Behind Up and Down

Between now and the launch of my new novel, Up and Down in September, I thought I might periodically share some thoughts on what led me to write this story. I wrote a piece for the Indigo Fiction blog that traces some of the roots of Up and Down. In particular, it reveals how I became a space nut at the age of nine. But there’s more lurking in the background. When you read Up and Down, and I hope you will, you’ll see that part of the plot turns on the steady decline in public funding to NASA. I understand the view that we should take care of what’s going on down here on earth before we commit tax payers’ dollars to space exploration. I don’t share that view, but I understand it. Here are a couple of videos that explain far more eloquently than I ever could, why exploring space is important, if only because it gives us much-needed perspective on our own planet and the problems we must confront down here.