Astronomy professor and science fiction author, Mike Brotherton, had a brilliant idea. A lot of people get their ideas about science from fiction, but the problem is that much of the science in fiction is really bad. He decided to put together an online anthology to use in conjunction with teaching astronomy. The National Science Foundation thought it was a good idea and funded his project, Diamonds in the Sky as a collection of astronomy-based science fiction stories.
He said, “The purpose of the anthology is to provide stories with ample and accurate astronomy spanning a range of topics covered in introductory courses. Instructors in high school and college may find these stories useful, as some students learn concepts more easily through story than from lecture. Fans of science fiction with good science should also enjoy these stories.”
These free stories come from Hugo, Nebula and Campbell-award winning authors.
(From the Boing Boing blog)