Individual Component Tests
Whole System Tests
Test Reports Still Being Written
First off, let me apologize for not keeping this page updated in a timely manner. I know a lot of you are eagerly awaiting this book and I feel like I've let you down. On the other hand, given my minimal free time the past few years, I thought it more important to spend it writing the book rather than writing about writing the book.
By way of explanation, but not excuse, take a look at what I've been doing the past five years while simultaneously trying to get "The Saucer Fleet" out:
Individual Component Tests |
Whole System Tests |
Test Reports Still Being Written |
"OK, some file folders," you might say. "So what?"
On my engineering consulting side of things I've been working the past five years for a medical equipment company helping to develop a chairside blood separator for use by blood banks. I've been in charge of testing the device, both the individual components and the whole system, to make sure it meets all government and industry standards. What you're looking at is some 10,000 pages of reports and I don't want to think about how many words that is. Each report represents anywhere from a week to several months of effort to write the protocol, conduct the test, analyze the results and write the report. Whew!
The good news, for you anyway, is that the company has just decided that they can finish the project without my help, meaning that since March 31 I've be free to work on "The Saucer Fleet" full time! Here's the short version of what's been happening on that front:
Last fall I signed the contract with Apogee Books to be the publisher on this one. Outside of the economies of scale that let them sell it for less than I could, they are planning to publish a paperback version that will be even less expensive. I have included in the contract, however, a clause that will guarantee a minimum number (2,000) of hardcover copies for those of you who consider that to be the only "proper" form of book.
And you'll be getting a lot more for your money. To reward you folks for being patient so long, we've expanded the book some. Jon suggested adding a non-movie chapter on the adventure strip "Twin Earths" that ran for most of the 1950's in the US, and featured several different saucers as the transportation of surprisingly human-like alien race. Jon also suggested an introductory chapter to set the stage by describing the post-war flying saucer phenomenon thus giving some insight into why these movies were so eagerly accepted. At the other end of the book, bowing to pressure from many correspondents, we've added a chapter on Quinn Martin's TV series "The Invaders." Finally Jon has also written an "Archeologist's Report" in many of the chapters to describe just how he came up with the dimensions and features of the data drawings.
So, where are we?
Since the beginning of the year I have been formatting the book, chapter-by-chapter and sending it to the publisher for review. I've also been working on getting the reprint licenses for using all of the movie images. There's a mild re-write required of the "Lost In Space" chapter. That was the first one written, but it's going to be the next-to-last formatted. Besides the writing style changes, a lot of new information has been uncovered the past five years. Outside of that, I'm just slogging though the chapters. Click here to get the current status. After I'm done we still have to wait on their production schedule.
OK, here is the final book outline:
And finally, here is the really, REALLY final cover. The background painting hasn't changed any, but the fonts and colors and content of the wording has evolved a lot since I posted the first one here. Those of you who frequent the blogosphere may recognize who I sweet-talked into writing the Foreword this time. It's the "Bad Astronomer" Phil Plait, who also has a book coming out about the same time as this one.
