Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library discussion

My publisher e-mailed this AP wire to me. It may be of interest to some group members.

Friday, March 7, 7:18 p.m. UTC

Los Angeles (AP) - Astronomer Carl Sagan became Mr. Science for a generation after his 1980 series, "Cosmos", took audiences on a groundbreaking TV journey through the universe.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey", the 21st-century edition debuting Sunday, has a head start with a Twitter following of 1.7 million that's just edged by the starry likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Cee Lo Green.

Tyson, a go-to expert for news reports on Earth-threatening asteroids and other science developments, said his public profile frees him from comparisons to Sagan. The educator and author with a gift for conveying the wonder of discovery died in 1996 at age 62.

Tyson, 55, brings to the program his distinguished credentials as director of the Hayden Planeterium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and an author whose works include "Space Chronicles" and "The Pluto Files".

The new version begins its 13-episode run at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday on Fox and other Fox Networks Group channels including National Geographic, FX and Nat Geo Mundo.

Associated Press

The first episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey more than lived up to the media hype and promotional advertisements preceding its debut.

Mr. Tyson was at his usual personable best - explaining complex scientific terms and theories in an entertaining format that could be easily understood, irregardless of formal education or science background.

The graphics and special effects were of the highest quality and technical accuracy.

At the end of the program, he paid tribute to Carl Sagan, including sharing the sory of how he was Mr. Sagan's guest when Mr. Tyson was only 17. He proudly displayed a signed copy of mr. Sagan's first book, given to him during that visit.