Tag Archives: doctor who

Book Review: Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

Physics of the Impossible by Michio KakuCo-founder of String Field Theory, Doctor Michio Kaku discusses the scientific plausibility of a wide range of popular science fiction devices, abilities, and technologies in his book, Physics of the Impossible.

The topics covered in this engaging analysis include force fields, invisibility cloaks, phasers, laser beams, lightsabers, teleportation, telepathy, time travel, robots, psychokinesis, UFOs, alien races, faster than light travel, and more. Doctor Kaku references many popular SF TV shows and films including Star Trek, Star Wars, Flash Gordon, Back to the Future, Doctor Who, The Fly, Independence Day, E.T., and others.

I was delighted to note that Doctor Kaku also draws from a rich array of SF novels and short stories such as The Man Without a Body by Edward Page Mitchell, The Disintegration Machine by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Slan by A.E. van Vogt, Larry Niven’s Ringworld series, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and the works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein.

Backed by practical and theoretical physics, chemistry, biology, and a rich history of scientific discoveries, Doctor Kaku offers detailed explanations as to which fictional technologies and abilities might be possible in the future and which are simply impractical—at least based on our current understanding of science.

Physics of the Impossible is by far one of the most enthralling and illuminating scientific discourses I’ve read to date. I equate Doctor Kaku with Doctors Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson for his considerable talents as a science communicator.

About This Writing Stuff…

February may be the shortest month of the year, but I managed to gather the largest collection of articles in quite some time on this blog. We begin with Margaret Atwood’s touching tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin.

Written Word Media offers ten publishing predictions in 2018 that are worth heeding and Writer Beware provides a comprehensive list of Author Solutions copycats.

Randy Ingermanson (aka “The Snowflake Guy”) gives us a lesson on Scene and Sequel. Lisa Cron encourages you to determine what your protagonist wants even before you start writing. Steven Pressfield reminds us that villains are not always people while Danielle Davis recommends (and I highly agree) that short stories provide an effective respite when you need a break from your novel.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

A Tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin by Margaret Atwood

Top Ten Publishing Trends Every Author Needs to Know in 2018 by Ricci

Writing the Perfect Scene by Randy Ingermanson

X-Ray for Authors: Tips and Tricks from Kindle Direct Publishing

The Strange Copyright of Doctor Who and The Shape of Non-Plagiarism by Jonathan Bailey

How To Write Memorable and Compelling Monologues by Ken Miyamoto

Army of Clones: Author Solutions Spawns a Legion of Copycats by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware

Putting Conflict to Work in Your Stories, Part 1: Why Your Story Needs Conflict by Laura DiSilverio

Reboot Your Novel with the Short-Story Remedy by Danielle Davis

The Villain is Not Always a Person by Steven Pressfield

What Does Your Protagonist Want BEFORE the Story Starts? by Lisa Cron

Avoid Top 5 Writing Mistakes – Make Your Writing Better by AJ Humpage