Listen to this episode

    Ken Liu

It is episode 327 of Beam Me Up!

First the sad news of the passing of Harry Harrison one of the few left that can be considered Grand Masters.

The first story of the afternoon is Ken Liu’s, Memory of my Mothers a sad and yet heartwarming tale of what a Mother will do to be with her daughter throughout the child’s and later life.

next is a review of Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror. This feature length anime film was produced in a partnership with Fuji TV for its’ 50th aniversary.

The Phoenix galactic cluster’s central is garnering interest as there is activity where there shouldn’t be.

JPL has has finished the Mars Curiosity Rover upgrades and now will proceed to some tests on a couple more crutial systems before it can start with the main portion of the program.

I take a short break to do Star Trek Trivia again this week as well as a couple of news articles from Earth_Sky.

Kallamis uploads an article detailing some upcoming events on the International Space Station over the next week or two which should prove to be noteworthy.

And finally Ron Huber continues his read of An Owomoyela’s All that Touched the Air. This week is part three.

Listen to this episode

Welcome to Beam Me Up.  This week’s episode is show 263.  I am very happy with how the show progressed this week, I think you find it equally entertaining.

I open this week with My Favorite Martian doing the song “All These Villains” This will get the blood pumping and the toes taping for sure.

This week’s fiction is a couple of short stories from Doug Hilton and Ken Liu.

Doug’s offering this week is a twisted tale in the vein of Damon Knights “To Serve Man”.  Doug’s story is titled “Better than Jelly Beans”  and it is every bit as twisted as you can imagine.  As the title suggest Humans are treated like rather unhealthy junk food.  Oh my!

Ken Liu’s Simulacrum is of much more serious stuff.  This week I play the conclusion of Ken’s story.  We are carried deeper into the dynamics and implications of the Simulacrum device and how it has impacted the inventor’s life and those around him to a most disturbing conclusion and totally unsuspected ending.  I hope you are as floored as I was by the last half of this wonderful story.

In between the stories I check out the Beam Me Up blog.  Kaydara is  a fan made movie based in the Matrix universe and is visually stunning, you will not believe this is a non professional movie.

Scientists have announced that sub-surface Moon rock may contain as much water as we have on Earth. Levels in fact 100 times higher than previous estimates.

I review the Green Hornet.  My whole review can be pared down to one word…Terrible.

NASA has placed the Spirit Rover  on the inactive list.  This after a year of no response to queries from NASA. NASA will cease trying to signal the rover.

During the height of the hysteria, a very enterprising person designed a DIY Rapture kit!

The 2010 Nebula Awards have been announced!