Blogs

Michael Saler, writing in The Times Literary Supplement:

At first glance, this sad episode of censorship and paranoia seems to coincide with the chilling climate fostered by McCarthyism. There were clear overlaps: the panic was promoted by Dr Fredric Wertham who, like Joseph McCarthy, found a cause that would bring him the national attention he craved. Wertham’s scientific credentials in psychiatry seemed to legitimate his specious claim that comic books caused juvenile delinquency, and made oracular his pronouncement that “Hitler was a beginner compared to the comic book industry”. His Seduction of the Innocent (1954) led parents to believe that Superman promoted Fascism, Batman and Robin homosexuality, and Wonder Woman sadomasochism. (Wertham wasn’t entirely wrong about the last: Wonder Woman enjoyed using her “golden lasso” and “bracelets of submission” on villains; her creator, William Moulton Marston, claimed she “satisfies the subconscious, elaborately disguised desire of males to be mastered by a woman who loves them”.) Politicians, such as Senator Estes Kefauver, joined Wertham in order to advance their careers.

(Via Bruce Sterling's blog.)

After having examined several technologies for their use in stories and/or real world practicality and/or operability, and having been involved with this group in various capacities for months, it seemed like it might be a good idea to post my comments here as a blog. I will endeavor to post at least once a week with a technological question - propulsion systems, new schemes for sending things to orbit and beyond, applicability of new/cutting edge/bleeding edge technologies, and more. The posts will not be limited to my own opinions, but will include links to the analyses of others whenever possible. Ideas for posts will come from news sites and technology blogs, such as Engadget and Gizmodo. I promise I'll try to prevent the writing from getting boring or too full of jargon. If you have a question about a particular technology, send it to me with