1173 ratings | 28 reviews | avg rating:4.20

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Robert G. Brown

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Poetry, Science

Influences

Heinlein, Rand, Zelazny, Farmer, Brin, Forward, Clarke, Asimov, Bradbu ...more

Member Since

October 2007

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/rgbatduke

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My real biography is way too long and complex for a few hundred words, so this is the reader's digest version. I've lived in Skaneateles, New York, New Delhi, India, West Springfield, Virginia, and for 34 years now in Durham, NC where I teach physics at Duke. I'm married (to Susan F. Isbey MD) and have three boys. We live with three dogs, one cat, and sundry transient animals of all classes.

In addition to doing physics, math, statistics, computing, predictive modelling, and geekstuff like that, I write. A lot. Daily.

I write magazine columns and articles, usually in the field of computing. I've written lots of "learned papers" in physics, mostly published in Physical Review. I've written two books of poetry (much of which has been published ...more

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Robert G. Brown's Blog: Common Sense

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Robert G. Brown’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 285 ratings · 36 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Book of Lilith 3.94 avg rating — 271 ratings — published 2007 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Axioms 2.67 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	When Dead Things Dream 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Love Affair with France: Memorable Holiday Experiences of a Wine Loving Family in France 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hot Tea! 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Equations du Jour: Introductory Physics 2 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Engineering a Beowulf-Style Compute Cluster 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Classical Electrodynamics 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Who Shall Sing, When Man Is Gone 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Trimode Fuze 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Robert’s Recent Updates

Robert made a comment on his review of The Book of Lilith " Kelly wrote: "Nvm I found a copy and the introduction has already gotten me fully invested. That poor woman can write a damn good email. She needs to ...more "
Sep 04, 2024 06:36AM · see review

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Robert’s Groups

Atheists and Skeptics — 2217 members — last activity Aug 16, 2025 12:20PM
This is a group meant for the discussion of atheism and skepticism and the books associated with both. Recommending books arguing for or against relig ...more

Faith and Spirituality — 164 members — last activity Nov 21, 2018 06:16AM
Throughout history, people have justified horrific acts on the basis of faith-- theirs ir right and everyone else's has to be wiped out. This group wi ...more

Questioning Society — 208 members — last activity May 18, 2020 10:04AM
JOIN JOIN JOIN!!!!! come share your thoughts and expand your thinking to a whole new level. Then enter some contests and Read some books, it's almost ...more

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design — 69 members — last activity Mar 10, 2014 09:19AM
Debate away! But please, no crude remarks, personal attacks, or language.

¡ POETRY ! — 22631 members — last activity Oct 16, 2025 12:10AM
No pretensions: just poetry. Stop by, recommend books, offer up poems (excerpted), tempt us, taunt us, tell us what to read and where to go (to read No pretensions: just poetry. Stop by, recommend books, offer up poems (excerpted), tempt us, taunt us, tell us what to read and where to go (to read it!) Goodreads honors wordsmiths: poets and poetry promoted and prompted here. ~~~ "Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits." -- Carl Sandburg “God has a brown voice, as soft and full as beer.” —Anne Sexton On Clouds – “…what primitive tastes the ancients must have had if their poets were inspired by those absurd, untidy clumps of mist, idiotically jostling one another about…” —Yevgeny Zamyatin “If the poet wants to be a poet, the poet must force the poet to revise. If the poet doesn’t wish to revise, let the poet abandon poetry and take up stamp-collecting or real estate.” —Donald Hall “Poetry is a rich, full-bodied whistle, cracked ice crunching in pails, the night that numbs the leaf, the duel of two nightingales, the sweet pea that has run wild, Creation’s tears in shoulder blades.” —Boris Pasternak “Wanted: a needle swift enough to sew this poem into a blanket.” —Charles Simic “Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long to move the stars to pity.” —Gustave Flaubert “Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It’s that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that’s what the poet does.” —Allen Ginsberg. ~~~~~ Amy King, Moderator Amy King is the recipient of the 2015 Winner of the WNBA Award (Women’s National Book Association). Her latest collection, The Missing Museum, is a winner of the 2015 Tarpaulin Sky Book Prize. She serves on the executive board of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts and is co-editing with Heidi Lynn Staples the anthology, Big Energy Poets of the Anthropocene: When Ecopoets Think Climate Change. She is also co-editing the anthology, Bettering American Poetry 2015, and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at SUNY Nassau Community College. ...more

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club — 41206 members — last activity 52 minutes ago
Hi there! SFFBC is a welcoming place for readers to share their love of speculative fiction through group reads, buddy reads, challenges, ...more

Constant Reader — 5980 members — last activity 2 hours, 24 min ago
A forum for friendly discussion of classics, literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry and short stories. We also love movies and art. Don't ask to join th ...more

Young Liberals — 21 members — last activity May 02, 2011 06:48PM
This is a group for all those who are young, opinionated, passionate, and proud to be liberal. We will discuss things that are going on in the country ...more

THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB — 6689 members — last activity 16 hours, 55 min ago
ALL GENRE COMMUNITY OF BOOK LOVERS-Perfect for those interested in good books of any genre, film and lively discussion!- from current fiction, thrille ...more

Book Club — 27 members — last activity Aug 08, 2011 03:19PM
For people who love to read and just want to discuss their favorite books with fellow bookworms!

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Robert’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-6) post a comment »

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message 6: by Robert

Jan 11, 2010 11:47AM

Jennifer wrote: "hahaha! Thanks! It's probably because I don't get upset and think everyone is calling me names and can debate rationally with Nathan! :D Have a great semester!"

Yeah, but those two traits -- not getting upset so that a debate degenerates to name calling and debating rationally -- so rare, so very rare... and not just among the religious. The biggest fight I've had so far on GR was on the atheist and skeptics list where an individual spent a considerable amount of time calling me names (and sometimes even calling Nathan names, ooooo:-) and debating highly IRrationally.

I personally think you'll make a great teacher one day, the kind students remember for thirty years afterwards. Your warmth, sense of humor, patience and lack of anger are real virtues, ones students will definitely appreciate.

Good luck in your semester as well. Feel free to hit me up for online help in any courses where you think I might be able to help -- math and science in general, computer science, and maybe even writing, although there are better writing teachers than I am online on GR, I'm sure. If nothing else I can read papers and critically comment, if you ever need that.

rgb

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message 5: by Jennifer

Jan 11, 2010 09:01AM

hahaha! Thanks! It's probably because I don't get upset and think everyone is calling me names and can debate rationally with Nathan! :D Have a great semester!

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message 4: by Dáithí's

Dec 23, 2009 11:22PM

Wishing you a deep sense of peace and good fortune this holiday season!!!! Happy reading!!!

Pastor Chris

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message 3: by Lauren

Aug 25, 2009 04:15AM

Hey, really random, but I was on the Friendly Atheist blog, and in their advertisement for The Infernova you were quoted! X)

That is all. XD

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message 2: by Claire

Mar 21, 2009 09:48AM

Hi Robert,
Just had to mention, I'm always appreciative of your comments in that God-Atheists group! Your comment recently about Paul and misogyny and the Bible was wonderful. It's so great to discover kindred spirits like yourself! Offsets whatever terrible AIG things are going on that day or whatever else. So, thanks much! Katie S.

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message 1: by Daniel (last edited Aug 25, 2016 01:10PM)

Oct 17, 2007 02:40PM

I'm not going to argue with Robert over Memetic Evolution, but I guess I've already started to argue with him over my latest book. Let's see who wins this one!
What we both agree on is giving FREE e-books to the public in repayment for what the public has given us.

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