Seems to me that there really ought to be a starship out there named the USS Rowling. She's done more to advance literature in the last ten years than anyone.
Though starships don't tend to be named for those who advance literature. The Bradbury and the Asimov are the only author-named ships that spring immediately to mind.
"Because it's Starfleet and they'll name a ship after any damn thing." -- Nan Bacco, A Time for War, A Time for Peace
Asimov, though, does have a major scientific theory (Asimov's Theory of Cosmology) to his name, and wrote far more in the realms of science and general nonfiction than literature (though he was still one of the most prolific authors of fiction in the 20th Century).
What are you talking about? Asimov was a biochemist, not a cosmologist. And Google turns up exactly zero results for "Asimov's Theory of Cosmology" (not even this thread, though I expect that to change after its next update).
The Laws of Robotics are not a genuine scientific or engineering principle, but a literary device. Heck, the only reason Asimov made up the word "robotics" is because he didn't know enough about the field to be aware there was already a term for it, "cybernetics."
Didn't cybernetics come afterward as a scientific field of inquiry? And when was the word "cybernetics" coined anyway?
Actually the term cybernetics was originated by Plato to refer to his theory of self-governance. Its use in computer science was originated by Norbert Weiner in 1948. In fact, Asimov coined "robotics" in 1941, so I was in error. But it would be a mistake to assume that Asimov was in any way a scientist in the field of electronics, robotics, or anything of the sort. He was a biochemistry professor who wrote science fiction and who made up terminology for his robotics stories without any actual expertise in the field beyond the curiosity of an avid student of knowledge in general.
I didn't know Asimove coined the term robtics. I had always assumed the term had been around a lot longer than that.
^^Well, the word robot itself only dates back to 1921. So the term robotics is only two decades younger. (And they were both coined in works of science fiction, the former in Karel Capek's play R.U.R.)
Just curious, does the board still have the "1000 posts max" rule since the switch-over? If so, it's about time to start a new Cast the Characters of Trek Literature thread.
No, at least from a technical standpoint AntonyF has given his ok for larger threads. The official ruling at the moment is that it's up to the respective forum's mods if they still enforce the rule for some reason or not. ETA: You can find a recent Q,S&F thread about the topic here.
As I've been reading Night of the Wolves, I've "cast" Eliza Dushku as Taryl. So far she's the only original character any actors have popped into my mind for.
I've been reading the latest DS9 novel, Fearful Symmetry by Olivia Woods, and I have been enjoying it immensely. And I have a few casting suggestions for some of the minor characters: I have long been a fan of both John Hurt and Charlotte Rampling, two of my favorite British actors. I can't think of anyone else other than Hurt for Dukat's warden, Dal Rokai. (I mean, can you imagine that terrific scream for when Ileana blasts him in the kneecap??) And for some weird reason I keep thinking of Rampling for the role of the Kressari woman Shing-kur. (Probably it's because she's got such distinctive eyes, and in this story we learn that a Kressari's eyes change color according to mood.)