Stephen Baxter's Manifold Trilogy

In these three novels and a few related short stories, Baxter explores possible solutions to the Fermi paradox. His first Manifold novel, Time, operates under the conceit that we really are the only ones around, despite high-probability estimates to the contrary. Space, Baxter's second Manifold novel, asserts that there have been a multitude of other civilizations, but various cosmic disasters destroy them before they are able to make connections. The third novel in the series, Origins, posits that intelligent life is actually separated into parallel universes, so that it is impossible for two different civilizations to contact each other. Baxter's Manifold short stories, which are collected in the book Phase Space, explore these and other possible answers to this perplexing question.

Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey

Everybody knows this famous novel of space exploration and the pitfalls of advanced technology. In this story, Clarke postulates that intelligent life does exist independent of our planet and our species — but we're not smart enough to understand their messages. The limited awareness of humans is probably the most plausible explanation for the Fermi paradox, but it's also quite a depressing one.

Terry Bisson's "They're Made Out of Meat"

This Nebula-nominated short story, which Bisson has made available online, is at once hilarious and chilling, an all-dialogue portrayal of intelligent extraterrestrial beings who decide that we're far too primitive to even contact. "What is there to say? 'Hello, meat. How's it going?'" That's one solution of the Fermi paradox — the aliens are here, but they're too snotty to pay us any mind.

David Brin's Uplift series

Brin's Uplift stories, beginning with the 1980 novel Sundiver, contain another assertion that humanity is vastly simple compared to other lifeforms. In this universe, civilizations are not permitted to interact with other intelligent life until they have been "Uplifted" — and that only happens when a vast galactic society decides that they are not only sentient, but sapient. Since every other species in Brin's novels has been found by a far more advanced civilization, genetically modified for thousands of years, and then uplifted, the evolution of the human race seems something of a mystery. Our unique independent development would explain our puzzlement with the Fermi paradox.

Stanislaw Lem's Solaris

In Lem's novel, which has twice been translated to feature films, he explores the idea that alien intelligence operates on a totally different level from our own. Humans who venture to the planet Solaris do discover an intelligent lifeform there, but they are incapable of communicating with it in any way that they understand. Instead, the organism manipulates their emotions and their thoughts without revealing its own, and in the end the planetary researchers are left confused and half-insane. Though this is, again, a depressing idea, it still leaves us with the hope that our society might one day advance enough to commune with others and move forward.

I'm sure you have even more recommendations for Fermi paradox stories, and I urge you to share them with io9 in the comments — but do it quickly. As panelist Michael A. Burstein pointed out, "Wouldn't it be funny if we got a signal from aliens tomorrow and this whole conversation was moot?"

One of the most interesting panels at this year's Readercon was an exploration of the steampunk design movement, as it emerged into the mainstream with May's New York Times Style article. Writer/puppeteer Mary Robinette Kowal, YA fantasy novelist Holly Black, Tor editor Liz Gorinsky, and speculative fiction writer Sarah Micklem gathered to show off their steampunk creations, discuss steampunk's literary origins, share their favorite steampunk websites ... and, of course, to design a Gibson chair for the fannish masses.

As with every genre, there are purists of steampunk — those who insist that if it ain't steam and it ain't punk, it doesn't count (Catherynne Valente is, famously, one of them). Since this style reached the mainstream, however, it became something much broader. At its heart, Kowal and Gorinsky noted, steampunk represents a literary fascination with the past, a desire to bring beauty and care into a seemingly rushed and impersonal modern life. Black called it "decorating like your subgenre," being brave enough to fashion your home and possessions like the fiction of your dreams. It's about individualism and originality: By the time mass-produced, identical steampunk shirts hit Hot Topic, much of the movement's essence will be lost.

In the panelists' view, steampunk also denotes a nostalgia for the days of simple inventions. In the Victorian era, it was possible to look at a typewriter or a sewing machine and divine its purpose from its appearance. No one who still wears a cummerbund could figure out the function of an iPod that way. The exposed gears and bolts of a steampunk machine gives us the illusion that we know how it works, and that we could build one ourselves given the time. Steampunk is the old-fashioned gadgetry to the modern world's newfangled technology.

With that in mind, the panel shared their favorites of the steampunk design movement. They hailed creator Jake von Slatt of the Steampunk Workshop — rightly so, for his steampunk Stratocaster is not to be missed. Also mentioned were the blogs Steampunk Home (I want that rococo outlet multiplier) and Brass Goggles. Though it's not really steampunk design, Black couldn't resist a shout-out to Gothic Martha Stewart either; really, who could?

No steampunk panel would be complete without the revelation of secret art projects by its members. Holly Black was the first to admit to using steampunk design in the renovation of her house, and Mary Robinette Kowal achieved BoingBoing fame a few years ago for her steampunk laptop, but this was the first time anyone had seen Sarah Micklem's objet d'art. It was handmade ... from a piece of leather and two human finger bones. She wouldn't reveal their origin. She did, however, take part in the design of a "Gibson chair," named both for iconic art character the Gibson girl and cyberpunk author William Gibson.

Here are the decided-upon elements of a Gibson chair:

• made out of leather, brass, wood
• steam-powered (possibly featuring an attached "steam jet pack"?)
• steam-heated (or steam-cooled, in the summer)
• very comfortable (mahogany and velvet pads, like an unusually indulgent dentist's chair)
• featuring gears and clockwork
• revolves 360 degrees
• has attached flutter-valve for gentle vibration
• has attached "brain in a jar" for mad scientist purposes
• has attached vampire ray gun for cross-genre purposes

Go forth and create, io9ers! I can bet you someone from that panel will pay you big bucks for such a stylish seat.

Image by Sam Van Olffen.