A History of Science Fiction: A Brief Introduction to the Genre, the Books, and the Culture that Defines It

A History of Science Fiction: A Brief Introduction to the Genre, the Books, and the Culture that Defines It Review

Submarine voyages. Nuclear explosions. Men on the moon. Today they belong to history, but science fiction first brought them to our attention often decades before any actual invention. But this often misunderstood genre does more than predict the future. Foremost, it entertains, but it also changes our perspective, giving us a glimpse of the present we would otherwise miss.

This book is a brief introduction to the genre. It provides the history of science fictions five major time periods, and shows the culture that influenced the work.

This book is also sold as an anthology that includes dozens of classic science fiction stories. Search for "A History of Science Fiction" for all editions of the book.

The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors

The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors Review

A wonderfully readable account of scientific development over the past five hundred years, focusing on the lives and achievements of individual scientists, by the bestselling author of In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat

In this ambitious new book, John Gribbin tells the stories of the people who have made science, and of the times in which they lived and worked. He begins with Copernicus, during the Renaissance, when science replaced mysticism as a means of explaining the workings of the world, and he continues through the centuries, creating an unbroken genealogy of not only the greatest but also the more obscure names of Western science, a dot-to-dot line linking amateur to genius, and accidental discovery to brilliant deduction.

By focusing on the scientists themselves, Gribbin has written an anecdotal narrative enlivened with stories of personal drama, success and failure. A bestselling science writer with an international reputation, Gribbin is among the few authors who could even attempt a work of this magnitude. Praised as “a sequence of witty, information-packed tales” and “a terrific read” by The Times upon its recent British publication, The Scientists breathes new life into such venerable icons as Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling, as well as lesser lights whose stories have been undeservedly neglected. Filled with pioneers, visionaries, eccentrics and madmen, this is the history of science as it has never been told before.


From the Hardcover edition.

National Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Time Line

National Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Time Line Review

From the ancient conquest of fire and the first turn of a wheel to the latest in scientific leaps toward the stars, this easy-access history offers a panoramic perspective on humankind’s restless quest for the laws, theories, and tools by which we can grasp and master our universe.

This concise, concentrated, consistently organized look at our species’ key scientific and innovative achievements spans all human history, presenting ten distinct eras from the first glimmers of intelligence to the cutting-edge technologies of the modern world. Within these intuitive divisions, all human scientific endeavors and achievement are divided into four general fields of inquiry and arrayed into four basic geocultural regions for easy comparison in a logical, systematic grid format highlighted by 350 photographs, maps, illustrations, and diagrams that add graphic emphasis to key information. Special two-page feature spreads explore the most revolutionary developments in greater depth; compelling, expertly composed essays and memorable quotations add sparkle; and informative sidebars provide specifically focused items of information about particular inventions, ideas, or themes. Completing this comprehensive approach, an extensive glossary explains unfamiliar terms, and a detailed index makes it a simple matter to follow a particular field or process from its origin through its complete cross-cultural evolution. This is a reference as usefully accessible as it is inherently fascinating.

Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library)

Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library) Review

This is a book about the life and work of Archimedes, the Greek mathemetician, a book designed particularly for students in home school situations but interesting for any young reader.