Trevor Schmidt's Blog, page 6

Organic Compounds Found on Mars!

That's right, the building blocks of life have been found on Mars.  Time will tell if these compounds are indigenous to Mars or if they came from meteorites.  If it's the former, that's really exciting news.  Still, even if there are organics on Mars, the environment is not well-suited to supporting those compounds.

To me, and I'm just spit-balling here, it seems increasingly likely that Mars used to be capable of supporting life but has since lost that ability with a thinning atmosphere that allows cosmic rays to penetrate and destroy organic compounds.  Whether or not intelligent life existed, I don't know.  Maybe not.  Regardless, it's still fun to think about.

Mars features tangentially in my new novel Star Cross #1: The Azure Key.  I'm hard at work on the second installment, but later this year I plan to put out the first in a related series that deals directly with the Red Planet.  Mars has fascinated me since I was a child, when was convinced I would be an astronaut.  The series I'm planning will use Mars as a setting but it will be very much character-driven.  That said, I still want to explore possibilities such as organic compounds on Mars and the possibilities the Red Planet holds for the human race in the future.  If you're also interested in these kinds of questions, I'd encourage you to pick up my latest novel, Star Cross: The Azure Key.


 

Source: Discovery News. 12/16/14.  Irene Klotz. http://news.discovery.com/space/wait-...

Star Cross: The Azure Key out Today!

I'm happy to announce that the first installment of my new science fiction series is out today!  It is entitled Star Cross: The Azure Key.  The Star Cross series falls under the Space Opera heading but has a lot of Steampunk elements as well.  Please check it out and if you pick it up, be sure to give an honest review on Amazon.

Synopsis:
"Liam Kidd was a freelancer for Vesta Corporation, Earth’s largest and most corrupt asteroid mining company. Through a series of events he finds himself working the mines, a fate worse than death. When an opportunity presents itself, he and two other miners escape through a nearby wormhole. They find themselves across the galaxy in the middle of a conflict between three alien species. Liam’s only chance of getting home lies in finding a device rumored to be capable of opening a singularity. Now, he and his crew must face the horrors of war to return to their own system, a challenge that might prove deadly."

How Far Can You See?

I recently came across the Webb Space Telescope on which NASA is currently working.  When it's launched in 2018, it will have 100x the power of the Hubble telescope, the telescope responsible for images like the one at right.  It's amazing how inspiring the photos from Hubble were and are and I can't imagine what we'll be able to see with the Webb Space Telescope.  NASA is hoping to see the end of the universe, looking back through time to when the universe began.  Heavy stuff.

The new telescope will be positioned about 1,000,000 miles from Earth, a little more than four times the distance to the moon.  Being that far away, it will have capabilities that the Hubble doesn't.  There shouldn't be any period of time when the Webb telescope wouldn't be able to capture images.  With that advantage, it should be able to get better images than the Hubble.  What I'm hoping for is a closeup of an Earth-like planet in another solar system.  NASA has already found thousands of other planets, but I think it will be different if people could see those planets clearly and up close.  Images like the one above make me wonder just what's out there.  That's why I choose to write science fiction novels.  I choose a star out of that crowded picture and imagine intelligent life searching the stars as we do.

My upcoming science fiction series asks a lot of these same questions, and answers the question, "Are we alone in the universe?" with a resounding "NO!"  It's action-packed and sure to please fans of Space Operas, Space Westerns, and fans of movies like Blade Runner and Alien.  Keep a lookout this December for the first of many in this new series.

(Also, from now until November 23, 2014, enjoy my latest science fiction novel Symbiote for Free on Kindle!)

Symbiote FREE on Amazon until 23rd!

Get your copy of my latest Science Fiction Novel "Symbiote" Free until November 23rd on Amazon.  All I ask is that you leave an honest review! Here's a synopsis to whet your appetite:

"When a normally meek Bay Area insurance agent suddenly turns into a voracious, homicidal maniac with an uncontrollable appetite, doctors quickly determine that the cause must be a brain parasite that can only be extra-terrestrial. Now, San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to end this wave of violence before more citizens become infected. But at every turn their investigation seems to be hindered by shadowy federal agents with a hidden agenda. Can they stop this reign of terror before one of them becomes the next Symbiote?"

Remember, my next novel, the first in an all new Science Fiction Series debuts this December!

Upcoming Science Fiction Series (December 2014)

I'm pleased to announce that in December I'll be releasing the first novel in a new Science Fiction Series!  On December 7th, I'll release the title of the book and series, as well as a synopsis and the official release date of the novel.  Please stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks and watch my Twitter: +Trevor Schmidt  for more information.

I'll say right now that it feels good to work on a series for a change rather than a one-off novel.  I'm really looking forward to developing the characters and seeing where this series takes me. 

If you picked up my latest novel Symbiote on Amazon, please leave an honest review.  I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Awesome Symbiote Review

I recently got an awesome review of Symbiote on Amazon from a Top 500 Reviewer! 

Here's what he had to say in his 5-Star Amazon Review:

"Neil Meriwether is an unassuming person until he hears a voice that he calls "The Other'. At that point, he turns into a maniac with incredible strength. Time for capture and contain of Neil to determine the cause of his actions. Finally, he is subdued and a slide of his brain tissue is obtained.

Detective Karen Hall and her boss, Detective Yuri Markot are assigned the case. The chase is on, for sure.

An increase of appetite, green eyes and increased strength are signs that the parasite is within a host. And, the ones with the "parasite" are a force to be reckoned with by all that come in contact with them. Could this parasite be something from the Aliens? Hang on to your seat for the rest of the story!

This story shows the tightness of the "Blue Line" at all costs. The autopsy scene is one that will stay with me for awhile. A most poignant ending for one intrepid detective and also shows that perhaps all was not "lost" by another. And, the epilogue does a wonderful job in tidying up a few loose ends.

Most highly recommended."

Thank you A Navy Vet...VT town so much for your wonderful review!  I'll be sure to check out some of your other recommendations.

Symbiote Now On Sale For $0.99!

That's right, my new Science Fiction novel Symbiote is on sale for $0.99 at Amazon!

Have a synopsis:

"When a normally meek Bay Area insurance agent suddenly turns into a voracious, homicidal maniac with an uncontrollable appetite, doctors quickly determine that the cause must be a brain parasite that can only be extra-terrestrial. Now, San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to end this wave of violence before more citizens become infected. But at every turn their investigation seems to be hindered by shadowy federal agents with a hidden agenda. Can they stop this reign of terror before one of them becomes the next Symbiote?"

Are you ready to find a new author to add to your list?

Symbiote Now On Sale For $1.99!

That's right, my new Science Fiction novel Symbiote is on sale for $1.99 at Amazon! 

Have a synopsis:

"When a normally meek Bay Area insurance agent suddenly turns into a voracious, homicidal maniac with an uncontrollable appetite, doctors quickly determine that the cause must be a brain parasite that can only be extra-terrestrial. Now, San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to end this wave of violence before more citizens become infected. But at every turn their investigation seems to be hindered by shadowy federal agents with a hidden agenda. Can they stop this reign of terror before one of them becomes the next Symbiote?"

Are you ready to find a new author to add to your list?

Future Space Colonies

I came across an interesting article today regarding the location of our future colonies around the solar system.  In it, the author argues that we should look somewhere besides mars for our future colonies due to proximity and other factors.  He suggested that we could paraterraform Mars or the moon (create a dome and create Earth-Like conditions within instead of trying to do so to the entire planet).  I think it would be a great idea to do this on the moon first for a proof-of-concept as well as to mine Helium-3, which could provide us with better rocket fuel to make our trips to Mars faster and easier.  This would make a Mars colony much cheaper to achieve.

Number of colonists is also an issue, as to create the right conditions for genetic diversity to prevent certain disorders and create the best possible survival rates, we would need a minimum of 10,000 colonists, probably more like 40,000 and up.  Getting that many people to the Moon or Mars and being able to house and feed them would be a hefty task.  Elon Musk has said he plans to make a Mars colony with 80,000 people in a matter of decades.  Whether or not this is feasible, we'll see.  Still, I think it's a noble task to try.  A number of events could occur which threaten the Earth and the people living on it.  Asteroids, Nuclear War, and the reversing of our magnetic poles which would leave us temporarily vulnerable to solar storms (Something very important now during our current solar storm) are just a few of the many possibilities that could end us.  I'm still banking on Zombie Apocalypse.

Wouldn't it be an ease on everyone's mind if the human race could life on in a self-sufficient society even if the Earth were destroyed or uninhabitable?  I think simply the amount of scientific discoveries and the bounds our technology would take just to make these colonies viable would have an immeasurable impact on the Earth.  Most people don't realize how many discoveries and inventions can be attributed to the space program already, and in reality, the program is still in its infancy.  Take a look...you might be surprised.

Print Version of Symbiote Now Available!

Get my new science fiction novel, Symbiote, in Trade Paperback today! 

Synopsis:
"When a normally meek Bay Area insurance agent suddenly turns into a voracious, homicidal maniac with an uncontrollable appetite, doctors quickly determine that the cause must be a brain parasite that can only be extra-terrestrial. Now, San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to end this wave of violence before more citizens become infected. But at every turn their investigation seems to be hindered by shadowy federal agents with a hidden agenda. Can they stop this reign of terror before one of them becomes the next Symbiote?"