Travis S Taylor
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Travis Shane Taylor is a science fiction author from the South-Eastern parts of North America, specifically Huntsville, Alabama. He holds a doctorate in Optical Science and Engineering, a Master's Degree in Physics, a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering as well as Astronomy and a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Alabama.
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[edit] Life
It is known that Taylor grew up in the rural parts of North Alabama in the United States of America, but his early life and education have not been of much focus just yet. He has stated that he worked for 16 plus years at DoD and NASA on "various programs", though he did not specify which and for how long. Currently, he is working on propulsion techniques which he personally describes as "advanced". He is also working on "very large telescopes", space-based beamed energy systems, future combat technologies and systems and next generation space launch concepts.
He is also known to work with HUMINT, IMINT, SIGINT and MASINT concept studies. During his off-time, he lists hobbies such as Competition Karate, piloting, SCUBA diving, riding mountain bikes and road bikes and singing in rock bands.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Warp Speed
His first novel takes a look at the idea of practically applied quantum mechanics and General Relativity in use as a propulsion system, and later a weapon. He introduces his first recurring character, a Mary Sue named Dr. Neal Anson Clemons. Dr. "Doc" Clemons shares much in common with Taylor himself, down to sharing the same nickname. Doc Clemons's middle name is directly shared with Robert Anson Heinlein, a clear homage to a writer whose work obviously influences Taylor. The book was voted #3 best SF book of 2005 by Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.
A rebuke to the above comments describing the character Neal Anson Clemons as a Mary Sue: Taylor has often been seen as "irked" by such characterization of his main character in such a way. One comment made by him at a science fiction convention is as follows,
"Have people become so average that they can't believe that some of our nations current heroes and successes couldn't exist? What about Chuck Yeager? What about Jim Lovell? What about Story Musgrave? What about Arnold Schwarzenegger? What about Pat Tilman? What about Judy Resnik? You can name hundreds of American Superpeople. What about Madonna? Think how old she is and how she keeps plugging away better than many 20 year olds and smarter at it to boot. A good friend of mine is 52, a national class cyclist, and Chief Scientist of a major DoD contractor firm...what about him? Would you call them all Mary Sues? Look at any fighter pilot or astronaut and you'll see someone that I guess could not really exist because they aren't average. I based Anson on real people I have known in my life. The female characters as well. Calling them Mary Sues is an insult to those people and to the American Dream."
It would seem that Taylor feels strongly about the realistic nature of his characters even if they are most definitely "over achievers".
[edit] The Quantum Connection
Revisiting the world created by Warp Speed, Taylor shows the world from the point of view of another character named Steven Montana. Montana is a prototypical slacker who works in the technology industry. His world is brought to a total halt by events from Warp Speed as The Quantum Connection picks up several years after the events. The book explores the ideas of quantum mechanics, nanotechnology, inter-planetary defense and realistic space-born warfare. This book was voted #5 on Preditors & Editors 2005 Science Fiction book of the year poll.
[edit] Von Neumann's War
Released in August of 2006, Von Neumann's War is a new series and not related to the Warp Speed and The Quantum Connection universe. It is co-authored by Baen author John Ringo.
The novel is about an invasion of the present day Sol System by alien robotic Von Neumann probes, and the battle by Earth's forces to stop them cold. It is a combination of Taylor's hard science-fiction and John Ringo's military-sf. It is also supplemented with an ebook available from Baen called Neighborhood Watch Final Report which is a mock-up classified technical report to the NRO that is delivered within the story.
[edit] An Introduction to Planetary Defense
A Study of Modern Warfare Applied to Extra-Terrestrial Invasion
Co authored with Bob Boan, R.C. Anding and T. Conley Powell, this book offers a serious look at defending the planet in the event of an extra-terrestrial invasion. Rather than paranoid fantasizes. the authors attempt to keep their speculation within the 'known' possible world. It was, however, rushed out into print (unlike Baen publishing, Taylor's normal publisher, the PDF ebook is not easy to use) and suffers from the standard consequences, mainly poor editing. There are not only a number of spelling errors, but several minor factual errors and at least one outright contradiction.
Although the book was well received, some fans commented that it was written very much in the style of preaching to the choir, or in this case preaching to those who were already part of the secret intelligence community. The book therefore assumed a certain shared series of assumptions among its readership, assumptions which are not shared by the wider world. In particular, the authors are very keen that any alien contact should be kept secret, despite the problem that this might be a) impossible, and b) hamper any coordinated global defence effort. Problems within the United States – politicians having a tendency to talk without thinking, NASA wasting money on pretty pictures – are indeed problems…but they cannot be changed by the authors. The book does not put forward any plans, however speculative, for dealing with an invasion in the real world.
[edit] Other Writings
- One Day on Mars a Baen book expected in 2007 (Tau Ceti series)
- The Tau Ceti Agenda a Baen book expected in 2007 (Tau Ceti series)
- The Vorpal Blade a Baen collaboration with John Ringo a sequel to the Ringo book Into the Looking Glass expected in 2007
[edit] Works Featuring Stories by Taylor
- Cosmic Tales: Adventures in Sol System
- The Cleaning Lady
- Are We There Yet?
- Future Washington
- Agenda
- Back to the Moon a nonfiction article in Jim Baen's Universe Magazine
[edit] External links
- Travis S. Taylor's personal website.
- All of Travis S. Taylor's audio interviews on the podcast The Future And You (in which he describes his expectations of the future)
- Baen, Taylor's publisher.
- John Ringo's website.
- Forum on Baen website with section (The Doc's Inn) dedicated to Taylor's works.
- Publication catalog on the Baen website.
