W. Patrick McCray Knihy

In 1969, Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill began looking outward to space colonies as the new frontier for humanity's expansion. A decade later, Eric Drexler, an MIT-trained engineer, turned his attention to the molecular world as the place where society's future needs could be met using self-replicating nanoscale machines. These modern utopians predicted that their technologies could transform society as humans mastered the ability to create new worlds, undertook atomic-scale engineering, and, if truly successful, overcame their own biological limits. The Visioneers tells the story of how these scientists and the communities they fostered imagined, designed, and popularized speculative technologies such as space colonies and nanotechnologies. Patrick McCray traces how these visioneers blended countercultural ideals with hard science, entrepreneurship, libertarianism, and unbridled optimism about the future. He shows how they built networks that communicated their ideas to writers, politicians, and corporate leaders. But the visioneers were not immune to failure - or to the lures of profit, celebrity, and hype. O'Neill and Drexler faced difficulty funding their work and overcoming colleagues' skepticism, and saw their ideas co-opted and transformed by Timothy Leary, the scriptwriters of Star Trek, and many others. Ultimately, both men struggled to overcome stigma and ostracism as they tried to unshackle their visioneering from pejorative labels like "fringe" and "pseudoscience." The Visioneers provides a balanced look at the successes and pitfalls they encountered. The book exposes the dangers of promotion - oversimplification, misuse, and misunderstanding - that can plague exploratory science. But above all, it highlights the importance of radical new ideas that inspire us to support cutting-edge research into tomorrow's technologies

The narrative highlights the emergence of the "Moonwatchers," a group of everyday individuals who became vital contributors to the early Space Age following the launch of Sputnik in 1957. These citizen-scientists collaborated with professional astronomers, offering essential data on the first satellites. Patrick McCray captures their spirit of civic pride and excitement for space exploration, revealing how these largely overlooked pioneers played a crucial role in one of the most significant scientific endeavors of the twentieth century.

An irreverent and insightful guide to the world of television's landmark gothic horror series, Dark Shadows.

Presents a visual retelling of the King's extraordinary life.

For the first time ever, one of Rock 'N' Roll Comics most acclaimed series is collected and back in print! The Elvis Presley Experience is both scholarly and dramatic in its graphic recreation of the King's remarkable life story. Though the series was among the best selling contemporary bio-graphic comics of the 1990s, the individual issues have been out of print for over ten years. This 200 page collection features art by future Marvel and DC star Aaron Sowd (Wolverine, Hawkman, Nightwing & Flamebird, etc), with a story co-scripted by Babylon 5 TV vet Patrick McCray (Star Wars: Sith Apprentice, Star Trek: The Continuing Mission).