Science fiction Novels Written by Real Scientists

Every professional writer knows the golden rule: write about what you know. This allows you to achieve the best result in a relatively short time. Who can write the best science fiction? The answer is obvious: real scientists who understand the issue much more deeply than all potential readers worldwide.

5 Science fiction Novels Written by Real Scientists

1. “The Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov (1941)

Today, Isaac Asimov is famous primarily for his laws of robotics, which are reflected in many novels and films. Before writing, the science fiction writer was engaged in real science, received a doctorate in chemistry, and became an associate professor at the Medical School of Boston University. Later, the degree was revoked due to a prolonged lack of scientific activity.

However, after Asimov became a global figure, the school recognized his contribution to the development of science and awarded him the status of professor in 1979. You will need a lengthy article to list all the novels, short stories, and essays from Isaac Asimov’s pen, so consider the breakthrough work “The Arrival of the Night.” Many critics call this book one of history’s greatest science fiction stories.

The plot is about the planet Kalgash, located in a multi-star system, which is why there is always at least one star in the sky. Night never comes here. Nevertheless, a civilization dies every 2049 years for some unknown reason. Local scientist Aton 77 discovers the disaster is about to happen again. Astronomical calculations and archaeological evidence indicate that night does happen.

The planet plunges into darkness once every two thousand years, which terrifies the population and drives them crazy. General panic causes the collapse of civilization, so Aton must figure out how to pass on information to future generations.

2. “Panorama of the Times,” Gregory Benford (1980)

Gregory Benford, a professor at the University of California, has more than 200 scientific publications and is considered a notable figure in physics. Perhaps he wrote the first fantasy story about the threat of computer viruses. The author of two dozen novels highlights the “Panorama of Time,” considering this book unconditionally the best. The story develops in two time periods.

The world of 1998 is on the verge of an environmental catastrophe. Scientists who could not change the situation sent a warning message in 1962. Tachyons— hypothetical particles capable of moving faster than the speed of light are used for this purpose. At the same time, special attention is paid to the “grandfather’s paradox.” We need to ensure that past interference does not affect the ability to send a message in the future because otherwise, the plan will fail.

The novel’s protagonist, aspiring scientist Gordon Bernstein, receives a strange message in 1962 and tries to attract the attention of the academic community, but runs into bureaucracy. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. Thus, the scientific community itself may end the issue of human civilization’s survival.

3. “False Blindness”, Peter Watts (2006)

Peter Watts is a Canadian scientist, a famous writer, and a criminal convicted of libel. His main specialization was the study of marine biology, which influenced the nature of fantasy novels. Readers have called “False Blindness” Watts’ best work, although literary critics disagree. The story begins in 2082. Humanity detects an alien intelligence signal and sends a research mission to the Oort Cloud. The crew consists of cybernetically modified humans.

There’s a synthetic biologist on board, a linguist with a surgically induced split personality, and a vampire whose presence would make sense. It’s impossible to describe it without spoilers. “False Blindness” is a space horror with philosophical overtones. The crew of Theseus’ ship makes contact with an unknown form of intelligence that tries to frighten or even kill the guests.

At some point, one of the people suggests that this hypermind may not be aware of itself and does not understand anything it hears or says. At the same time, doubts arise about the human mind. Is our model of self-awareness excellent, and does it exist at all?

4. “The Door to the Ocean” by Joan Slonczewski (1986)

Many specialized publications refer to the work of Professor of Microbiology Joan Slonchevsky. The most famous publication was about the development of E. coli. Genetic engineering also occupies a prominent place in research. The Door to the Ocean is the first award-winning book in the Elysium series. The distant future — humanity has mastered hundreds of planets. A female colony thrives on the Shor satellite, which resembles Europa or Enceladus.

These are not people anymore — genetic engineering allows you to breathe underwater and live in complete harmony with the environment. Society is built on the principles of nonviolence and egalitarianism. One day, representatives of another branch of humanity who are more familiar to us arrive at Shora. Sudden contact threatens the physical survival of the “shorers” and their philosophical views. How can nonviolence resist invasion, and is surrender part of an order that maintains harmony?

5. “Contact”, Carl Sagan (1985)

Carl Sagan hardly needs an introduction: Voyager’s gold plate is his handiwork. The Harvard University professor has made an invaluable contribution to the development of astrophysics, published hundreds of articles, and written several excellent books. Sagan became most famous for his popular science works on space. Speaking of fiction, it is worth highlighting the novel “Contact.” The main character, Eleanor Arroway, works at the center of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

The scientific community believes that the money allocated for the program is being wasted and insists on closing the project. Eleanor receives a radio signal containing a sequence of prime numbers one day. This is proof of the existence of intelligent life beyond the Earth. From that moment on, the leaders of the largest countries and corporations began to take the issue of aliens much more seriously.

Work out possible contact scenarios. Notably, Carl Sagan received a record advance for an unwritten novel. Publisher Simon & Schuster paid over two million dollars for the rights to the upcoming bestseller (today, it is 7.5 million). Within two years of its publication, the book sold 1.7 million copies, after which it was republished and filmed many times.