Monday, June 27, 2011

Book Review: Tau Zero

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Tau Zero was published by Poul Anderson in 1970, though I didn't get around to reading it, in e-book form on my iPhone, until this spring. The story follows the crew of a Bussard ramjet on the way to colonize a planet circling a nearby star. Sadly, the plan goes awry.

What I Liked
  • The scale of the story is quite grand.
  • The vision of a few dozen people hurtling through intersteller space in a small, claustrophobic ship are well realized.
  • Some implications of relativistic travel are interestingly explored.

What I Disliked
  • The characters are not well fleshed out.

The Bottom Line

Tau Zero was a very enjoyable read. I give it 8.0 out of 10.

Thursday, June 09, 2011

PR: Clean

Today I set a new personal record for the clean: 185 lb. That's 10 lb more than my PR for the clean and jerk, which I managed to tie today. I guess we know which part of the C&J is my weakness now.

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Gavin, Going Home

Here are a few shots from Gavin's fifth day, the day he went home from the hospital.