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The human colony on the planet Argo has long explored and exploited the technology left behind by an extinct alien race. But then an archaeology team accidentally activates a terrible weapon...
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Praise for Star Dragon

"Seldom does a storytelling talent come along as potent and fully mature as Mike Brotherton. His complex characters take you on a voyage that is both fiercely credible and astonishingly imaginative. This is Science Fiction."
-- David Brin

"Star Dragon is terrific fare, offering readers a fusion of hard science and grand adventure."
-- Locus Magazine

"Star Dragon is steeped in cosmology, the physics of interstellar travel, exobiology, artificial intelligence, bioscience. Brotherton, author of many scientific articles in refereed journals, has written a dramatic, provocative, utterly convincing hard science sf novel that includes an ironic twist that fans will love."
-- Booklist starred review

"Readers hungry for the thought-provoking extrapolation and rigorous technical detail of old-fashioned hard SF are sure to enjoy astronomer Brotherton's first novel."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Mike Brotherton, himself a trained astrophysicist, combines the technical acuity and ingenuity of Robert Forward with the ironic, postmodern stance and style of M. John Harrison. In this, his debut novel, those twin talents unite to produce a work that is involving on any number of levels. It's just about all you could ask for in a hardcore SF adventure."
-- Paul di Fillippo, SCI-FI.COM
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The Ten Best “Silly” Science Fiction Movies

September 10th, 2009

I’m not really sure how to categorize these films except as “silly,” but they’re all very good and quite fun. Some are comedies, but others are action films. The science is usually wrong or non-existent, but it’s clear from context that this is not an important point and that’s fine, even by me! I really love many of these very much. Armageddon could arguably slip into this category, but I can’t put that film on any top ten list of any kind…

So, in no particular order:

1. Galaxy Quest. This movie is just a lot of fun, fantasy wish fulfillment.

2. Back to the Future. This is a fine, fun film. The science makes no sense whatsoever, but it’s perfect for what it is. And Marty McFly knows little about physics…

3. Flash Gordon. Goofy, over-the-top fun, from the football fight to the bore worms.

4. The Fifth Element. Chris Tucker’s bit here is as memorably silly as Lelu is cute.

5. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. Laugh it up, Monkey-Boy!

6. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Whoa!

7. Men in Black. Old and busted? Not in my book.

8. Earth Girls Are Easy. Jim Carrey’s tongue and the “love touch” make this one goofy indeed.

9. Star Trek (the reboot). Kirk’s inflated body, hiding under the bed, Scotty being beamed into a water tube…there was a lot of silliness in this version you’d never have seen on the original series. And not very good science. Enough silliness to make the list! And here’s the Superbowl commercial…this is our Star Trek?