Primary Ignition: Essays: 1997-2001

by Allen M. Steele

Assembled for the first time are all of two-time Hugo Award-winner Allen M. Steele's articles, essays, and travelogs. Drawn from such diverse sources as Absolute Magnitude, Artemis, and even his testimony on space travel before the United States Congress, Steele has put together a collection of work which spans his entire career as a writer. From insightful looks into the future of space travel, the nature of science fiction, the global village, and much more, here is a book certain to appeal to Steele's legion of fans, as well as readers of popular non-fiction and science fiction.

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2003

About the author

Before becoming a science fiction writer, Allen Steele was a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Missouri, and his home state of Tennessee. But science fiction was his first love, so he eventually ditched journalism and began producing that which had made him decide to become a writer in the first place.

Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.

Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.

Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of Steele's non-fiction, mostly essays on science fiction and space exploration, with a few other contemporary pieces included. His writings on space and the space program are probably the best, simply because his unbridled enthusiasm shines through. The last article is a transcript of his testimony before the congress space aeronautics subcommittee and is worth the cost of the book by itself.