Cleveland sci-fi author Geoffrey Landis appears in big new anthology

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I am thankful to have been granted an interview of Geoffrey Landis, a NASA scientist, well-regarded science fiction writer and local poet. Landis has played a major role in the Mars landers. He's often too busy to write because he's exploring the solar system. But when he does find time to tell stories, he makes it count. Landis has won a Nebula Award and two Hugo Awards for his science fiction, and also claimed a Rhysling Award for his poetry. Landis, 59, has a story, "A Hotel in Antarctica," in "Hieroglyph," a new anthology of "stories and visions for a better future" inspired by a suggestion from Neal Stephenson. Stephenson's story in the anthology, "Atmosphera Incognita," about building a tower 20 kilometers tall, was inspired by a scientific paper by Landis. Landis lives in Berea and works for NASA Glenn in Cleveland. I asked him about "Hieroglyph" and other matters. Sandusky Register: You have a story in the new science fiction anthology, "Hieroglyph," that aims to offer positive visions for the near future. Were you pleased to be included? How did you get involved? Geoffrey Landis: I was thrilled to be included in this project. I'd already read Neal Stephenson's essay "Innovation Starvation" before the editors told me about the anthology and invited me to contribute, and this is exactly the kind of science fiction that I love — big, bold ideas. Sandusky Register: In a sense, you are represented twice, because the Neal Stephenson story that begins the book is based upon your idea. What did you think of the story? Geoffrey Landis: Last summer I was at the Starship Century conference, a conference to talk about approaches to interstellar flight (organized by Gregory and Jim Benford), and Neal Stephenson and his team gave a talk about their work on the exoatmospheric tower, a tower that rises above the atmosphere, and I was just amazed at how much work they'd done putting engineering details to the idea I'd proposed. I love it when other people pick up an idea I'd worked on and run with it. So I do feel a bit of pride about Neal's story in the anthology — I had a part in stimulating it. Sandusky Register: You suggested in a 2004 paper that beaming solar power from space could be practical if the project focused on selling power when it's in peak demand. Do you think solar power from space ought to be considered in the short term as a power source? Geoffrey Landis: It's something we should keep in the toolbox as a long term solution, but power from space is an idea that still needs work— it's not ready for the short-term use yet. We still need some breakthroughs before it will be economically competitive with other sources of power. But, right now, solar arrays are being constructed for ground power at a dizzying rate — the price has dropped dramatically— and it seem obvious that, once people get used to the idea that electrical power is something that comes down from outer space in the form of a beam of sunlight, space solar power is the next step. Sandusky Register: Have you found that many of your fellow NASA scientists are science fiction fans? Geoffrey Landis: Some are. There's one of the security guards at NASA who, every time I come in the gate when he's on duty, asks me whether I'm working on my next novel. Sandusky Register: You've only published one novel, but you have a particularly good excuse for not being a prolific science fiction writer — you've been busy exploring Mars. But may we look forward to another book soon? Geoffrey Landis: I have to say that I've been mostly doing short stories lately. But I do intend to get back to writing novels one of these days.