Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: space

  • Threshold of the Universe

    Threshold of the Universe

    Each album Jim Ottaway releases is without doubt a masterclass in the construction of ambient electronic music that pushes the boundaries for this very specific style of music. Space music is perhaps a better name as within each track Ottaway manages to capture the awesome magnitude that is space.

    It is often pondered just what is out there in deep space, but perhaps Ottaway has somehow managed, thorough channeling, to tap into the reality as his work contains something indefinable, hard to describe and yet is redolent of the timelessness humans imagine is or could be the sounds of deep space.

    There is a primal understanding within each piece, underpinned by the occasional sounds that one imagines may be captured by various pieces of technology now cluttering up space, which gives credibility to the ever-changing space scape captured on Threshold of the Universe.

    Choose any piece and sink into the moment, allow the mind to float fee, to travel the universe with no expectations, and enjoy what is found. Deep peace, refreshing waves of sound wash over the soul, gently offering to release stress and conflict, allowing these negatives to simply float free into deep space, to leave behind a beautiful tranquility.

    Threshold of the Universe was created over the period of August 2007 to June 2021. During this time the journey of traveling through space has been subjected to many influences, which in turn have helped create the inspiration for the music. If there is a need to have the journey set out before the commencement, the nine track listing will offer you the flight itinerary, but if you simply choose to let the music flow, taking the mind and soul on an intimate journey, simply settle into your seat and relax.

    Finally arriving at the Threshold of the Universe, which is the last track, it is time to take the next step to return to the everyday world imbued with a rich all-encompassing warmth not often created with this style of music. How Ottaway always seem to know when less is more to create the perfect ending to a magical journey is his secret and although the final tack is no more or less than the previous pieces, it has achieved the perfect balance of sound to allow a gentle return to earth.

    For all earthbound beings that have always wondered just what is there in deep space, perhaps a journey with Jim Ottaway and his transporting music could be the answer, as once again, Ottaway has set the bar very high with his emotional, intimate and perfect ‘space-music allowing all who care to spend the time to be transported to an alternate universe just for a short moment in time, to the Threshold of the Universe.

  • Space Detectives

    Space Detectives

    Back with more rollicking fun in space, Mark Powers has discovered another zany case to be solved in Space Detectives. Connor and Ethan have moved on from their last adventure, or rather case, to go and spend the summer with Uncle Nick, to help him out running his ice-cream stand on Starville, a fantastically out-there sort of place, which is great, but really they would rather have another case to be solved after their last success.

    Somehow it is not too long before what could be another case comes along, via their new found friend Edwina and a strange mutant virus that sends the ice-cream machine into a frenzied sort of meltdown. According to their findings, also involving Edwina, who is a serious technology wiz and a series of codes, Starville is on a collision course with the moon and if something’s not done very quickly then it will be BOOM!

    Connor figures out that somehow the settings for the orbit of Starville have been changes for some dastardly reason, but who would do such a thing is yet to be discovered. In the meantime, Connor and Ethan find themselves at a very posh party hosted by Edwina’s mum, who is the Supreme Governor of Starville, which certainly does not go to plan.

    Add in the terrifying Neptunian Rat Bots, a purple tufted Grotsnobbler, which created mayhem earlier in the book and you have a challenging mystery to solve.

    Fantastic illustrations from Dapo Adeola allow the Rat Bots and Alice, the Grotsnobbler to truly come into their own personalities. What will their next adventure be, well I guess you just have to get the next exciting book from Mark Power and find out!

  • Imaginary Edges

    Imaginary Edges

    It is more than thirty years since the legendary Mike Clay and maestro of the mixing and production desk Tom Moore, teamed up together to create Mike Clay’s first electronic album under the name of Crystal. During the challenging months of 2020 Clay returned to his roots and has released a new album Imaginary Edges, once again with the input of Tom Moore, to create a work that is pure imagination and captures the very essence of the genre known as ‘space music’.

    Space Music is a musical smorgasbord of electronica which is at the same time both innovative, dreamy and unfettered by what is often considered the ‘norm’ for electronica. Drifting and dreamless Imaginary Edges encourages nothing more than to settle back into nice comfortable place or space, close the eyes and allow the mind to begin to take you on a journey to wherever in space you choose to travel. The space is also of your choosing.

    There are no guides, guidelines or expectations, just a clear, open panorama to drift among, the sites to be discovered of your own creation. A space music essential ingredient is that it does, in so many ways, pay homage to the mysteries that are to be discovered in space; mysteries that hundreds of years on are perhaps not so mysterious, but with the immensity of the spaces and places yet undiscovered, still held in awe.

    Mike Clay has set up a new studio on Maui, Dreaming Sun, and as he has retired into the world of music, it will be interesting to see what is created in this new space. The night skies over Maui are something special and if Imaginary Edges is any indication of what is to come, the genre of ambient meditation music and electronic ‘space’ music is in for a real treat.

    Considering his music to be ‘soundtracks for inner journeys’, Clay invites everyone into to their personal journey of peace and dreams in Imaginary Edges.

  • Providence

    Providence

    Max Barry is an Australian author following up his smash hit, 2013 novel, Lexicon. Providence, his new release, takes a few left turns from what he has written before, and tells a story that will be familiar to those who are fond of Space Operas.

    Providence brings a few interesting and new elements to the table of this genre. A couple of portions of the story are written in second person with more than enough ideas and moments that make this book stand out from the pack. The book touches on many themes such as autonomous machines, boredom, comradery, and heavy morals. Providence tells a galactic war story with many different and exciting additions that even strong fans of the genre will not be expecting. These twists seem to be relevant to our current era and climate, with elements of social media prevalence slipping seamlessly into the storyline, ensuring it doesn’t become generic.

    A new spaceship called Providence is launched, and woe behold to any salamanders that may cross its path. The providence ship is the most technologically advanced and has a single mission of obliterating humanity’s alien counterpart, the salamanders. In fact, this ship is so advanced it can handle navigation, planning, and battle strategies all by itself and it does so very effectively.

    The four crewmen are more likely to be under threat of boredom and each other, compared to the war that is waged outside the bulkhead wars as there is very little circumstance, they will need to put their brains or skills to use. The extend of this concludes back home on Earth, where the progress of the war and battles must be divulged to the masses by the crew, propaganda style.

    Providence provides some very tense questions and situations, along with the characters, which will keep the reader guessing. Perfect for any science fiction fan, or someone who likes to experience something a little different from the rest, the differences in this book are refreshing and provides for a very enjoyable reading experience.

  • Machines in Motion: The Amazing History of Transportation

    Machines in Motion: The Amazing History of Transportation

    Machines in Motion presents immense detail in the illustrations and text used throughout this non-fiction book, detailing much of the History of Transportation from the team of Tom Jackson and Chris Mould.

    Tom Jackson is a science writer for both children and adults of more than 20 years. Chris Mould an illustrator, is known for his quirky black and white line illustrations which are used extensively throughout. Colour is introduced with the page boarders and occasional passages of text.

    From earliest times technology has been used to create and invent what even then, 7,000 years ago were considered as new inventions: of course, they were, just like now, or alternatively, is now simply just a refined version of what was invented then?

    This and many more questions will be answered over the pages, as each of the sections sets out in a rather intriguing style facts, figures and timelines; all illustrated with intricately detailed illustrations, designed to intrigue even the most hardened of non-scientific children into wanting to turn the next page to see what is on the other side.

    Trains set out the style of the book with a wonderful kaleidoscope of drawings and text to intrigue and encourage readers of whatever age and reading level to investigate further. Underground comes next, beginning at 600BC moving through to the creation of the Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) joining France and Britain via train, which was commenced in 1988 and completed in 1994.

    1852 saw the Dirigible take to the skies, with the Supersonic Skydiver taking pride of place in the skies in 2012. Working Vehicles announces the first fire engine, the Newsham fire engine, which was built in 1721.

    Ending this journey of fascinating scientific facts is Spacecraft which only presents until 2000 when the International Space Station was launched into space, weighing an impressive 450 tons, giving Astronauts their first permanent home in space.

    It is fair to say some of the facts are not correct, which is a bit of an issue, as scientific books, regardless of the age range need to be correct. Fact checking is absolutely important particularly for young readers. 1944 D-Day is one such instance, as these DD water craft were a type of tank that was propelled thought the water with propellers, not sails!

    Notwithstanding the above comment, overall Machines In Motion is a comprehensive history of mechanical movement in one form or another over hundreds of years, which will intrigue and delight the hearts of children with or without a scientific interest.

  • Attack of the Meteor Monsters

    Attack of the Meteor Monsters

    Chris Priestley and the gang from Maudlin Towers are back in their latest lot of mayhem, Attack of the Meteor Monsters, as they try to decided just what has happened, or more importantly what is happening at their school.

    Now as you Maudlin Towers fans know, life at Maudlin Towers is anything but ‘normal’, as the boys are well, a little different to begin with and so are the teachers, which is fine until something out of even their ordinary happens: it appears that a meteor, or at least something from outer space  has crashed onto Pugs Peak, which of course needs to be investigated.

    Mildew and Sponge decided to set out to climb Pug’s Peak to see what they can see, because they are feeling a trifle bored after their recent adventures with the time machine, and it was certainly not a lump of cheese that fell from the sky, that is until they pass the Headmasters office where, to their horror were a group of ‘girls’, and a rather strange looking person, a woman, err maybe a woman, who was with them.

    Oh boy, now what was going to happen. They do definitely discover something rather remarkable has occurred, which in itself sets the scene for another madcap adventure that actually makes them discover a few things about girls, the world and dare I say it ‘love’.

    Get set for another dose of Maudlin Towers as it enters the ever-mystifying realm of space travel, or space mayhem and see how the sanity defying teachers and students of their school save the world.

    Have an immense lot of fun with this latest whacky adventure and get set for the next one which will not be too far away. Was there some talk about Vikings?

  • Meet the Planets

    Meet the Planets

    What better way to take journey into space than to put on your space suit, jump into your rocket and set off to Meet the Planets one by one then have them tell you who they are, what they are made of, who is nice and who is really naughty, just so you know what those glowing, twinkling lights in the night skies are all about.

    In this well constructed journey into space, young readers will have a huge amount of fun zooming around from planet to planet, as they get to know so much about the night skies which has been presented in rhyming text, with large, bright, easily understood illustrations, perfect for a wide age range and reading ability.

    The first planet met is of course the Sun, who tells about being so hot you may frizzle and fry of you get to close, but also tells of all the good done with its warmth and light.  Venus looks beautiful, but is really one of those not so nice planets. Do you know why?

    Moon: silver, mysterious and glorious, explains why you often see her during the daytime in her ghostly shape and why she often changes shapes and colours.

    Saturn has so many sparkly rings she is can almost be considered as the planet of ‘bling’ and believes she is the Queen of the skies as she is so beautiful. But as you go further and further away from the sun you meet the two coldest planets of the lot, Uranus and Neptune, perfect in their worlds but sometimes they too, just like you, get a little lonely.

    Meet the Planets is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the world of science with fun, read aloud text and of course, with the planets all dressed to impress, they are out to ensure that what they tell you about themselves is also pretty impressive.

  • The Gravity of Us

    The Gravity of Us

    The Gravity of Us is quite a compelling story for young adults. It is set, firstly in New York, and secondly in Texas. The main character, Calvin Lewis Junior, is a part time reporter who uses the technology of his mobile phone to reach many followers. Each day he reports on issues around the country and as he has such a sense of what people want to know, many tune in to his work.

    Calvin, (known as Cal), lives with his parents in an apartment in New York. His father is a commercial airline pilot, his mother a teacher. It is not a particularly happy family as Calvin senior is frustrated by his work, and his Mother suffers from anxiety.

    NASA has been working towards a mission to Mars and is seeking pilots to work on the space shuttle. Cal’s father has applied for a job in the space program and is waiting to hear from the Base, so things at home are rather tense. When his bid to join the space team, is successful things move fast.

    The Government has decided to keep the public informed about the progress of the mission: to raise awareness and money towards the flight, they have allowed a PR group to set up a Reality TV show at the village where all the space workers live.

    Cal’s family is quickly relocated to Texas and become a part of the “Reality Families”, with much of their lives under scrutiny. Relationships develop and Cal meets a fellow astronaut’s son called Leon, with whom he shares deep feelings. Meanwhile Cal continues to report to his followers, much to the annoyance of the PR team who try to discredit him.

    NASA is struggling to convince the Government that this mission is worthwhile; for a time, it looks as though they may lose the funding and solutions must be found to continue the program.

    The characters and the modern storyline will keep young readers wanting to finish this book. The technology is that of today’s youth, and the many threads in the plot come together well.

     

  • Cosmic Chronicles: A user’s guide to the Universe

    Cosmic Chronicles: A user’s guide to the Universe

    Readers who are familiar with the likes of Douglas Adam or H.P Lovecraft will have some idea of how truly small we humans are. Well, Fred Watson, asks you to please disregard your previous ideas, so he can explain to you truly, how small and insignificant we actually are.

    Or rather, how incomprehensibly huge the universe is.

    Watson, current astronomer and former pioneer, is more than qualified to talk to us on the subject of the universe, though he never relies on the reader having a scientific background and incorporates explanations, where necessary, well throughout the pages. Cosmic Chronicles never crosses the threshold where leisure reading turns into a lecture session and remains as it claims; a user’s guide.

    And guidance is a good word to use for this book, as the writing style is that of a friendly and charismatic tour guide who takes you through space at light speed, making various pit-stops to point out one or another notable feature. Though the universe may be incomprehensibly big and empty, you certainly don’t feel alone while reading this book.

    Astrology, geology and biology might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Watson seems to understand this, and it feels like the material has been through a few ‘enjoyment’ filters. As the majority of the content inspires ‘wow that’s cool’ moments instead of making your eyes glass over. Topics range from everyday ideas like meteors, stars and nightfall, while the more obscure sections go over interstellar property and space bugs (yes, space-bugs).

    Fred Watson has an asteroid named after him, but he explicitly claims no responsibility if it ever hits the earth. Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone outer-space minded, and any age from young adult upwards. The chapters make it easy to learn and become familiar with a new idea in one sitting. Be prepared to look up and see the sky in a whole new way.

  • Space on Earth

    Space on Earth

    This children’s novel is quite a surprise. At first glance it seems to be about space, but the author has cleverly chosen to write about the objects and ideas that have become useful in our everyday life, which have evolved from inventions for space explorations. She has placed these creations under headings such as Technology, Health and Fashion. The ideas range from bathers to baby blankets and selfies to dementia.

    In simple terms, the author questions whether you have used a drill or a dust buster. She then explains that when Black & Decker were looking at cordless technology NASA realised that it would be very helpful for the astronauts to use, so they worked with the company. A drill was developed to take rock samples from the moon and the dust buster was a spinoff of this invention. To enhance the chapter there is a small section following which discusses the scientist who was responsible for this creation.

    NASA were working on developing food for astronauts. They needed nutritional food that would be long lasting. They began working with a company called Martin Marietta, who were examining tiny algae which could use sunlight to produce energy. The scientists found that this alga could produce omega 3 fatty acids which are necessary for good health. Eventually it was included in baby formula to produce healthy milk for babies. At the end of most chapters there is a section for amazing facts, which relate to the invention. Also, we meet the scientists responsible for discovering the algae and its function.

    The simple language along with the setting out of this book make it an excellent resource for younger readers. The book can be opened at any topic, and the section on “Amazing Facts” and “Meet The Scientist” enhance the concept discussed. There are small black and white drawings which add to the understanding of the invention. This book is a must in the Library of any young scientist or inventor.