1/10th the the Speed of Light

The third edition of "1/10th the Speed of Light" is a collection of more traditional science fiction stories. No magic, wizards, vampires or beings with powers that violate the laws of physics. The title comes from the main story, entitled ChinaSETI, a novella about an alien civilization where space travel is accomplished the hard way. With stars clustered close together, travel between solar systems becomes possible with massive ships propelled by fusion engines. No warp drives or anti gravity, so ships must accelerate for weeks, coast at a tenth the speed of light, and then decelerate. Rocket powered planes connect the starships with planet surfaces. This is a tedious enterprise driven by overpopulation and the need for scarce elements. As with any territorial expansion, trouble with the natives is a given, especially when your theologians claim they don't exist.

The short story Hospice looks at a future where disease has been conquered, but at a cost that may or may not be avoidable. Gravity Man looks at an even darker side of technology, where attempts to control nature are not beneficial. Flatlanders is a brief tale of youthful rebellion against environmentalism as religion. Chemophobia and Freezing are other comments on the possible negative effects of environmentalism.

Using the rating system for movies, these stories range from PG to PG-13.