NASA and Tor team up to bring out hard SF

Got a press release today talking about this article by The Wall Street Journal on how NASA and Tor Books are partnering to create more fact based science fiction, aka hard SF.

The first of these 'NASA-inspired works of fiction' is:

PILLAR TO THE SKY by William Forstchen, the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After, is the first in the series and was released today. The new novel takes technology to a whole new level with the introduction of a space elevator that offers infinite possibilities that could transform the world. Forstchen’s latest extraordinary story exemplifies the driving force behind America’s superpower status throughout history - the brilliant and inquiring minds of its scientists, visionaries, entrepreneurs and leaders in technology who see the future as a challenge to achieve the impossible.

To commemorate the event, they're having a talk/signing with both William Forstchen and the scientist who advised him, John Panek, PhD.  Details from the release below:

Greenbelt, MD – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, are excited to announce a special public speaking engagement for local high schools and universities with Goddard scientist Dr. John Panek and William Forstchen, the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After and the new release PILLAR TO THE SKY (February 11, 2014), on Wednesday, Feb. 19th, from 10:00-11:30 AM at Goddard’s Visitor Center.

Forstchen will be signing copies of PILLAR TO THE SKY after the presentation, and attendees will be invited to tour the center’s breathtaking “Science on a Sphere” room, which is a mesmerizing visualization system developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that uses computers and video projectors to display animated data of objects in the solar system on the outside of a suspended, 6-foot diameter, white sphere.

The event celebrates the partnership forged between Tor and NASA in releasing the new book, which is the first title in a thrilling new series of “NASA-Inspired Works of Fiction” that are intended to not only educate, but also encourage young adults to examine the rewarding careers that science and technology have to offer. With the enormous popularity of science fiction—countless people who work in the fields of science and technology credit science fiction as a significant inspiration for their career choice—the ultimate goal of the series is to raise awareness and inspire the study of the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), while educating the general public on the significant role NASA plays in everyday lives.