My very exciting magic carpet just sailed under nine palace elephants! No, I’m not hallucinating; the previous sentence is a clever new mnemonic device for remembering the names of the planets and their order from the sun.

Speaking of outer space, the new Battlestar Galactica airs on 4/4/2008. Finally! The new Galactica is so much more than a space opera; it’s high quality speculative fiction. But don’t take my word for it, even the New Yorker gave the show a thumbs up:

“The story isn’t ridiculous—something that viewers are on the lookout for in science fiction more than in any other genre—and it raises questions that nag at you in the same way that life on Earth does. “Battlestar Galactica,” refreshingly, is as real as science fiction gets.”

Here’s a link to a recap of the first 3 seasons. It’s a good refresher for fans and newbies alike, and is even a bit funny. I can hardly wait to find out whether or not Starbuck is a Cylon or not. What do you think?

Speaking of Cylons, Permuted Press is currently seeking submissions for an anthology featuring a new twist on robots. How about writing some speculative fiction of your own? Details can be found here. I hope to get my idea finished in time…