Travis S Taylor
Encyclopedia
Travis Shane Taylor is a scientist and science fiction
author
who lives near Huntsville, Alabama
in the United States
. He holds a doctorate
in Optical Science and Engineering
and master's degree
s in Physics
and Aerospace Engineering
from the University of Alabama in Huntsville
; a master's degree in Astronomy
from the University of Western Sydney
; and a bachelor's degree
in Electrical Engineering
from Auburn University
. He is also a licensed professional engineer
in the state of Alabama
.
, but details of his early life and education are not part of his public biography. He has stated that he worked for over sixteen years for the United States Department of Defense
, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and contractors of those organizations on "various programs", although a detailed resume is not available. Currently, he is working on space 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.
His professional work includes the following papers:
Taylor also claims to have worked with HUMINT
, IMINT
, SIGINT
and MASINT concept studies. He lists his hobbies such as competitive karate
, piloting, SCUBA diving
, riding mountain bike
s and road bikes
and singing in rock bands
.
examines ideas for using quantum mechanics
and general relativity
to create a method of warping space, first for use as a superluminal
propulsion
system and later as a weapon
. The novel introduces Taylor's first recurring character, Dr. Neal Anson Clemons, the physicist who is the primary creator of the warp drive. Much of Dr. "Doc" Clemons's character appears to be inspired by Taylor's own life, from academic background and competitive karate training to sharing the same nickname. Clemons' middle name is shared with Robert Anson Heinlein
, a clear homage to an influential science fiction writer.
The strong resemblance between Clemons and Taylor, along with the tremendous skill, intellect and competence demonstrated by Clemons (and multiple other characters), has given rise to commentary and critiques characterizing Clemons as a "Mary Sue
": a character patterned after the author's personality and appearance, but possessing exaggerated abilities and/or attractiveness. Taylor has been described as "irked" at such reactions; he is quoted as saying:
Regardless of such criticism, Warp Speed belongs to the genre known as an Edisonade
, and the heroes of this genre are inevitably multitalented. It is common for the protagonist of a first novel to be strongly inspired by the author's personal experiences. Warp Speed was voted #3 best science fiction book of 2005 by The Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.
who works in the technology industry. His world was brought to a sudden halt by events from Warp Speed, and The Quantum Connection picks up the story several years after the original events. The book explores the ideas of quantum mechanics, nanotechnology
, inter-planetary defense and realistic space-born warfare. It also introduces the "Grey Aliens" of UFOlogy
. This book was voted #5 on the Preditors & Editors 2005 Science Fiction Book of the Year poll.
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 perspective on the genre. It is supplemented by an e-book
available from Baen called Neighborhood Watch Final Report which is a mock-up of the (fictional) classified technical report to the National Reconnaissance Office
describing the discovery of the invasion force on Mars
at the beginning of the novel.
in the event of an extraterrestrial invasion. Rather than outlining extreme (and possibly paranoid) possibilities for the sake of entertainment, the authors keep most of their speculation within the known possible world (although they do allow for the possibility of faster-than-light travel).
Despite the fact that the book was rushed into print and suffers from the hasty release, most notably because of poor editing (the e-book in particular, which is not issued by Baen, is cumbersome to use), it was well-received by fans. Some have commented that it is written as if Taylor is "preaching to the choir," those who are already familiar with the global covert intelligence community. The book makes several assumptions that are common among its intended readership but not necessarily shared by the general public. In particular, the authors insist that any alien
contact should be kept secret if at all possible, despite the hindrance this would present to a coordinated global defense effort, not to mention the difficulties of maintaining such secrecy in the first place. They also list perceived problems within the United States
, such as shortsightedness and inadequate knowledge of the subject matter on the part of politicians, and a tendency on the part of NASA
to focus on superficial observations that are more beneficial to public relations
.
The book goes on to suggest that an organization be given funding and authority to investigate and prepare for extraterrestrial contact. Its conclusion is a variant on the Precautionary Principle
: the authors advise that it would be better for humanity to prepare for an incursion which never happens than to suffer from an invasion for which we have not prepared.
have launched an attack against the federal military personnel from Earth who have been instructed to guard them and the surrounding area. A senator
, who is there to help with the peace negotiations, and his family get caught up in the subsequent battle and butchery. The senator can only hope to reach safety before he becomes nothing more than a pawn in the separatist leaders' nefarious plan. This book and its sequel
The Tau Ceti Agenda both feature the heavy use of Mech
-like warriors, very similar to those seen in the Robotech series.
, Taylor's next project featured most of the cast from Ringo's solo project Into the Looking Glass
, in the Looking Glass series. Almost written as a homage to Lewis Carroll
's poem Jabberwocky
, Vorpal Blade features the USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) as it takes to the stars in an attempt to find the alien enemy race known as the Dreen. The subsequent books of the series include Manxome Foe and Claws That Catch.
. The first two chapters are available from the publishers website .
. A hard-science story about a NASA moon mission which ends up having to rescue some stranded Chinese astronauts already on the moon. The book is entirely built around Constellation Program technology, and was, unfortunately already obsolete before it came out in print owing to the fiat cancellation of the program just months earlier.
announced a new series which features Dr. Taylor called Rocket City Rednecks
. The first episode showed in September 2011. Dr. Taylor had previously been featured prominently on National Geographic's When Aliens Attack earlier in 2011.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who lives near Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He holds a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Optical Science and Engineering
Optical engineering
Optical engineering is the field of study that focuses on applications of optics. Optical engineers design components of optical instruments such as lenses, microscopes, telescopes, and other equipment that utilizes the properties of light. Other devices include optical sensors and measurement...
and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
from the University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
; a master's degree in Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
from the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
; and a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. He is also a licensed professional engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
in the state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Professional biography
Taylor grew up in rural North AlabamaNorth Alabama
North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama, generally considered to include 12 counties: Cherokee, Colbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston, with a combined population of 958,247, or 20.84% of the state's population as...
, but details of his early life and education are not part of his public biography. He has stated that he worked for over sixteen years for the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and contractors of those organizations on "various programs", although a detailed resume is not available. Currently, he is working on space 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.
His professional work includes the following papers:
- Rewriteable magneto-optic compact disk based optical processor, M. S. Thesis, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 1994
- Laboratory simulation of atmospheric turbulence induced optical wavefront distortion, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 1999
- Advanced solar and laser sail propulsion concepts for interstellar space travel, M.S. Thesis, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2001
Taylor also claims to have worked with HUMINT
HUMINT
HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence, refers to intelligence gathering by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as SIGINT, IMINT and MASINT...
, IMINT
IMINT
Imagery Intelligence , is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. As a means of collecting intelligence, IMINT is a subset of intelligence collection management, which, in turn, is a subset of intelligence cycle management...
, SIGINT
SIGINT
Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people , whether involving electronic signals not directly used in communication , or combinations of the two...
and MASINT concept studies. He lists his hobbies such as competitive karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, piloting, SCUBA diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, riding mountain bike
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
s and road bikes
Road bicycle
The term road bicycle is used to describe bicycles built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Some sources use the term to mean racing bicycle...
and singing in rock bands
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.
Warp Speed
Taylor's first novelNovel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
examines ideas for using quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
and general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
to create a method of warping space, first for use as a superluminal
Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
system and later as a weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
. The novel introduces Taylor's first recurring character, Dr. Neal Anson Clemons, the physicist who is the primary creator of the warp drive. Much of Dr. "Doc" Clemons's character appears to be inspired by Taylor's own life, from academic background and competitive karate training to sharing the same nickname. Clemons' middle name is shared with Robert Anson Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
, a clear homage to an influential science fiction writer.
The strong resemblance between Clemons and Taylor, along with the tremendous skill, intellect and competence demonstrated by Clemons (and multiple other characters), has given rise to commentary and critiques characterizing Clemons as a "Mary Sue
Mary Sue
A Mary Sue , in literary criticism and particularly in fanfiction, is a fictional character with overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, and primarily functioning as a wish-fulfillment fantasy for the author or reader...
": a character patterned after the author's personality and appearance, but possessing exaggerated abilities and/or attractiveness. Taylor has been described as "irked" at such reactions; he is quoted as saying:
"Have people become so average that they can't believe that some of our nation's current heroes and successes couldn't exist? What about Chuck YeagerChuck YeagerCharles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...
? What about Jim LovellJim LovellJames "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., is a former NASA astronaut and a retired captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission...
? What about Story MusgraveStory MusgraveFranklin Story Musgrave is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is currently a public speaker and consultant to both Disney's Imagineering group and Applied Minds in California.-Personal life:...
? What about Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
? What about Pat TillmanPat TillmanCorporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
? What about Judy Resnik? You can name hundreds of American Superpeople. What about MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
? 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 pilotFighter pilotA fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
or astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
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."
Regardless of such criticism, Warp Speed belongs to the genre known as an Edisonade
Edisonade
"Edisonade" is a modern term, coined in 1993 by John Clute in his and Peter Nicholls' The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, for stories based around a brilliant young inventor and his inventions, many of which would now be classified as science fiction...
, and the heroes of this genre are inevitably multitalented. It is common for the protagonist of a first novel to be strongly inspired by the author's personal experiences. Warp Speed was voted #3 best science fiction book of 2005 by The Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.
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 stereotypical slackerSlacker
The term "slacker" is used to refer to a person who habitually avoids work. Slackers may be regarded as belonging to an antimaterialistic counterculture, though in some cases their behavior may be due to other causes ....
who works in the technology industry. His world was brought to a sudden halt by events from Warp Speed, and The Quantum Connection picks up the story several years after the original events. The book explores the ideas of quantum mechanics, nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, inter-planetary defense and realistic space-born warfare. It also introduces the "Grey Aliens" of UFOlogy
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
. This book was voted #5 on the Preditors & Editors 2005 Science Fiction Book of the Year poll.
Von Neumann's War
Released in July 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 BooksBaen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
author John Ringo
John Ringo
John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
. The novel is about an invasion of the present day Sol System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
by alien robotic Von Neumann
John von Neumann
John von Neumann was a Hungarian-American mathematician and polymath who made major contributions to a vast number of fields, including set theory, functional analysis, quantum mechanics, ergodic theory, geometry, fluid dynamics, economics and game theory, computer science, numerical analysis,...
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 perspective on the genre. It is supplemented by an e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
available from Baen called Neighborhood Watch Final Report which is a mock-up of the (fictional) classified technical report to the National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
describing the discovery of the invasion force on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
at the beginning of the novel.
An Introduction to Planetary Defense
Subtitled A Study of Modern Warfare Applied to Extra-Terrestrial Invasion and co-authored with Bob Boan, R.C. Anding and T. Conley Powell, this book examines defending EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in the event of an extraterrestrial invasion. Rather than outlining extreme (and possibly paranoid) possibilities for the sake of entertainment, the authors keep most of their speculation within the known possible world (although they do allow for the possibility of faster-than-light travel).
Despite the fact that the book was rushed into print and suffers from the hasty release, most notably because of poor editing (the e-book in particular, which is not issued by Baen, is cumbersome to use), it was well-received by fans. Some have commented that it is written as if Taylor is "preaching to the choir," those who are already familiar with the global covert intelligence community. The book makes several assumptions that are common among its intended readership but not necessarily shared by the general public. In particular, the authors insist that any alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
contact should be kept secret if at all possible, despite the hindrance this would present to a coordinated global defense effort, not to mention the difficulties of maintaining such secrecy in the first place. They also list perceived problems within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, such as shortsightedness and inadequate knowledge of the subject matter on the part of politicians, and a tendency on the part of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to focus on superficial observations that are more beneficial to public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
.
The book goes on to suggest that an organization be given funding and authority to investigate and prepare for extraterrestrial contact. Its conclusion is a variant on the Precautionary Principle
Precautionary principle
The precautionary principle or precautionary approach states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those...
: the authors advise that it would be better for humanity to prepare for an incursion which never happens than to suffer from an invasion for which we have not prepared.
One Day On Mars
The story takes place on Mars, where a group of separatistsSeparatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
have launched an attack against the federal military personnel from Earth who have been instructed to guard them and the surrounding area. A senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, who is there to help with the peace negotiations, and his family get caught up in the subsequent battle and butchery. The senator can only hope to reach safety before he becomes nothing more than a pawn in the separatist leaders' nefarious plan. This book and its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
The Tau Ceti Agenda both feature the heavy use of Mech
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
-like warriors, very similar to those seen in the Robotech series.
Vorpal Blade
Written as a collaboration with John RingoJohn Ringo
John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
, Taylor's next project featured most of the cast from Ringo's solo project Into the Looking Glass
Into the Looking Glass
Into the Looking Glass, by John Ringo, is the first in the Looking Glass military hard science fiction series. The story involves travel through portals called looking glasses, the discovery of alternate worlds and the aliens that inhabit them....
, in the Looking Glass series. Almost written as a homage to Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's poem Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
, Vorpal Blade features the USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) as it takes to the stars in an attempt to find the alien enemy race known as the Dreen. The subsequent books of the series include Manxome Foe and Claws That Catch.
Human By Choice
Taylor's next book features author Darrell Bain and is from publisher Twilight Times Books. The premise features a retired US Army veteran named Kyle Leverson. Leverson, who is retired due to injuries sustained in combat, awakens one morning to discover some sort of alien pods had crashed onto his property in the remote mountains of ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The first two chapters are available from the publishers website .
The Tau Ceti Agenda
Humanity's Separatist movement prepares the biggest sucker punch ever against Earth governments. The plan Kill the U.S. President at Disney World and drive a quantum-teleported kamikaze starship into a heavily-populated city. One thing the fanatical Separatists haven't figured on: an America military unleashed by a fighting president—an ex-Marine determined that terrorists won't have the final word on humanity's future! Sequel to 'One Day on Mars'. Published 5/1/2008.One Good Soldier
One Good Soldier is the third book hard science military SF series of One Day on Mars and The Tau Ceti Agenda, taking place in a single critical day in the history of the United States of the Sol System, the extra-solar colonies, the Separatist Revolutionaries of the Tau Ceti system, and all of mankind.Back to the Moon
Co-written with Les JohnsonLes Johnson
The Honourable Leslie Royston "Les" Johnson AM is a former Australian politician, minister and High Commissioner.In his mid-twenties, Les Johnson was elected as a Councillor for Sutherland Shire, New South Wales, where he served for five years.Johnson was elected for the Australian Labor Party as...
. A hard-science story about a NASA moon mission which ends up having to rescue some stranded Chinese astronauts already on the moon. The book is entirely built around Constellation Program technology, and was, unfortunately already obsolete before it came out in print owing to the fiat cancellation of the program just months earlier.
Works Featuring Stories by Taylor
- Cosmic Tales: Adventures in Sol System
- "The Cleaning Lady"
- "Are We There Yet?" (nonfiction)
- Future Washington
- "Agenda"
- Jim Baen's Universe Magazine
- "Back to the Moon" (nonfiction)
Television
In the summer of 2011, the National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
announced a new series which features Dr. Taylor called Rocket City Rednecks
Rocket City Rednecks
Rocket City Rednecks is an American television show that focuses on engineering, set in Huntsville, Alabama.The show features Travis Taylor, an aerospace engineer from Huntsville , three of his relatives, and his best friend. All five are highly educated Rocket City Rednecks is an American...
. The first episode showed in September 2011. Dr. Taylor had previously been featured prominently on National Geographic's When Aliens Attack earlier in 2011.
External links
- Travis S. Taylor's personal website
- The Future And You podcast (featuring several interviews with Taylor, in which he describes his expectations of the future)
- Baen Books
- John Ringo's website
- Forum on Baen Books website (the section called "The Doc's Inn" is dedicated to Taylor's works
- Baen Books publication catalog
- Publisher website
- Youtube interview