Episode 108 - The Science
This month is Episode 8 - The Science. The panel discusses their favourite hard sci-fi novels and how science can become an integral part of the narrative. Hear about Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon, Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, Robert L. Forward's Dragon's Egg, and Frank Herbert's Dune.
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Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
The general premise of Altered Carbon surrounds the idea that some humans are almost immortal adjacent because they can transfer their consciousness between bodies - which they call sleeves. This is possible through the use of a cortical stack in the spinal column which stores their consciousness. The main plot of the book centers around Takeshi Kovacs, a former elite soldier who now works as a private investigator. Kovacs is hired by a rich man to investigate his death, which was initially ruled a suicide by the police.
There are a number of subplots and it's deliciously woven into a very noir-esque landscape of organized crime, Russian operatives, black markets, drugs, and brothels. There's also a looming virus - the Rawlins virus - which can scramble cortical stacks and prevent re-sleeving, essentially causing permanent death. We won't give away the ending, but we will say that as with most hard-boiled Detective fiction, Kovacs does see the mystery through to the end.
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Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Rendezvous with Rama, first published in 1973, is set in the 2130s and centers around a cylindrical alien starship that enters our solar system. A group of human explorers then intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries. The novel won both the Hugo and Nebula awards and is regarded as one of the cornerstones in Clarke’s bibliography.
The synopsis for this book is so short because nothing really happens and that is the point. Human astronauts arrive at a passing spaceship and explore it, discovering a large number of interesting things. The reader is on the edge of their seat waiting for the aliens to arrive and deal with the humans. The fact that humans are completely ignored speaks to the insignificance of our race. Awesome.
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Dragon’s Egg by Robert L. Forward
There is a neutron star that develops and through its explosive nature is expelled from its home system. It finally settles in an area that to humans is the tail end of the Draco constellation. Some 30 years after it is discovered Humans go for a visit and find way more than they bargained for.
Simultaneously we learn of life starting on the surface of that star and follow the evolution of a species of beings adapted to this intense gravity (67 million g) that live 1 million times faster than humans.
This book was originally conceived when Forward was inspired by the suggestion (from Frank Drake, Astronomer) that it may be possible for life to exist on the surface of a neutron star. Forward is actually a scientist and originally was going to co-write the book with Larry Niven (both Niven and Asimov have characters named after them in this book). Due to work on Lucifer's Hammer, Forward ended up having to write it himself.
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Dune by Frank Herbert
Dune is set in a distant future amidst a sprawling interstellar empire where noble families vie for control over the desert planet Arrakis. The story centers on Paul Atreides, the young heir to House Atreides, which is assigned control of Arrakis, the only source of a valuable spice called melange in the universe. Melange grants extended life and heightened awareness, making it incredibly valuable. The previous rulers, House Harkonnen, relinquish control reluctantly, and a complex political and ecological drama unfolds.
Paul, with his mother Jessica, discovers he has extraordinary mental and physical abilities due to his mysterious ancestry and exposure to the spice. He becomes the focal point of a prophecy among the planet's native people, the Fremen, who see him as their messiah, "Muad'Dib." As Paul grows into his role, navigating political intrigue, betrayal, and warfare, he embraces his destiny and leads a rebellion against the Harkonnens and the Empire itself. The novel explores themes of politics, religion, ecology, and the consequences of messianic figures in society.
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