A little about me: I'm an older guy who grew up reading great science fiction by such masters as Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, and Robert Heinlein. My favorite current authors are Neal Stephenson and Alastair Reynolds. I started writing a few years ago to try to create a book (and now series) that I think my younger self would have loved to read. Hopefully you will, too! And if you have any comments, I promise to always read your emails to me, and provide a response. I love hearing from my readers!
Horology is the study of the measurement of time (not quite what they meant in Pirates of the Caribbean in this gag). I'm interested in ancient methods of measuring time, as I need to come up with an organic timer for my current book (more on that later).
We're pretty familiar with sundials and sand in hourglasses, but did you know that in ancient times people used bowls of water, one leaking out into another, to measure time passing? The arrangement shown here, from the 5th century BC, could measure several hours.
The ancient Chinese used incense sticks which burned evenly to keep track of time. Others similarly used candles. In the 13th century, people started using mechanisms with gears and weights, using various devices to slow things down (to make it last). For instance, an early clock used a weight to turn an axle, slowing its motion by a system of holes releasing water. This eventually led to striking devices to slow it, and springs to drive the gears.
In my current book, I need to provide my characters with a timer they can use in space while waiting for the Star Rider to pick them up. It needs to contain only organic material (as required by the Star Riders), and work in zero-gravity. So no pendulums, metal springs, and no weights driving things. What I've got so far is a device with wooden cogs, driven by stretching an elastic band made from animal guts, which would have to be repeatedly reset. I'd like something better, something more elegant. And so I turn to you all, in hopes that someone out there has a better idea.
Back when I was writing Star Riders, and learning about publishing, I went to a book signing at a library and met a new local author, Carol Pouliot. She was a mystery writer (not a sci-fi writer), and she'd written her first novel called Doorway to Murder. It contained a time travel element: a woman in 2014 discovered a doorway in her house that connected to 1934 and a police detective. She ends up helping him solve a murder. Carol's latest novel in this series is Murder at the Moulin Rouge, where her characters find themselves in 1895 France, solving a murder of a cancan dancer. I'm enjoying it right now! Congrats to Carol on her book being nominated for the 2026 Agatha award for cozy mystery!
Return to the Galaxy from BA Gillies is described as "Perfect for fans of John Scalzi and Craig Alanson, with the epic scope of The Expanse and the fleet warfare of David Weber." Winner of the 2025 London Book Festival for Science Fiction, and free on Amazon if you have Amazon Prime (you don't need Kindle Unlimited for this). I'm going to check it out, why don't you?
Happy Reading!
Rick A. Allen
The Star Riders series:
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A little about me: I'm an older guy who grew up reading great science fiction by such masters as Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, and Robert Heinlein. My favorite current authors are Neal Stephenson and Alastair Reynolds. I started writing a few years ago to try to create a book (and now series) that I think my younger self would have loved to read. Hopefully you will, too! And if you have any comments, I promise to always read your emails to me, and provide a response. I love hearing from my readers!
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