Robert A. Black, Mathematical Storyteller

Mythbusters tackles the Moon Hoax Conspiracy Theorists Premieres tomorrow, August 27, on the Discovery Channel. Set your VCRs, DVRs, Tivos, etc...

Okay, it hasn't happened yet, but that hasn't stopped kids from wondering what space is like, and it hasn't stopped teachers from wanting to teach them. In the latest edition of the internet radio program, The Space Show , host David Livingston talks to the authors of a new book, Kids to Space Mission Plans: An Educator's Guide . As the name suggests, it's all about how teachers can put more space-related materials into their classrooms. I picked up a copy of the first Kids to Space book at Worldcon a couple of years ago, and it would have been really handy when I was writing Lunar Pioneers . The broadcast is available for download, so be sure to check it out. And what will those kids do when they grow up and become astronauts? Space.com has a new article describing ideas currently floating around for the first permanent lunar station. The forerunner to Clementine Colony, perhaps? Be sure to check that out, too.

I've heard it from several people now - if I'm going to use their forum to talk about my book, I've got to do something more than just an "infomercial." I've got to do something more substantial than just stand up there and say, "Hi, buy my book." Works for me. I'm a terrible pitchman. I don't like it when I have to sit through a sales pitch like that, and I sure don't want to inflict that on anyone else. So what do I talk about, then? With Lunar Pioneers , I do have some options. One reason I wrote the book was because I think science fiction doesn't do enough to get kids interested in real science - Buzz Aldrin made a similar comment just recently. Another topic I might be able to talk has to do with my being more of a historical fiction writer - I like the idea Jane Yolen talked about once, of showing kids that history is a "living and continuous process." Since Lunar Pioneers is set in the reader's future,...

Now that Lunar Pioneers is available, where can you get your copy? Unfortunately, you probably won't find it in a bookstore, although I'm going to pitch it to the bookstores near me, especially Vroman's in Pasadena. For most of you, though, the best place to look is online. Right now, there are three options: (1) My publisher, Windstorm Creative, has it at their website: http://www.windstormcreative.com/blueworks/23979.htm (2) Amazon.com has a listing for it, although right now they say it's out of stock: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590923979?ie=UTF8&tag=lunalibr-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1590923979 (3) You can get a signed copy directly from me. Just go to my own author website: http://www.rablack.com/Auto.html That's it for now, but as other opportunities come up, I'll be sure to let you know.

From CNN: Reliance on Russia makes NASA weak With international tensions rising in the wake of the Russia/Georgia conflict this week, I couldn't help noting that in just a couple of years, the only route to the International Space Station will go through Russia. NASA is retiring the space shuttles in 2010, and even the most optimistic estimates now put the first launch of the new Orion capsule toward the end of 2014. For at least four years, if you want to get to the ISS, you'll have to use the Russian Soyuz. Granted, that's not very high on the priority list while the bullets are still flying and the tanks are still rolling. But this crisis will get worked out sooner or later, and then we'll have to look at the bigger picture. If American foreign policy takes a more hardline approach toward Russia, our space program is going to suffer. The Russians can cut us off, and there's nothing we'd be able to do about it. Unless, of course, some private company manages ...

As the title says, my name is Robert A. Black, and I write novels for middle-grade readers. I've been at LiveJournal for almost six years, but now I want to create a separate "author blog," where I can write about my published books and my upcoming projects. Let's start with the basics. First, here are my books: Lunar Pioneers is my new release. I just got my first copies this week, in fact. It's a science fiction story about life on the Moon in the 22nd Century. The Real Life Channel was my previous release. It's an adventure/fantasy that pays tribute to my time writing for Nickelodeon's You Can't Do That On Television . Liberty Girl was my first book. It's a historical novel set in Baltimore during World War I, and it's based on my grandmother's remembrances as an 11-year-old girl. My "official author website" is at http://www.rablack.com/ . Be sure to check it out! And check back here for more news.