| TERRAFORMING: Engineering Planetary Environments Martyn J. Fogg Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers, 1995 |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| ISBN 1-56091-609-5 | 544p. | HC/BWI | $56.00 | |
The subject of terraforming — modifying other planets so that their surface conditions become Earthlike, or at least livable for humans — has always been an esoteric one. Its material was published in scientific papers and discussed in obscure conferences (and, in a few cases, woven into science-fiction tales.) With one possible exception1, there has never been such a thing as a textbook of terraforming.
Comes now Martyn Fogg, who has labored mightily and pulled together most of the material in the field into one comprehensive reference.
It begins by describing the history and literature of the field, including some works of science fiction that portray terraforming operations in rich detail. Notable examples are Stapleton's Last and First Men (1938) and Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky (19??).
Next, Fogg deals with the planets one by one, starting with Mars, the easiest to transform. He does not treat the gas-giant planets themselves, but does discuss some of their satellites. Even Earth's Moon merits a section of one chapter. Finally, a brief discussion of really blue-sky stuff such as moving planets to more suitable orbits rounds out the book.
It is a book with a wealth of engineering detail — chemical reactions, energy requirements, diagrams of mechanisms. Neither does Fogg ignore the philosophical underpinnings of these activities. His book is, in short, a remarkably thorough and well-balanced effort that bids fair to become the bible of the field.
But there are a few typos, and one in particular is very puzzling for an Englishman to make.2 Marty — "Straight of Gibraltar" ??? (Page 162)
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