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Works

Star Settlers: The Billionaires, Geniuses, and Crazed Visionaries Out to Conquer the Universe

While millions of people take an interest in space exploration and astronomical discovery, a smaller group—including elite scientists, technologists, science fiction enthusiasts, and billionaires—believe that humanity's destiny is to populate the stars. This book, to be published in 2020, will explore the history of this sentiment and question whether we are ready for space colonization and, conversely, whether space is ready for us.

The Man from Mars: Ray Palmer's Amazing Pulp Journey

"A joy to read.” --Rob Latham, Editor, Science Fiction Studies

As editor of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories and creator of publications such as Other Worlds, Imagination, Fate, Mystic, Search, Flying Saucers, and Space Age, Palmer pushed the limits and broke new ground in SF publishing in the 1940s and 1950s--and was reviled for it by SF purists.

Wonder Shows: Performing Science, Magic, and Religion in America

A colorful history of traveling magicians, hypnotists, inventors, popular science lecturers, and other presenters of "miracle science" who revealed science and technology to the public in an awe-inspiring fashion.

“Promises and Paradoxes, 1945 to the Present,” World History Encyclopedia

Fred Nadis and Jack Waskey, editors, volumes 20-21, World History Encyclopedia, eds. Alfred J. Andrea and Carolyn Neel, Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011.

Camille Flammarion's Amazing Universe

Through detailed astronomical texts and fanciful accounts, this French adventurer walked the line between science and science fiction.

"What Happens When Society Decides That Nerds Are Dangerous?"

June 17, 2014 essay in Vanity Fair online.

"Tony Oursler's Family Gothic"

Essay for July 2015 exhibition catalog about multimedia artist Tony Oursler, whose grandfather was a magician, novelist, and friend of Houdini and Arthur Conan-Doyle.

"Citizen Funt—Surveillance as Cold War Entertainment.”

In, Julie Anne Taddeo and Ken Dvorak, editors, The Tube Has Spoken: Reality TV and History. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2009.

"From Animism to Anime: Nature at Aichi World Expo.”

Essay that appeared in Technology and Culture, 2007