Friday, May 29, 2026

Strange New Words - May 2026 - Remember, remember...

Hello sci-fi fans! | "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick | Questions to think on while reading about Mars
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May 29, 2026
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Hello sci-fi fans!
After a brief hiatus, we're back, and this month Strange New Words dived into the wild world of "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick. You might know it better as the story that inspired the 1990 Arnie action hit "Total Recall."
 
You can now see our full video discussion of the story here: Strange New Words: Space's sci-fi reader's club | May 2026 | Space

If you’re just joining our sci-fi readers club, you can still read "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" below and see the discussion questions we have pondered.

In our newsletter, you'll also find: 
🌌 A short video roundtable with Ian, Brett, and Ant, where we compare the story to the classic movie, question whether we'd want to implant fake memories, and discuss that ending. 
🗳️  A poll to help choose next month’s story (be sure to get your vote in before June 1)
📚 A few bonus sci-fi book recommendations
🧠 Plus: quizzes and our latest sci-fi coverage

Be sure to let us know your thoughts on this story on our website and social media channels: @spacedotcom! 
 
As a reminder, ‘Strange New Words’ usually lands in your inbox on the first and last Wednesdays of each month (we've been a bit out of sorts this month; normal service will resume). Add spacestrangenewwords@smartbrief.com to your contacts so our transmission doesn’t get zapped by your laser guns (aka spam folder).
 
Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you out there!

— Ian Stokes (Entertainment Editor)

P.s. I mispoke in the video discussion; it's "The Star" by Arthur C Clarke in this month's vote, "Poetry Cloud" by Cixin Liu will be part of July's vote.
 
 
 
 
This Month's Short Story
 
"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick
"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick
A thrilling tale about the power of memories — both real and fake.

First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in April 1966, it's a fascinating dive into the concept of memory alteration. How can you discern truth from fiction when you can't trust your own memories?

Your memories and experiences are what make you, you. They're the cornerstone of your identity, so what happens when you can't trust them?
 
 
 
 
Discussion Questions
 
Questions to think on while reading about Mars
Reading is only half the fun — we're here to talk about the stories too, and we did just that in this month's video discussion. You can find the questions we pondered below, and the video itself on our Strange New Words roundup page.
  1. If you could get a fake memory implanted, would you?
    • If so, what fake memory would you get?
  2. Likewise, if you get a memory removed, would you?
  3. Does the twist ending work?
  4. How did the story compare to the 1990 movie?
See our full video discussion here.
 
 
 
 
Vote For Next Month's Story
 
Here are the story options for June
Be sure to vote before the end of the month!
Vote "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Vote "I have no mouth and I must scream" by Harlan Ellison
Vote "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke
 
 
 
 
Other Sci-Fi Reads
 
Andy Weir's 'The Martian' just got a deluxe edition to celebrate the book's 15-year anniversary, and it's a stunner
Space.com
Before 'Project Hail Mary,' Weir wrote the quintessential space saga now being given a stunning makeover 
 
'Voidverse' is a seriously weird space fantasy novel from 'The OA's' Damien Ober (interview)
Space.com
'For the atmosphere and world of 'Voidverse' to work, I needed the characters and the prose to meld with the setting.'
 
 
 
 
Space.com Staff Speak Sci-Fi
 
Strange New Words: Space's sci-fi reader's club (May 2026)
Space.com
Join Space.com's monthly, virtual reading community where we enjoy science fiction one short story at a time.
 
Read More
 
 
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Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes in fireball | NASA is hatching a 'fast-paced plan' for space telescope | Companies want electromagnetic catapults on the moon

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes in fireball | NASA is hatching a 'fast-paced plan' for space telescope | Could catapults on the moon be used as weapons?
Created for znamenski.spacecom@blogger.com | Web Version
 
May 29, 2026
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The Launchpad
 
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes in fireball
Space.com
We made it to Friday, folks!

And what a day it has already been  — last night, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad in a massive fireball. Thankfully, no one seems to have been injured in the blast, but when you see the video you will see just how intense this event really was. This explosion could not just be a big setback for the company, it could have serious effects on how NASA gets its astronauts to the moon with Artemis. 

Beyond this explosive recent news, we have new science behind the moons of Jupiter and Neptune, a strange new black hole result from the James Webb Space Telescope, and new thoughts on the security implications of a ... possible moon catapult? 

And don't forget to look up  — we have some amazing skywatching opportunities happening over the next few days. From Manhattanhenge to a blue/mini/full moon, there's a lot to see! 

Check out what's big in space below!
 
What happened???
 
 
 
 
 
Spaceflight
 
NASA is hatching a 'fast-paced plan' for space telescope
Space.com
NASA is working hard to predict where in Earth orbit its Swift space telescope will be this fall, so that a private spacecraft can meet up with the observatory and boost its altitude.
 
Preparing for Swift
 
Could catapults on the moon be used as weapons?
Space.com
A new report stresses the strategic and security implications of placing mass drivers on the moon by arguing that these launchers could serve as valuable first strike weapons systems.
 
Should we be concerned?
 
 
 
 
Skywatching
 
Manhattanhenge 2026 begins tonight!
Space.com
Twice a year, the setting sun perfectly aligns with Manhattan's street grid, creating one of New York City's most spectacular skywatching events.
 
Will you see it?
 
How to catch the perfect full moonrise 
Space.com
A rare second full moon arrives this week — and if you get the timing wrong, you'll miss its magic. Here's how to plan it precisely.
 
Mark your calendar
 
 
 
 
Science & Astronomy
 
JWST discovers black hole that formed before host galaxy
Space.com
Observations of "Little Red Dot" ancient galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope could answer the question: which comes first, the black hole or its galaxy? The shocking answer could represent a complete paradigm shift.
 
How is this possible?
 
'Lost planet' may have given Jupiter + Uranus moons
Space.com
New research suggests the moons of Jupiter and Uranus may hint that our planetary neighborhood once had a third ice giant.
 
Learn how it happened
 
 
 
 
Today in Space
 
Europe's heat wave from space | Space photo of the day
Space.com
Europe is experiencing a serious heat wave at the moment, and we have the satellite data to prove it. In new data from Europe's Sentinel-3 mission, we can see the scorching temperatures spreading across the continent.
 
Another scorcher
 
 
 
 
Entertainment
 
Andy Weir's 'The Martian' just got a deluxe edition
Space.com
Before 'Project Hail Mary,' Weir wrote the quintessential space saga now being given a stunning makeover
 
Time for a re-read!
 
 
 
 
Editor's Note
 
Editor's Note
And that's it for our space update today!

We will keep you posted as new information emerges about Blue Origin's explosive event on the pad last night. We do not yet know exactly what happened, but hopefully soon we will have a clearer picture of the events and what this explosion might mean for Blue Origin's future involvement in NASA's Artemis program. We will also continue to share details about the FAA's investigation into the malfunction that happened during SpaceX's recent Starship V3 launch, which caused the FAA to ground the rocket while they look into what really happened. 

Beyond the strange happenings in spaceflight this week, we have some strange science to look forward to as well as some spectacular skywatching. Tonight, those in the NYC area can see the setting sun perfectly framed by the city's grid in the bi-annual Manhattanhenge phenomenon. And this weekend, we can all look up and enjoy not just a regular full moon, but also a Blue Moon and a minimoon (or micromoon). 
 
Lots more to come, stay tuned!
 
 
Ad astra per aspera 
Chelsea Gohd
Content Manager, Space.com
 
 
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