2 things to start:
1: Our second podcast episode is live. It's a wonderful conversation with Kelly Robson who's written award winning short stories and novellas, and we talk about writing and publishing at a later stage in life, character building, Robson's thoughts on privacy and the environment, and much more. Let me know what you all think!
2: Book Giveaway time! Keep an eye out on our Instagram today folks! At 9am Eastern, we're launching a book giveaway, with the two lucky winners getting a signed copy of Kelly Robson's newest novella High Times in the Low Parliament, due out August 9th (next Tuesday).
Okay. It's already August. Let that sink in as a short, sharp, hot needle for a brief moment. And then walk outside and make the most of the warm days that are left.
Without further ado, here's this week's picks of interest!
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution, by R. F. Kuang
In our Book of the Week pick on Instagram last week, the anthology included an essay by R.F. Kuang on the science and art of translation, which I very much enjoyed. So I was excited to see a new book by her coming out on the 23rd that takes this question of translation, culture, academia, and integrity and weaves a searing tale out of it. If her work in the Poppy Wars trilogy is any measure, this is definitely on our TBR.
US Certifies the first nuclear power plant design
In the aftermath of the energy crisis, along with climate change, the US seems it's finally looking towards nuclear power as an energy source. On Friday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified NuScale's small modular reactor (SMR) design. While this is promising news, it won't be until about 2029 before a fully functional plant will be in place. Still, the prospect of an alternative energy source is welcome news.
James Webb Space Telescope gifts us again
The latest stunning image from James Webb telescope is that of the Cartwheel Galaxy. The resolution provides enough detail for astronomers to learn more about the black hole in its center as well as the unique circumstances of this galaxy's formation along with its stars.