<![CDATA[io9: npr]]> http://tags.lifehacker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png <![CDATA[io9: npr]]> http://io9.com/tag/npr http://io9.com/tag/npr <![CDATA[A Grand Tour of Our Nuclear World]]> Did you ever wonder how the U.S. went from inventing atomic weapons in the 1940s to having a full-scale nuclear weapon industry a decade later? Ever want to visit an atomic test site? Wonder where they make weapons-grade uranium? Ponder the current state of the U.S. nuclear stockpile? Nathan Hodge and Sharon Weinberger's recent book, A Nuclear Family Vacation, has the answers.

A Nuclear Family Vacation: Travels in the World of Atomic Weaponry is like a travelogue/history lesson/geopolitical thriller that traces the development of U.S. nuclear facilities across the nation and weaves it together with the uncertainty of today's nuclear nightmare. Hodge and Weinberger visited missile silos and uranium plants, traveled to Iran, and explored several old test sites near Las Vegas and in New Mexico. This isn't just a guide to nuclear tourism - they discuss controversial proposals for expanding American nuclear stockpiles and resuming American nuclear testing.

The book makes an excellent companion piece to Trinity and Beyond, the Shatner-narrated documentary of U.S. atomic testing that is long on stunning HD mushroom clouds but a little short on detailed information. You can listen to Hodge and Weinberger talk about A Nuclear Family Vacation on NPR's Fresh Air. Image by: Bloomsbury USA.

]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5016754&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NPR Wants Scifi Novels On Your Bedside Table]]> books.jpgNPR's Nancy Pearl, who has probably written enough words about science fiction to fill a couple of Del Rey compendiums with, has laid out of a list of her recommended reading. While technically only two of the books on her list are science fiction, you can't really argue with Frederik Pohl and Joe Haldeman. Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon is a borderline inclusion. Sure, it's fiction, yes there's science in it, but is it science fiction?

It's not a bad list for when you need a literary escape from the looming holiday season, but we'd love to see separate lists for science fiction and fantasy. Don't mix your Pohls and Kays! Although Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians sounds like it might be worth looking into. Check out what she's been reading, and let us know what's on your list.

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