> Must be something about this story, or perhaps the SR-71, that grabs our attention.
The SR-71 is a fantastic setting for any story, but I think what grabs me most about the story is the rationality of it. He wakes up in a strange situation, starts deducing where he is, what his situation is, how his safety systems are functioning, etc, and lands safely; then, a thorough investigation replicates the accident, finds all the root causes of the breakup, and addresses them one by one.
The SR-71 is a fantastic setting for any story, but I think what grabs me most about the story is the rationality of it. He wakes up in a strange situation, starts deducing where he is, what his situation is, how his safety systems are functioning, etc, and lands safely; then, a thorough investigation replicates the accident, finds all the root causes of the breakup, and addresses them one by one.
It's no more surprising that the story is catnip for HN than, say, the comic "Fleep" is http://www.aaronsw.com/2002/fleep/