The Science of Science Fiction - The Influence of Film and Fiction on the Science and Culture of Our Times (Paperback)

Let Mark Brake open your eyes to how science fiction helped us dream of things to come and building the future we inhabit-from Star Trek to The Martian, from Back to the Future to Guardians of the Galaxy from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Avengers. Media headlines declare this the age of automation. The TV talks about the coming revolution of the robot, tweets tell tales of jets that will ferry travelers to the edge of space, and social media reports that the first human to live for a thousand years has already been born. The science we do, the movies we watch, and the culture we consume is the stuff of fiction that became fact, the future imagined in our past-the future we now inhabit. The Science of Science Fiction is the story of how science fiction shaped our world. No longer a subculture, science fiction has moved into the mainstream with the advent of the information age it helped realize. Explore how science fiction has driven science, with topics that include: Guardians of the Galaxy: Is Space Full of Extraterrestrials? Jacking In: Will the Future Be Like Ready Player One? Mad Max: Is Society Running down into Chaos? The Internet: Will Humans Tire of Mere Reality? Blade Runner 2049: When Will We Engineer Human Lookalikes? And many more! "This book is the story of how science fiction shaped our world. No longer a subculture, science fiction has moved into the mainstream with the advent of the information age it helped realize. Explore how science fiction has driven science. This book will open your eyes to the way science fiction helped us dream of things to come, forced us to uncover the nature and limits of our own reality, and helped us build the science-fiction-driven world we live in today."

General

Imprint:	Skyhorse Publishing
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	The Science of
Release date:	October 2018
Authors:	Mark Brake
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 18mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	232
ISBN-13:	978-1-5107-3936-9
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Impact of science & technology on society
LSN:	1-5107-3936-X
Barcode:	9781510739369

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My review

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 | Review by: Tanya K.

In "The Science of Science Fiction", Mark Brake explores how science fiction has driven science and ultimately shaped the world we live in, and how it may possibly shape the future. The book is formatted into numerous short chapters that attempt to answer questions suggested by a variety of science fiction novels and movies, in terms of current scientific knowledge. This makes it a great book for dipping in and out or when you only have short periods to squash a reading session into. The book is separated into 4 categories: Space; Time; Machine; and Monster. Topics covered in the book include various astrobiology questions involving aliens, parallel worlds, time travel, life in the universe, wormholes, quantum physics, space exploration, colonising Mars and the Moon, space travel, space tourism, cybernetics, flying cars, cyberspace, robots and artificial intelligence, the internet, state surveillence as described in 1984 by George Orwell, genetic engineering, superpowers (X-men, spiderman), supersoldiers, cloning, androids, and a whole lot more. I found this an entertaining and well-written book, but rather superficial in terms of the science covered. I really would have liked more science, but then this is a book exploring how science fiction influenced science and not a science book. However, the book did provide several interesting factoids such as "[Johannes] Kepler, who also wrote science fiction, used the power of imagination to conjure spaceships over 350 years before men landed on the Moon." Who knew that the 17th century mathematician and astonomer also wrote science fiction? NOTE: This book refers heavily to science fiction novels and movies, so those not interested at all in science fiction might feel a bit lost. But it is a great introduction to other science-fiction novels/movies and how science fiction encourages scientific research and our modern world. NOTE: I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion of the book.

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