Thanks anyway, but I recalled both author and the name of the species. I'll refrain from posting in case anyone still wants to guess. You post waaaay too many sites for me to take the time to investigate, darnit! My total screen time is usually taken up by just these posts, time stolen from other activities. Your story is familiar! I was reading my dad's science fiction paperbacks at age 4 or 5, the astronomy interest came a few years later, about age 7 or 8. Both were spured by Star Trek and the space program. I got my first "real" telescope at age 9 or 10, circa 1968. --- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
<snip> I seem to recall that a sci-fi author in the '70's came up with an . . . intelligent alien species who lived on the outer hulls of their interstellar starships, and absorbed miniscule amounts of energy from starlight. <snip> Anyone remember who the author was? The name of the species?
What a listserv. Just after my eyesight returned after being temporarily blinded by visions of bowling ball meteorites and urine powered telescopes, we move onto "super-intelligent space barnacles." As another thread mentioned, these may be all symptoms of severe photon deficiency. -:)
I don't know the answer to your question, but maybe this link may help:
The Astronomy Society of the Pacific List titled: "Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy & Physics: A Topical Index"
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/scifi.html
- see subtopic "Life Elsewhere (Plausible Examples)
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/scifi04.html#life
The PASP "Good Astronomy & Physics: A Topical Index" bibliography is a sublist from the PASP's Astronomy Education Bibliographies Website - http://www.astrosociety.org/education/biblio.html PASP's Astronomy Education Bibliographies Website looks like a good resource for those interested in astronomy for public school presentations.
Although seemingly off-topic, speculative science-fiction is one good way to hook young new-members into the hobby. In the faded memory of my youth, I can no longer recall which came first astronomy or science-fiction, or whether my interest in them grew together.
- Canopus56
P.S. - And, as an aside for reference purposes, because it's a Utah listserv -
References to Mormons in science-fiction stories http://www.adherents.com/lit/sf_lds.html
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