New Releases by Ian Thornton

Halo orbits around the L1 and L2 Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system are important for various lunar missions. They are essential for communication relays and cislunar space surveil- lance. These orbits are not fully periodic and thus require persistent corrective maneuvers to remain closed over several revolutions. These orbits are also prone to small gravitational perturbations from the Sun or Jupiter. For these reasons, various station-keeping algorithms have been studied to design corrective maneuvers. In the simplified case of the Circular Restricted Three Body Problem (CR3BP), Floquet theory can be used to extract valuable information regarding the unstable manifold of halo orbits. Leveraging this information, Floquet Mode Control (FMC) aims to eliminate perturbations along the unstable manifold of the concerned halo orbit. As an under-constrained problem, FMC allows for the addition of constraints to meet specific mission requirements, such as minimizing [delta] V or restricting maneuver direction. Here, the CR3BP is examined in a series of steps: use a single-shooting differential correction algorithm to find halo orbits based on an initial guess, generate a family using parameter continuation, simulate several revolutions of a particular orbit, and use FMC to identify and eliminate unstable motion.

When the planet went into lockdown, many who create for a living or for fun or as part of childhood found themselves being funneled into new ways of expression. Whether it was by design or the path of least resistance or by strict and enforced measures, the mind, we started to see, might adapt and evolve in many astonishing ways, for she needs to keep busied and purposeful. I contacted friends, who in turn put out the word that there was an open forum, without specifications, without age limits; a blank page for those who wanted it. Seasoned and cynical poets, wanted hackers on the run, novelists, fathers, mothers, rock stars, grieving friends, ramblers, pals, big mouths, more shy types, Germans, and young uns. Welcome, all. Thank you, all. This is your book. When you are asked one chilly night far in the future, “Grampa/Nana, what did you do during the plague?” You might rub your hands in front of a warm hearth, smile, chuckle and declare, “I was a poet.” The proof of this you now hold in your hands.

Aleister Crowley, also known as the Great Beast, is one of the most reviled men in history. Satanist, cult leader, debauched novelist and poet, his legacy has been harshly contested for decades. Crowley supposedly died in 1947, but in Ian Thornton's new novel, set in the present day, the Great Beast is alive and well and living in Shangri-la. Now over 130 years old, thanks to the magical air of his mystical location, he looks back on his life and decides it is time to set the record straight. For Crowley was not the evil man he is often portrayed as. This was just a cover to hide his real mission, to save the twentieth century from destroying itself and to set humanity on the road to freedom and liberty. The Death and Afterlife of Aleister Crowley is an epic novel that will make you see this notorious figure in a completely new light, as he encounters an impressive cast of real-life characters including Timothy Leary, The Beatles, Princess Margaret, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock.

Ian Thornton’s remarkable debut novel, now in paperback, is a wild, rollicking novel on chance, friendship, love, regret, and the entire history of the twentieth century. Johan Thoms is poised for greatness. A promising student at the University of Sarajevo, he is young, brilliant, and in love with the beautiful Lorelei Ribeiro. He can outwit chess masters, quote the Kama Sutra, and converse with dukes and drunkards alike. But he cannot drive a car in reverse. And as with so much in the life of Johan Thoms, this seemingly insignificant detail will prove to be much more than it appears. On the morning of June 28, 1914, Johan takes his place as the chauffeur to Franz Ferdinand and the Royal entourage, and with one wrong turn, he forever alters the course of history. Blaming himself for the deaths of the Archduke and his wife, Johan hastens from the scene, and for once his inspired mind cannot process what to do next. Guilt-ridden, he flees Sarajevo, abandoning his friends, family, and beloved in the fear that he has caused them irreparable grievance. He watches in horror as the Great War unfolds, every death settling squarely on Johan’s conscience. Turning his back on his old life, Johan does his best to fade out of memory. But the world has other plans for Johan Thoms. As each passing year burdens Johan with further guilt for his inaction, he seeks solace in his writing and in the makeshift family he has assembled around himself. With everyone from emperors to hooligans at his side, and pursued by the ever-determined Lorelei, Johan winds his way through Europe and the Twentieth Century, leaving his indelible mark on both.

A personal and readable review of how plants and animals colonize islands.

New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.