Jim Beall (BS-Math, MBA, PE) has been a nuclear engineer for over 40 years, a wargamer for over 50, and an avid science fiction reader for even longer. His experience began as a naval officer aboard USS Long Beach (CGN-9), then design, construction, inspection, and assessment with a nuclear utility, an architect engineering firm, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). USNRC assignments included senior resident inspector and policy assistant for reactors to three different USNRC Commissioners, earning the agency’s Meritorious and Distinguished Service awards. Duties included research into alternative and speculative energy sources, including coal, oil, hydro, geothermal, tidal, solar, wind, fracking, space-based, heavy water reactors, breeder reactors, fusion, and even anti-matter. These studies were a necessary aspect for reviewing energy proposals, assessing technical reports, and drafting speeches. JBIS and Baen Books have published several of his non-fiction articles.