'Under Alien Skies' Will Fuel the Next Generation of Sci-Fi

Phil Plait, creator of the popular astronomy blog Bad Astronomy, credits his interest in outer space partly to his childhood love of science fiction movies such as Angry Red Planet and Robinson Crusoe on Mars. "I'm a huge science fiction dork," Plait says in Episode 541 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. "I've watched every TV show, just about, and movies and everything, read tons of books. In his new book, Under Alien Skies, Plait explores what various cosmic vistas would look like for a person who was physically present, studying them with ordinary human eyesight. "I open each chapter with a short vignette, basically a fictional tale," he says. So I say'You are at this planet,' 'You are standing on the bridge of your starship,' 'You are standing there watching a dust storm approach you on Mars.' Plait hopes that the book will serve as a valuable resource for filmmakers and science fiction authors looking to inject an extra dose of reality into their speculative visions. "I've actually done some consulting for movies and TV shows, and even a couple of video games," he says. "So I kind of know that process of advising writers, or other folks who are involved in the entertainment business, of what the real science is." As much as Plait enjoys seeing science fiction that incorporates real science, he recognizes that the ultimate aim of any book or movie is to tell a good story. "Even if they don't get the science correct, it's OK, because you're still inspiring people," he says. "And if they get the science right?