CrystalWizard

That's it!  Enjoy

BMU # 429 is now online with the Halloween themed program

Well this is episode 429 of Beam Me Up and being that it is the last program of this October, I am going for our annual Halloween show.

The first item presented is a great piece of music from none other than the vocal group Manhattan Transfer doing Twilight Zone.  Nope, not that one by Golden Earring but one more closely attuned to the TV show of the same name.

Next a very unusual and wonderful short tale from Deborah Walker that combines a rural church in the English country side and quantum mechanics!


Colin Davies has graciously let me play Happy Halloween again.  This is a crystalWizard production and between the two of them, they turn out a great story.

BMU # 415 Kickass House - Scholes + Wizard's Bane - Crystalwizard

Crystalwizard  
                      D.  Scholes

                                                                                                                                  

Welcome to Beam Me Up episode 415.                                                                

After my opening comments I play a piece of John Anealio's work called Steam Punk Girl which has been used as the music bed for a animated music video of the same name.  It's a very clever video.

From there I jump right into the first story of the afternoon with Crystalwizard's book Wizard's Bane - chapter 2 - part 1

Next I look to the blog for news like a simple and cheap antibiotic may be a huge boon to infectious diseases, or a possible break through in understanding the causes of Downs Syndrome - and a possible way to prevent cancer.

The balance of the afternoon is David Scholes' second story in the Human Hunter series - Human Hunter:The Kickass House.

That's it! I hope you enjoy this episode.

BMU 414 Now Online

I play a piece of music from anime series shortly after my opening monologue.

The first piece of short fiction comes from the pen of Muzz called Quest which is one of the most twisted pieces I have read for some time.

From the Beam Me Up blog  Airbus has a patent for a windowless cocpit for future planes.

Researchers are working on a device that could help will a variety of brain damage syndromes.

Dave Scholes is offering his newest collection of short stories called Daughter of the High Lords on Amazon.

I review the newest Robocop remake.

CrystalWizard has let me read her newest series called  Sojourn Chronicle and we will be having all 6 books!  I start this week with book 1 chapter 1 part 1.  The Chronicle is good speculative fiction not only pure sci-fi but neither is is fantasy.

That does it for this week.  Enjoy

BMU Episode 412 now online

After my opening observations I play the closing theme for the anime series called Red Data girl. 
I then play a short story by CrystalWizard called Best Laid Plans. 

I ran this story back in April of 09, its' every bit as good today.

From the blog - Musk of SpaceX and Tesla motors has some concerns on AI  Deep Mind and Vicarious are two businesses that Musk uses to keep an eye on the emerging artificial inteligence field.

A grea Fall by Phil Temples is a story that takes a well known tale and retells it as a mystery....Enjoy

BMU #403 Now Online Mad World - Dean Giles + Happy Ending - Jim Kelly

Welcome to BMU episode 403.

After my opening comments I start by playing the opening music to the great anime series East of Eden.

Then from the Beam Me Up Blog:

Twins in Space! or what does a 16 year old genius do in his spare time...why he builds prosthetic devices that's what!  Marty McFly's board possible?

Next part one of Dean Giles "Mad World"

Outer Space smells like a barbecue?  And how about some Star Trek trivia?

Then the story "Happy Ending"  by James Kelly

That the show.  How you enjoy

Paul

BMU 401 is now online

Beam Me Up episode 401 is now online!  

First off, I should apologize.  There is a bit of static at the beginning as I recorded this episode off air....

So...after my opening remarks and a short musical interlude, I head over to the Beam Me Up blog for a few articles about a new British SF due out soon, called the Machine.  Fossils of possibly the largest land going carnivore. NASA has plans for a future visit to Jupiter's moon Europa.  I talk about a short that I have on the blog of some of the behind the scenes on the set of the award winning "Gravity".

Finally a flash from the past with a librivox reading of James Blish's short story "One Shot"

It's a quick hour, thanks for listening.

BMU episode 372 Now Online

I open the program this week with a short tribute to one of the masters of science fiction / horror Richard Matheson who pass away recently. Some of my earliest memories in the field were Matheson creations. After an anime musical interlude and news on the Supreme Court ruling on patenting genes. The first story of the afternoon is part two of In The Mourning pt2 by Edward McKeown. From the BMU blog: Data from Voyager 1 is posed to truly enter interstellar space. Researchers question NASA’s spacecraft sterilization procedures. Researchers may have found a way to make a working deflector shield. And inventors have developed a flying bike…Really! The closing story David Scholes’ story Trath: Return of the Quellers.

Doug Hilton's New Site

Author Hilton wrote to tell me that he has collected all his stories and moved them to his new web site.   Now if you enjoy Doug's writing as I do, this is a boon.

If you're interested, go to WWW.DOUG.BE

Thanks for the heads up Doug

BMU # 367 In Plain Sight #20 - Kahn + No Great Magic #5 - Leiber

I lead off this week's episode, episode 367, by doing a short memorial for Heinrich Rohrer Father of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope.

I follow this with a new episode of in Plain Sight episode 20 from Jason Kahn. This week our detective Jack Garrett falls a bit further down the rabbit hole and finds information can come from the most unlikely of sources.

In science...I start with Earth Sky talking about the possibility of intelligent life in the Milky-Way and how we are looking for it.

Next I read the high lights of Kallamis' weekly run-down which goes from honoring Sally Ride to food replicators...

Oh and I finally have time for some Star Trek Trivia!

Fredrick Doyle also died recently. Doyle was instrumental in developing some of the most sophisticated optics and camera systems for the Apollo era moon missions as well as work for the CIA.

I review the animated feature: Rise of the Guardians

Finally I play chapter five of Fritz Leiber's No Great Magic

BMU #366 With Stories From Leiber and Daviess! Plus I review Lady Death dvd

Welcome to the eighth year of Beam Me Up!  Episode 366 is the first episode of the eighth yeah and who knows what will happen this year!

This week's program starts with former ISS commander Chris Hadfield, who among his other talents, is an accomplished musician, performs David Bowie's Major Tom while aboard the ISS.  Even Bowie himself said that it was one of the most poignant renditions of his song and the video is beautiful.  Well I can't play the video, but I do have it on the blog (you can find it on Youtube as well. 

Flash from the past again this week, I rejoin Fritz Leiber's 1960 tale, No Great Magic.  This week is chapter four.

From news this week, info on 1998 QE2, the 1.7 mile asteroid, makes it's closest pass May 31. 

From Earth Sky, where does the solar system fall in place among the stars of the Milky-Way?  How many sunsets and sun rises would you see on the moon in a month...? And scientists succeed in storing data in DNA. 

Boston Dynamics now has PETMAN!  The video is wild!  Do you remember Skylab? 

I review the animated feature Lady Death.  

I finish with Colin Davies' very inventive tale, The Fighter.

All in all, a good start to the new year.  

 

BMU #365 now Online!

Another hour that just flies by.

I play the conclusion of David Scholes Trath: The Final intervention, just to make sure that I get in them in this week.

Next from the blog and Kallimus:  Trouble with the ISS coolant again, Ray Harryhousen has passed away at 92, Neil DeGrasse-Tyson has a web site that promotes his radio program Startalk  and YouTube videos, there is a link on the wrfrbeameup.blogspot.com BMU blog.  A company has developed a bulletin board that sends two messages, one to adults and one to children in a call to help reduce child abuse.  Check out the blog for more information. 

Earth Sky articles are next, the Milky-way, asteroids, temporary moons and Earth's shadow are on tap. 

I review the live action version of Death Note. 

And finally, chapter 3 of No Great Magic by Fritz Leiber a novelette from the sixties.  

That is it!  I hop you enjoy this week's offering of Beam Me Up.

This week I start off with a new track from John Anealio called Zombinista which has a decidedly 50s or 60s zombie flick.

Next I read Kallamis' weekly run down of weekly happenings.

First it's Curiosity's return to operation. Next it is alien planets tidally locked planets orbiting red dwarf stars. In Sci-fi news the st-tng's bridge is being rebuilt. TMNT are NOT aliens it would seem! Fantastic Four reboot may be problematic?

I do a follow up on space trash. This week we learn that the Fermi space telescope was almost destroyed by space junk!

David Scholes sends in a new story in the Trathh arc. "Trathh: The Final confrontations" Due to the run time, I was only able to play the first part.

In Earth_Sky news, Cassini has returned some exciting news on Titan. Jovian Trojan asteroids are in the news this week and maybe the discovery of the worlds oldest Dinosaur records.

IBM researchers have created a film that sets the records for the smallest stop motion film.

I review the anime movie Redline which is an over the top racing movie.

Hey, have you heard about Google's Glass? The head mounted computer that Google has great hopes for.

NASA has extended their contract with Russian space services for a mind numbing...weeeeeeeeell it is half of what a stealth bomber cost...so maybe not numbing, it is just money that could have served a better purpose....like doing it ourselves..hummm?

And finally - in our flash from the past - chapter 2 of Fritz Leibers No Great Magic!

And that folks is the podcast. Yes, I know it is a bit longer than the radio program, but I wanted to add in several features, that I didn't have time for on the radio.

Episode 364 download 

BMU # 360 Now online!

After the intro, I spend a moment doing my favorite subject "did you know?" I love to pull this on people all the time.

 The first story I read this afternoon is the conclusion to Michael Blumlein's "Know How Can Do" and I know you will apriciate the ending of this story as much as I did.

Earth-Sky is winding down, but they managed to have several articles this week. Excellent article on Galaxies caught in the act of accrewing star material. The Dawn spacecraft continues to turn in good stuff as it continues to orbit the huge asteriod Vesta and finally the sun continues to build activity as evidenced by it's continued sunspots and flares.

Of course you know I have to do Star Trek Trivia! And the stuff I find out is astounding! I am coming to believe that I must have been watching another show! lol

Before the last story, I spend some time bringing everyone up to speed on the Beam Me Up Blog at wrfr.beameup.blogspot.com. This week, the Mars Rconisinse Orbiter took pictures of Curiosity when it landed but mostly what it took pics of was the heat shield, the skycrane and other items. Well the Nasa team is using the Hirise camera to take pictures of the parachute with surprising results! Next I have the list of this years Hugo Science Fiction Awards. Some good stuff there!

I finish with the most recent of the Trathh stories - Trathh - Intervention. This story is part of the Trathh series that David has been running on WRFR in Rockland Maine (WRFR.ORG) Next Month I will finish the series, but I honestly hope David will continue on with his great SF/F stories.