Posthuman Blues

The wonderful gang at Malin Space Science Systems wants to charge me/my publisher $1400 for use of NASA images that have already been paid for by American taxes. Apparently they know my book is about the Face on Mars, etc. and want to make things as difficult as possible. They wouldn't even respond to my publisher's repeated email and post-mail inquiries until Simon & Schuster paid them an unannounced phone-call. According to MSSS, they've been "backlogged." Doing what? Stealing from other authors who dare to question the official verdict on alien architecture?

The irony is that if I hadn't asked permission I could have used all the MSSS images I'd wanted and they wouldn't have raised a fuss -- other authors have done it. This is what you get for playing it straight.

If NASA stands for "Never A Straight Answer" and JPL stands for "Just Plain Lying," what does MSSS stand for? Hmmm . . .