Skylife: Space Habitats in Story and Science
Will we ever colonize space, and if we do will our settlements be more  like EPCOT Center or a trailer park?Skylife: Space Habitats in Story and  Sciencetakes a broad-ranging look at space colonies through the eyes of  some of this century's greatest science fiction writers. Edited by Gregory  Benford and George Zebrowski, the volume is largely optimistic, even given the  writers' urgent need to pose problems for their characters. Arthur C. Clarke's  1957 story "The Other Side of the Sky" contains nearly every important element  of today's (and tomorrow's) space program: communications satellites, space  shuttles, and orbital stations. David Brin's "Tank Farm," as grim and bleak as  its title, still offers hope against the technological and psychological  barriers to space travel. Thirteen other pieces, including one each by the  editors and nonfiction by Larry Niven and Isaac Asimov, round out a collection  spanning 60 years of forward thinking. The editors' introduction is an  absorbing, concise history of the collusion between scientists and authors to  imagine and promote space colonization, from Jonathan Swift to Gerard O'Neill  and Freeman Dyson. Seven full-color plates illustrate conceptions of our future  extraterrestrial life that are alternately high-tech and idyllic. As the space  program returns to public prominence, we would do well to consider the words of  those who have already thought deeply about how we can best adapt to space.--Rob Lightner