Book People Archive

PG listing 'THE UNIVERSE--or nothing' @[redacted] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18257/

John Mark Ockerbloom,

I would appreciate your considering my ebook novel THE UNIVERSE-or nothing
as a candidate for listing in and disseminating through the Book People
Mailing List. It was added to Project Gutenberg a couple of days ago at

>  http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18257/  <

The story looks at evolving 'space logistics' capabilities in the context
of Earth's rapidly diminishing reserves of nonrenewable metals, minerals
and other essential substances.

Diminishing resources:  Scenarios in the highly controversial 1972 Report
to the Club of Rome: The Limits to Growth warn that:

"within a time span of less than 100 years with no major change in the
 physical, economic, or social relationships that have traditionally
 governed world development, society will run out of the nonrenewable
 resources on which the industrial base depends. When the resources have
 been depleted, a precipitous collapse of the economic system will result,
 manifested in massive unemployment, decreased food production, and a
 decline in population as the death rate soars."

The warnings in the original 1972 '?Limits To Growth' were not refuted
in the 1990 'Revisit to The Limits to Growth' or in the 2005 'The Limits
to Growth-30 Year Update.'  To the contrary.

Space logistics: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
(AIAA) (http://www.aiaa.org/tc/sl) defines 'space logistics' as:

"the science of planning and carrying out the movement of humans and
 materiel to, from and within space combined with the ability to maintain
 human and robotics operations within space. In its most comprehensive
 sense, space logistics addresses the aspects of space operations both
 on the earth and in space that deal with: design and development,
 acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation,
 and disposition of space materiel; movement, evacuation, and
 hospitalization of people in space; acquisition or construction,
 maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities on the earth and
 in space to support human and robotics space operations, and acquisition
 or furnishing of services to support human and robotics space operations."

Book description: THE UNIVERSE-or nothing: Two thousand years into the
future, human  habitations in space extend from Mercury orbit to Pluto.
Mankind's history of unbridled waste of the Solar System's minerals,
metals and other nonrenewable resources has brought humankind to the
brink of disaster. The only option is to reach across space to Alpha
Centauri, the nearest star system, draw from it useable substances and
hurl them through hyperspace for storage along the rim of the Solar System.

The first interstellar mining and teleport system, consisting of two
terminals, is being constructed in Pluto orbit by the government of the
Inner Region. When completed, the 'Extractor' terminal will be positioned
in the Alpha Centauri system. The 'Collector' will remain on the Solar
System's rim, where it will receive the incoming and make it freely
available in perpetuity for all humankind. Timing the Extractor's launch
is critical to the venture's success.

The Solar System's civilizations are split into an Inner and Outer Region
with the outer rim of the Asteroids as border. Relationships between the
two Regions are tense. Reen Narval, Pluto's despotic ruler schemes to
undermine the Inner Region's government and seize control of the Solar
System. Rulers of other governments throughout the Outer Region are
intimidated by Narval's power and threats. The Inner Region's President
Camari orders his agents to infiltrate Narval's inner circle and
neutralize his dominance.

Brad Curtin, Team Commander, and his crew infiltrate Narval's organization
and create conditions for a showdown. A planned assault on the construction
site by the Outer Region's combined fleet coincides with a conference
attended by Heads of State of all Solar System governments to resolve
their differences. Narval attends the conference convinced that news of
his military victory will demonstrate his power and clear the way for his
takeover. A battle between the Regions' military fleets erupts near the
construction site.

The novel's 'Afterwords' speculate on events and lifestyles that might
follow humankind's migration into the interplanetary realm; an Appendix
outlines core principles for governance of nations-in-space and for an
eventual unified Solar System Civilization. 'References' list books and
other technical sources that bear on the novel's content.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Meyer Moldeven
Yarnspinner7191@[redacted]