Nick Sagan Online

Galactic Watercooler Interview

nicksagan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:24:50 -0500

Recently, Ann Druyan and I did a podcast interview with Galactic Watercooler:

Ann Druyan and Nick Sagan give us a unique and heartfelt look into the origins of Cosmos and Contact — and what esteemed scientist, citizen, father, and husband Carl Sagan was really like.

Heartfelt is right as I found myself moved by this interview and I thought Annie said some particularly beautiful things.

You can check it out here.

Return of the Sagan Pumpkin

nicksagan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:37:38 -0400

Mad genius Caleb P. tops last year's Sagan Pumpkin with this gorgeous creation.

On this Halloween, the 4th anniversary of this blog, it's a weird and beautiful night here in Ithaca, New York. Very quiet, very dark. Hope you're having fun.

At The Airport Yesterday

nicksagan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:59:05 -0400

I had the good fortune to pick a line with a TSA security guard who was in an excellent mood, cheerful and friendly to everyone, which was perfect in that moment because it helped make the process of trudging through a crowded checkpoint that much less of a pain.

It's that part before you take off your shoes and get out your laptop for the security scan; it's where you show your ID and boarding pass, and they have you take off your sunglasses to make sure that you look like your picture. When I handed over my ID, she noticed the last name and asked if I was related to Carl. When I told her yes, she burst into such a smile and said, "He inspired me every day of my life."

Deeply heartfelt. Like she'd been waiting for an opportunity to convey her appreciation for how he'd expanded her perception of the universe, and here I was at the right place at the right time to accept that gift. One of the cool things about being my dad's kid is this sort of thing happens with regularity. It was a little weird once upon a time. But now it's really fun getting to glimpse the joy in someone's heart after just a few seconds of conversation.

We shared the moment and I enjoyed telling her, "Me, too." Then she gave me back my ID and we wished each other a great day.

A Glorious Dawn

nicksagan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:05:07 -0400

So, yeah, my dad put out a new music video.

John Boswell over at Colorpulse Music is a mad genius, sampling both Cosmos and Stephen Hawking's Universe series into three minutes and thirty-four seconds of pure, concentrated awesomeness:

Love it, love it, love it. Dad would have loved it, too.

Enjoying The Moment

nicksagan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:28:46 -0400

Had a great birthday. Celebrated with family and friends, and signed copies of Shrapnel: Arestia Rising over at Comics for Collectors. Met fans of Shrapnel, fans of my Idlewild trilogy and fans of the Star Trek episodes I worked on. A really good time. Felt very fortunate and enjoyed a sense of relative harmony with the universe. Existence and consciousness too often go taken for granted, but right now I'm feeling deeply appreciative.

Don't always feel that way, of course. Some days I'm down. Frustrated with the world or with myself. But it's been pretty decent lately, these past nine days since my birthday.

Hope you're doing well, too. How are things?

Len Wiseman to direct Shrapnel

nicksagan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:43:58 -0400

Radical Publishing is proud to announce that Len Wiseman, director of Live Free or Die Hard and co-creator, director and producer of the Underworld franchise has signed on to develop and direct the motion picture adaption of Radical Publishing’s Shrapnel.

Co-created by Zombie Studios’ CEO Mark Long and science fiction novelist Nick Sagan, Shrapnel is an epic 3-part miniseries that unfolds in a dystopian future in which imperialism has laid siege to the Solar System and Venus stands as the last free colony of humanity. Caught in the middle of this interplanetary war is Vijaya “Sam” Narayan, a soldier in self-imposed exile recovering from her service in the military. When the battle once again crashes into Sam’s life, she must choose to either remain on the sidelines and watch a colony’s destruction, or risk her physical and psychological well-being to intervene. The first story arc revolves around Venus, while the second arc rages across Mars and the final climax carries over onto Earth itself.

“I’m really drawn to the reluctant-hero story.” said Wiseman, who noted that the last hero he directed, John McClaine in Live Free or Die Hard, fit that archetypal mold.

“Shrapnel is a story about making choices and rising to the occasion.” stated Radical’s President and Publisher Barry Levine. “I enjoyed it so much that I made this Radical’s biggest commitment to date. Len was my top choice for adapting this perfect balance of action and drama and I’m glad to have him on board.”

Developed as a live action film with possible 3-D approach, Shrapnel will be produced by Barry Levine, Len Wiseman and Mark Gordon with Radical’s Executive Vice-President Jesse Berger, Mark Long and Josh McLaughlin of Gordon Co. attached as executive producers. A video game version of Shrapnel, developed by Zombie Studios, is set for release in the near future.

Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising Trade Paperback, which collects the first miniseries of the Shrapnel universe, goes on sale August 19th.

Very excited about this. And so proud of the team that's worked so hard to bring us to this point.

Idlewild Fan Art

nicksagan — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:48:45 -0400

One of the things I love about writing is how words can inspire the artwork of others. Here's Halloween on the run from a Smiley, with art by Amanda Jordan.

Run, Hal, run!

Shrapnel Signing

nicksagan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:15:51 -0400

From left to right: me, Mark Long and Zack Sherman.

San Diego Comic-Con

nicksagan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:36:25 -0400

Don't hold me to this, but I think it's possible I let this whole blogging thing get away from me for a day or two. And by "a day or two," I might just mean seven months. Yeesh.

So how's 2009 been treating you?

Over here, it's been a blur of writing and moving and dodging wild animals that appear out of nowhere and more about all that in the days ahead, but first I'd like to invite those of you who are attending Comic-Con this year to come swing by and say hello!

Two signings are set for Team Shrapnel: Arestia Rising. Thursday from 5-6 pm is the first and then it's Sunday from 12:30-1:30 pm. I'll be the one there who isn't Mark Long, Zack Sherman or Tae Young Choi.

You can also find me, Mark and Zack taking part in the Radical Publishing Creators Panel (hosted by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News) Friday from 12-1 pm in Room 4.

Should be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.

Carl Sagan 2008

nicksagan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:13:51 -0500

December 20th is here again--it's now been a dozen years since my father passed. There are two things I'd like to share with you today:

First, is this wonderful cartoon adaptation of last year's blog entry, created by the very talented Greg Williams for the Tampa Tribune.

Blogjam frequently takes real people's stories and makes cartoons out of them--there are a number of fun ones, well worth checking out.

Second, I'm enormously proud to help spread the word about the Carl Sagan Exoplanet Fellowships. NASA has created this program in my father's name to "inspire the next generation of explorers seeking to learn more about planets, and possibly life, around other stars." Dad absolutely would have loved this--it would have meant so much to him.

Click here (or go to http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov and click on video #1) for a video of John Morse, Bill Nye, and Neil deGrasse Tyson discussing the significance of these fellowships.

Ann Druyan writes movingly about NASA's decision in her most recent blog entry at the Carl Sagan Portal. An excerpt:

NASA's science-driven mission portfolio, its cultivation of young talent to pursue cutting-edge research, and the decision to commit its genius to a question of transcendent cultural significance, would have thrilled Carl.

That this knowledge will be pursued in his name, as he joins Einstein and Hubble to form a triumvirate of the leading lights of 20^th century astronomy, is a source of infinite pride to our family. It signifies that Carl’s passion to engage us all in the scientific experience, his daring curiosity and urgent concern for life on this planet, no longer eclipse his scientific achievements.
The NASA/JPL site records 333 new worlds discovered as of this moment... and counting. We are poised on the brink of cosmic citizenship, on coming to know something of the other planets in our galactic community.

There's so much of outer space we've yet to explore, and I carry with me my dad's excitement about the prospect of a new generation of scientists dedicating themselves to the discovery of unknown worlds.

The Future of Science Fiction

nicksagan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:14:28 -0500

New Scientist magazine recently asked authors to weigh in on the future of science fiction. Margaret Atwood, Stephen Baxter, William Gibson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Kim Stanley Robinson and I all got the call.

It's an honor and a thrill, and also a profoundly humbling experience, to have been invited to take part in this, with my opinions included among those of five hugely influential SF luminaries.

Award-winning writer Marcus Chown kicks off the discussion with the provocative and provocatively-titled article, Is Science Fiction Dying? Highly recommended--you can read it here.

Our thoughts on the subject:

Margaret Atwood
Stephen Baxter
William Gibson
Ursula K. Le Guin
Kim Stanley Robinson
Nick Sagan

Post-Election Thoughts

nicksagan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:12:40 -0500

Well, it's two and a half weeks later, and I have to admit I'm still in shock that the election went as well as it did. President Elect Barack Obama now gets to inherit a very difficult (some would say daunting) set of challenges, but if he governs with the same degree of skill he demonstrated in the course of this campaign, he should be able to do a heck of a lot of good. We seem to have the right people in the right place at the right time, so I'm hopeful about the direction of the country.

The Republicans deserved to lose this election, but as the Democrats are by no means infallible, I'd like to see that party eventually find its way again (8 years? 16? How long until voters forget about George W. Bush?), so it can offer a viable alternative. I'm no fan of the Palin wing of today's GOP, but I'm even less of a fan of a one party system, so I'm rooting for something akin to Eisenhower Republicans to eventually emerge as the ones in charge of that side of the aisle.

Meanwhile, Prop 8 was a disappointing if instructive pulse taking on where the country is. Still more work to be done. I've always been a little skeptical of marriage as an institution, but if two adult, consensual human beings want to commemorate their love with a ceremony, I don't see how it's any business of mine. And if the government wants to give benefits and advantages to married couples, I don't see why sexual orientation should be a factor.

Anyway, enough politics for now. Back to the whiz bang sci-fi future stuff in my next posts.

Barack Obama for President

nicksagan — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:58:51 -0500

In a moving op-ed piece back in January, Caroline Kennedy wrote:

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

I hear you, Caroline. Barack Obama reminds me of my dad, too.

The similarity goes beyond the phenomenal ability these men have to express their ideas in a meaningful way, to reach people, inspire them, motivate them: when I hear Barack Obama speak, I recognize the same deeply passionate intellectual curiosity, the same profound respect for science (it's hard to imagine Obama trying to score political points by disparaging planetariums or fruit fly research), and the same fundamental belief in the deliberate, self-critical humility that drives scientific methodology, what Seed Magazine eloquently describes as "evidence-based decision-making."

My dad wrote:

In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know, that's a really good argument, my position is mistaken," and then they actually change their minds, and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics."

I don't know if anyone has the power to transform American politics to the point that the ideology and egos of those who govern us (on both sides of the aisle) will be checked in favor of getting the best practical results for the most people, but if anyone can do this, it's Barack Obama. He's the kind of leader who listens carefully to all points of view, and despite the smears the opposition has leveled against him, his basic decency shines through, which makes him the best shot we've had at this in a very long time.

I've spent the past few days with friends and family making GOTV calls for the Obama campaign--I've spoken with people in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Missouri--and urged them to vote on Tuesday. Most of those I've spoken with are passionate Obama supporters, male and female, young and old, black, white, Latino, Asian. They've told me how disheartened they've become with the direction of the country over these past eight years, they've told me their personal stories, they've thanked me for volunteering to help get out the vote. This country wants a change for the better. Needs it. I think we have it in Barack Obama.

Whatever your political beliefs are, please brave those long lines and vote tomorrow. It's your government. Make your voice heard.

Sagan Pumpkin

nicksagan — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:59:00 -0400

Best. Pumpkin. Ever.

Sent in by super talented digital lighting and effects artist Caleb P.

Halloween 2008

nicksagan — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:59:00 -0400

Traditionally, the night of the year when the border between the land of the living and the land of the dead is at its weakest. Ever since childhood, the idea of that border thinning has captured my imagination. It feels like possibility. A time when anything can happen.

We're four days away from the election. This race has been preoccupying my thoughts. I've not blogged much about politics in the past, but like so many others I've not been happy with the direction the country has gone these past eight years. I'm hopeful for a change of course. What happens after Tuesday? I find myself imagining very different futures.

I'll post a bit more over the weekend. Lots to blog about, actually, and I'm looking forward to catching you up on what's been happening here. Hope all's well with you.

It's been three years since I first launched this blog, and while I've not had the time to be as consistent a poster as I'd like, I'm deeply appreciative of those of you who've kept with me all this time.

Wishing you all a safe and happy night on my favorite holiday.

Shrapnel

nicksagan — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:18:02 -0400

Sadly, I won't be attending Comic-Con this year, but my friend Mark Long of Zombie Studios will. He'll be unveiling Shrapnel, a brand new graphic novel, the first in a "solar war" trilogy set on Venus, the Jovian moons, Mars and finally Earth itself. Shrapnel was scripted by another friend of mine, the talented comic writer M. Zachary Sherman, with the story a collaboration between Mark, Zack and myself. Radical Comics is publishing it, and you'll be able to find it in stores later this year.

Here's the plot:

Shrapnel focuses on a future where humanity has reached out and colonized the Solar System and a Solar Alliance governs the planets similarly to the way ancient Rome dominated over their territories. Venus, the last free colony in the system, must do what it can to battle the domineering Marine forces of the Alliance in order to remain sovereign. Unbeknownst to the Marines, or even the Colonists themselves, one of the Alliance’s greatest heroes has exiled herself on the lost planet, hoping to escape the life she once knew as a soldier. Now, pulled back into the fold, she must teach the Colonists how to fight for their freedom, and come to terms with her own past.

Shrapnel is a fun project--I've been having a great time working with Mark and Zack. And the art's looking very cool, featuring legendary visual futurist Syd Mead's amazing mecha designs.

July Interviews

nicksagan — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:35:28 -0400

If you've got XM Radio, you can catch me on The Bob Edwards Show next Friday, and it's a family affair as that interview is followed by a rare interview with my mother:

Friday, July 25, 2008
'Whatever happened to my flying car?' and other questions about promised technologies are answered by Nick Sagan in the book, You Call This the Future? Nick is the son of the late astronomer Carl Sagan and our next guest, Linda Salzman-Sagan. She was the co-producer of the phonographic time capsule that was launched aboard the Voyager Spacecraft in 1977. The capsule has left the solar system and is drifting through space, waiting to be found by intelligent life forms. Salzman-Sagan talks about the sounds and images she selected to represent all of humanity.

Mom's recollections are a lot of fun, and if you're interested in how the Voyager team decided to represent our planet and civilization for potential extraterrestrials to discover, you should definitely check her out.

Two more interviews to report. First, Gary Reynolds of Concept Sci-fi asked me ten questions, which I very much enjoyed answering. You can catch that interview here. And I did a phone interview for BBC Focus Magazine that will be in their next issue. In the course of that one, I was asked who would win in a fight between Isaac Asimov and Isaac Newton. Hard one to answer. Does Asimov have robots at his disposal? Can he make them break the First Law of Robotics? Does Newton have complete mastery over the forces of gravity, or is he armed only with apples?

News on You Call This The Future?

nicksagan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:47:58 -0400

Alan Boyle and I talk You Call This The Future? along with science fiction, the singularity and a few other fun things over at MSNBC's Cosmic Log: Why The Future Goes Flooey.

Kilian Melloy reviews You Call This The Future? for EDGE Boston, calling it "well written" and "a fast, absorbing read that possesses a kinetic feel."

Suddenly Speeding

nicksagan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:19:44 -0400

Does a lead foot count as a bionic implant? I've run into two speeding tickets this past month, which is atypical for me. In my entire life, I've only received one other speeding ticket and that was years ago. I'm not sure why I've recently decided to embody a Sammy Hagar song, but I've got to take it easy, as three speeding tickets in an eighteen month period is a big no-no and can zap your driver's license.

So now I'm driving in a slow, stressed, overly paranoid fashion. Which is maybe how we're ideally supposed to drive. In the past, I've just tried to be alert to my surroundings and to stay with the flow of traffic, but now if someone's five or ten miles over the limit I won't keep pace with them.

Star Trek style transporters are sounding pretty good these days. In the meantime, it looks like traffic school for me.

Uncrashed

nicksagan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:29:16 -0400

After the laptop crashed, the desktop became jealous of all the attention it was getting and crashed as well. Fortunately, today both systems are up and running again, and now with automatic backups in place to make sure any future data loss is minimized. There was a little trouble restoring email, but that's since been sorted.

If you've written me and haven't heard back yet, apologies for that, and the crashes may be why. Now that I have email restored I'm hopeful I can catch up on my online communications sometime over the next few days. And as some email may have gotten lost among the crashes, please don't hesitate to write me again if you don't hear back from me soon.