Books in the Science and Fiction series

Yet, in the newly settled Simpac system, some unexpected and worrying anomalies begin cropping up, making an urgent expedition to the system necessary: is it the underlying data, the computations, or is some unknown entity tampering with the space colonization program?

This collection of science fiction writings by Jayant V. Narlikar offers readers a unique glimpse into the world-famous Indian astrophysicist¿s vivid and highly imaginative concepts and stories.The fictional material comprises a witty short story ("The rare idol of Ganesha") that cleverly explores the possible consequences of a mirror-symmetric individual in the context of cricket test match performances, as well as the fast-paced, gripping science fiction thriller "The return of Vaman": when an alien container is unearthed by a crew of scientists, the enormous potential technological applications of its contents bring various criminal elements on the scene ¿ but when the real danger becomes apparent it is almost too late to save humanity.Last but not least, the book provides readers with extensive insights into the genesis and scientific background of the fictional material presented in this volume, along with an autobiographical account of the author¿s life-long interest in science fiction and his contributions to the genre.About the author:Jayant V. Narlikar is internationally known for his work in cosmology, in particular for championing models alternative to the standard big-bang theory. He was president of the cosmology commission of the International Astronomical Union from 1994 to 1997. He has received several national and international awards and honorary doctorates - he is a Bhatnagar awardee, as well as recipient of the M.P. Birla award, the Prix Janssen of the French Astronomical Society and an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society of London. He is Fellow of the three Indian national science academies as well as of the Third World Academy of Sciences. Well beyond his scientific research, Prof. Narlikar is widely known as a science communicator through his books, articles and radio/TV programs and he was honored by the UNESCO in 1996 with the Kalinga Award.He made his debut in science fiction writing in 1974, bywinning the top prize in the story writing competition organized by the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, a non-governmental organization engaged in science popularization.

The scientific and technical aspects underlying the plot - in particular space travel, robotics and self-replicating spacecraft - are introduced and discussed by the author in an extensive non-technical appendix.

This book introduces and illustrates the emergent topic of space psychology in form of a science fiction novel. It details the real psychological issues that could affect a crew returning from a long-duration mission to Mars.

This book uses science fiction film as a vehicle for exploring science concepts. Over 100 references to science fiction films and television episodes are included, spanning more than 100 years of cinematic history. Includes numerical examples and solutions.

Like many fields of science, the future of medicine is frequently predicted by the science fiction writers of today, very much as many of today's medical advances were presaged by science fiction stories of the past.

For hundreds of years, philosophers, scientists and science fiction writers have pondered these questions and many more.In Holy Sci-Fi!, popular writer Paul Nahin explores the fertile and sometimes uneasy relationship between science fiction and religion.

Beyond Human is an informative and accessible guide for all those interested in the developing sciences of genetic engineering, bio printing and human cloning.