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How Science Shapes Science Fiction
Whether science fiction is exploring current realities, extrapolating from the present to create imaginary futures, or just creating interesting settings for character-driven stories, it often relies on real science to both entertain and build stories that can transport us into astonishing new worlds. In the 24 lectures of How Science Shapes Science Fiction, Professor Charles L. Adler of St. Mary’s College of Maryland looks at dozens of books, movies, and television shows to unearth the science behind the fiction. From the physics of space flight and the ecology of exoplanets to the creation of alien languages and the paradoxes of time travel, you will uncover the ways real-world science is applied by writers and filmmakers—and consider what they might alter or leave out for the sake of a good plot.
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Published August 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 19, 2022
I found this on sale at The Great Courses site for only $20 as an audio download that comes with a PDF outline.
(https://www.thegreatcourses.com/cours...)
It was a great deal since two of my favorite things come together in this series of lectures. The TOC (listed below) speaks well enough for the material covered. He covers both books & movies with an emphasis on the first, thankfully. I've read or watched almost all of them, so I didn't have to waste brain power on that aspect. Instead I could concentrate on the lessons he pulled out of them. He also does a pretty good job of tracing portions of the evolution of SF. If you're new to the genre, reading the books & stories he holds up as examples would be a great introduction.
Adler is a physicist & spends most of his time looking at SF through that lens, although he occasionally gets into other sciences briefly. While I missed some of the biology & chemistry he could have covered, it was probably best that he stayed in his lane. His explanations were usually quite good & he avoided getting too technical. While he did some calculations, he kept them simple.
He's very even-handed in his treatment of the material.
- He's a big fan of Becky Chambers & points out a lot of good science in the Wayfarers trilogy, but also points out where she apparently confused a tidally locked planet & moon in her descriptions of Port Coriol & the issues of powering a spaceship with algae.
- He takes Jules Verne to task for the bullet to the moon in From the Earth to the Moon while praising the rest of the actual science behind the story. It's the best explanation I've come across for its launch location being so close to Cape Canaveral.
- The 6th lecture covers Iron Man, Captain America, & Spiderman. It was the most fun even if he did ruin Iron Man's flying & Captain America's shield. He made up for it by getting into Spiderman's webbing.
He's a good lecturer & a pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend this to one & all.
Table of Contents
1 Science and Fiction! The Wayfarers Series
2 Cheating the Science: Protector
3 Prediction: From the Earth to the Moon
4 World‑Building in The Left Hand of Darkness
5 Advanced World‑Building in Avatar
6 Action and Reaction in The Avengers
7 Space Travel and 2001: A Space Odyssey
8 Interplanetary Travel and The Martian
9 Space Battles and Energy Weapons: Star Wars
10 Advanced Rocket Systems in Star Trek
11 Relativity and Time for the Stars
12 Black Holes, Wormholes, and Interstellar
13 Time Travel and Doctor Who
14 Teleportation and Star Trek
15 Cyberspace and the Singularity: Neuromancer
16 Steampunk Science and Leviathan
17 Design Your Own Dragon: Game of Thrones
18 Planetary Ecology in Dune
19 Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Contact
20 UFOs, ESP, and The X-Files
21 Social Sciences and the Foundation Series
22 Designed Languages and Arrival
23 Cosmology, the Mind, and Star Maker
24 Science Fiction’s Purpose: Childhood’s End
(https://www.thegreatcourses.com/cours...)
It was a great deal since two of my favorite things come together in this series of lectures. The TOC (listed below) speaks well enough for the material covered. He covers both books & movies with an emphasis on the first, thankfully. I've read or watched almost all of them, so I didn't have to waste brain power on that aspect. Instead I could concentrate on the lessons he pulled out of them. He also does a pretty good job of tracing portions of the evolution of SF. If you're new to the genre, reading the books & stories he holds up as examples would be a great introduction.
Adler is a physicist & spends most of his time looking at SF through that lens, although he occasionally gets into other sciences briefly. While I missed some of the biology & chemistry he could have covered, it was probably best that he stayed in his lane. His explanations were usually quite good & he avoided getting too technical. While he did some calculations, he kept them simple.
He's very even-handed in his treatment of the material.
- He's a big fan of Becky Chambers & points out a lot of good science in the Wayfarers trilogy, but also points out where she apparently confused a tidally locked planet & moon in her descriptions of Port Coriol & the issues of powering a spaceship with algae.
- He takes Jules Verne to task for the bullet to the moon in From the Earth to the Moon while praising the rest of the actual science behind the story. It's the best explanation I've come across for its launch location being so close to Cape Canaveral.
- The 6th lecture covers Iron Man, Captain America, & Spiderman. It was the most fun even if he did ruin Iron Man's flying & Captain America's shield. He made up for it by getting into Spiderman's webbing.
He's a good lecturer & a pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend this to one & all.
Table of Contents
1 Science and Fiction! The Wayfarers Series
2 Cheating the Science: Protector
3 Prediction: From the Earth to the Moon
4 World‑Building in The Left Hand of Darkness
5 Advanced World‑Building in Avatar
6 Action and Reaction in The Avengers
7 Space Travel and 2001: A Space Odyssey
8 Interplanetary Travel and The Martian
9 Space Battles and Energy Weapons: Star Wars
10 Advanced Rocket Systems in Star Trek
11 Relativity and Time for the Stars
12 Black Holes, Wormholes, and Interstellar
13 Time Travel and Doctor Who
14 Teleportation and Star Trek
15 Cyberspace and the Singularity: Neuromancer
16 Steampunk Science and Leviathan
17 Design Your Own Dragon: Game of Thrones
18 Planetary Ecology in Dune
19 Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Contact
20 UFOs, ESP, and The X-Files
21 Social Sciences and the Foundation Series
22 Designed Languages and Arrival
23 Cosmology, the Mind, and Star Maker
24 Science Fiction’s Purpose: Childhood’s End
May 30, 2024
I have read a couple of books talking about science in science fiction. They would take themes in books and movies and explain if the science is possible, or how it might be accomplished. (Spoiler: nothing in Star Wars is even remotely scientific.) Adler does some of that, but also something more interesting: how the science inspired past sci-fi writers, and may inspire future ones. This leads to quite fascinating topics. My favorites were how to design your world so it is scientifically accurate; and, how to design your very own dragon.
He takes Jules Verne as the earliest writer who took his science seriously. You might think that he picked Florida as the setting for From the Earth to the Moon because he wanted to explore America, but Adler proves that he did it for scientific reason. Namely, if you want to shoot a cannon to the moon, you have to be between 28 and -28 lattitudes, and the only industrialized nation within this range of his time, and capable of doing this, was America. This led him to consider a post-civil-war America whose military complex suddenly needed something to do. He got a lot of things right, obviously using a cannon was not one of them, but he wrote it in 1867, so let's salute the man.
I very much enjoyed the way things like how far your habitable planet is from its sun, its gravity, the sun's type and size, and the atmosphere can affect many things and lead to rich detail. For example, if your sun is slighly redder, you may have completely different color schemes; if your planet is closer to the sun, your flora and fauna will need adaptations to deal with solar flares, such as leaves that suddenly curl up, animals that dive into the water or burrow under ground if needed. I never considered Avatar (the movie) very scientifically accurate, but apparently the moon it takes place on is very carefully considered, including its atmosphere, gravity, and its floating islands.
Other interesting topics include why a writer may include some science and exclude others, and the role of social sciences. I am glad someone acknowledges this, as perhaps 80% of science fiction deals with social issues in different settings. Asimov's Foundation is a prime example with the concept of psycho-history, and Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness is examined in detail both in the world building and social sciences lectures.
I also found the discussion of ecology in the context of Dune very interesting. Did you know that the book was inspired by the Oregon dune reclaimation project? The fremen use the same plan, even the same plants!
I must say his favorites do not agree with mine, as I must have character development, and he seems to prefer the books big on the ideas and scope. We agree on Dune and The Left Hand of Darkness, but not on Asimov and Heilein. The last lecture was dedicated to Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke, as it embodies many of the themes he discusses in the course. He warned of spoilers, so I stopped the audio and read the book. Well, it is his favorite book, and definitely not mine, as it is rather... boring, and relies on the paranormal... I get what he means and why he likes it; I don't like it for the same reasons.
So you may not agree with his taste, but his reasoning is solid, he is engaging, dynamic, and knows his stuff. Highly recommend for sci-fi fans. The audio is free on Hoopla if your library has access to it.
He takes Jules Verne as the earliest writer who took his science seriously. You might think that he picked Florida as the setting for From the Earth to the Moon because he wanted to explore America, but Adler proves that he did it for scientific reason. Namely, if you want to shoot a cannon to the moon, you have to be between 28 and -28 lattitudes, and the only industrialized nation within this range of his time, and capable of doing this, was America. This led him to consider a post-civil-war America whose military complex suddenly needed something to do. He got a lot of things right, obviously using a cannon was not one of them, but he wrote it in 1867, so let's salute the man.
I very much enjoyed the way things like how far your habitable planet is from its sun, its gravity, the sun's type and size, and the atmosphere can affect many things and lead to rich detail. For example, if your sun is slighly redder, you may have completely different color schemes; if your planet is closer to the sun, your flora and fauna will need adaptations to deal with solar flares, such as leaves that suddenly curl up, animals that dive into the water or burrow under ground if needed. I never considered Avatar (the movie) very scientifically accurate, but apparently the moon it takes place on is very carefully considered, including its atmosphere, gravity, and its floating islands.
Other interesting topics include why a writer may include some science and exclude others, and the role of social sciences. I am glad someone acknowledges this, as perhaps 80% of science fiction deals with social issues in different settings. Asimov's Foundation is a prime example with the concept of psycho-history, and Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness is examined in detail both in the world building and social sciences lectures.
I also found the discussion of ecology in the context of Dune very interesting. Did you know that the book was inspired by the Oregon dune reclaimation project? The fremen use the same plan, even the same plants!
I must say his favorites do not agree with mine, as I must have character development, and he seems to prefer the books big on the ideas and scope. We agree on Dune and The Left Hand of Darkness, but not on Asimov and Heilein. The last lecture was dedicated to Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke, as it embodies many of the themes he discusses in the course. He warned of spoilers, so I stopped the audio and read the book. Well, it is his favorite book, and definitely not mine, as it is rather... boring, and relies on the paranormal... I get what he means and why he likes it; I don't like it for the same reasons.
So you may not agree with his taste, but his reasoning is solid, he is engaging, dynamic, and knows his stuff. Highly recommend for sci-fi fans. The audio is free on Hoopla if your library has access to it.
January 14, 2022
I really enjoy reading books that connect books, or movies, or shows I have seen with the science theories that underlie them. What’s especially nice about this one is that Adler takes the time to address a great number of series which not only offers him the chance to teach a little science, but also lets him introduce the reader to a number of very interesting sounding sf movies, books, and television shows. My favorite was about the ecology of Frank Herbert’s, Dune, but there are many, many more great chapters. Dr. Who, Ursula Le Guin, Star Wars, the Martian, all appear, and I’m just scratching the surface here. This book isn’t groundbreaking, but it is definitely interesting.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
September 17, 2021
This was really great - both the references and examples from popular sci-fi, and the explanations of scientific ideas underlying the modern sci-fi. A few new ideas I haven't come across, a few old ones clarified....definitely worth a read if you're a sci-fi fan :)
September 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this course. Instead of the pure audiobook I actually watched the video version on The Great Courses via Wondrium. The professor is just the kind of nerdy presenter you want for such a topic. He's a great personable speaker and is super passionate about his topic. He really knows his stuff, both on the scientific side, and the sci-fi side. I came to this course as a game designer and (hopefully someday) sci-fi writer, and I learned a ton.
Another amazing side effect of this course is how professor Adler opened my eyes to so many authors and books recommendations I had either never heard of, or had neglected to read. My "to-read" list has increased by several dozens books throughout my enjoyment of this course.
If you go through this course and reach module 24 about Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End, Adler will give you a warning that he's about to spoil the big secret of the book, and gives you a chance to pause the course, go read it and come back to the course after. I took his advice and I'm glad I did. If you have not read "Childhood's End", I highly recommend you take his advice and read the book first. I would have hated to get this spoiled since that was one of the greatest "oh sh**" moments of any book I've ever read.
Highly recommended course for anyone interested in the science side of sci-fi.
Another amazing side effect of this course is how professor Adler opened my eyes to so many authors and books recommendations I had either never heard of, or had neglected to read. My "to-read" list has increased by several dozens books throughout my enjoyment of this course.
If you go through this course and reach module 24 about Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End, Adler will give you a warning that he's about to spoil the big secret of the book, and gives you a chance to pause the course, go read it and come back to the course after. I took his advice and I'm glad I did. If you have not read "Childhood's End", I highly recommend you take his advice and read the book first. I would have hated to get this spoiled since that was one of the greatest "oh sh**" moments of any book I've ever read.
Highly recommended course for anyone interested in the science side of sci-fi.
October 21, 2022
The audio course covers various popular science fiction novels, authors and their treatment of science facts within their science fiction. The professor goes back to Jules Verne, showing how Verne was really considering the science when he wrote "From the Earth to the Moon" and why Verne chose the USA as the scene of his story rather than France, his own home country. The reason had to do with science and the best places to launch into space that also had a supporting engineering base.
I'd not only like to listen to this audio course again, but I'd like to read a number of novels that the professor mentioned.
I'd not only like to listen to this audio course again, but I'd like to read a number of novels that the professor mentioned.
October 30, 2022
Thanks Charles Adler for a fantastic Great Course. The course is Interesting and entertaining and the downloadable material helps to put together a reading and watching list. Adler gave to the books that I already read additional depth and meaning. And science he reviews in SF masterpieces ranges from physics and various technology disciplines to linguistics, sociology and philosophy. Brilliant!
February 8, 2023
Fascinating stuff, definitely worth the read!
May 18, 2023
An interesting lecture series on the science (or sometimes lack thereof) in science fiction.
April 11, 2025
Ain't no aliens coming to check on us earth parasites...
Not a bad read, just not as exciting deep dive that Great Courses usually provide for me.
Loads of great book and movie recommendations.
As for the science part of it, fun to know some of it but not a buzz kill to the movies or books that I really enjoy. I have new party tricks for sure.
If I learned anything, it will be that humans will never get their shit together to explore outer space so aliens, you are safe from the earth human parasite. We all know you jettison us into the universe with hopes that we would die out or breed so far from you...
LECTURES/ CHAPTER TITLES
(01) Science & Fiction: The Wayfarers Series
(02) Cheating the Science: Protector (Larry Niven)
(03) Predicting: From Earth to the Moon (Jules Verne)
(04) World-Building in Left Hand of Darkness
(05) Advanced World-Building in Avatar
(06) Action & Reaction in The Avengers
(07) Space Travel in 2001: A Space Odyssey
(08) Interplanetary Travel & The Martian
(09) Space Battles & Energy Weapons: Star Wars
(10) Advanced Rocket Systems in Star Trek
(11) Relativity & Time for the Stars
(12) Black Holes, Wormholes & Interstellar
(13) Time Travel in Doctor Who
(14) Teleportation & Star Trek
(15) Cyberspace & the Singularity: Neuromancer
(16) Steampunk Science & Leviathan
(17) Design Your Own Dragon: Game of Thrones
(18) Planetary Ecology in Dune
(19) Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Contact
(20) UFOs, ESP & The X-Files
(21) Social Sciences & Asimov's Foundation Series
(22) Designed Languages & Arrival
(23) Cosmology, the Mind & Star Maker
(24) Science Fiction's Purpose: Childhood's End
Not a bad read, just not as exciting deep dive that Great Courses usually provide for me.
Loads of great book and movie recommendations.
As for the science part of it, fun to know some of it but not a buzz kill to the movies or books that I really enjoy. I have new party tricks for sure.
If I learned anything, it will be that humans will never get their shit together to explore outer space so aliens, you are safe from the earth human parasite. We all know you jettison us into the universe with hopes that we would die out or breed so far from you...
LECTURES/ CHAPTER TITLES
(01) Science & Fiction: The Wayfarers Series
(02) Cheating the Science: Protector (Larry Niven)
(03) Predicting: From Earth to the Moon (Jules Verne)
(04) World-Building in Left Hand of Darkness
(05) Advanced World-Building in Avatar
(06) Action & Reaction in The Avengers
(07) Space Travel in 2001: A Space Odyssey
(08) Interplanetary Travel & The Martian
(09) Space Battles & Energy Weapons: Star Wars
(10) Advanced Rocket Systems in Star Trek
(11) Relativity & Time for the Stars
(12) Black Holes, Wormholes & Interstellar
(13) Time Travel in Doctor Who
(14) Teleportation & Star Trek
(15) Cyberspace & the Singularity: Neuromancer
(16) Steampunk Science & Leviathan
(17) Design Your Own Dragon: Game of Thrones
(18) Planetary Ecology in Dune
(19) Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Contact
(20) UFOs, ESP & The X-Files
(21) Social Sciences & Asimov's Foundation Series
(22) Designed Languages & Arrival
(23) Cosmology, the Mind & Star Maker
(24) Science Fiction's Purpose: Childhood's End
June 4, 2024
3.5 stars rounded down. Interesting lecture series which, as the title implies, explores science and science fiction. Each lecture explores a different aspect, such as time travel, language, biology etc. The lecturer is good but does repeat himself a lot. His speaking style is also a bit annoying with overdone emphasis on certain words to make a point. His background is physics so the focus is very much on how the science is right, and especially where it is wrong. So don't listen if you just want to enjoy science fiction for what it is, the possibilities of what could be.
June 1, 2025
Although I did not watch all of the lectures in this Great Courses lecture series, I still found the discussion of the science behind sci fi novels and movies very interesting. The lecturer is very into relatively current trends of sci fi, and I appreciate him discussing Becky Chambers and Villeneuve’s Arrival.
I did not watch all the lectures because I haven’t read some sci fi novels and did not want them spoiled. However, since I have watched more movies discussed by this lecture series, perhaps it is time to dive into more lectures.
I did not watch all the lectures because I haven’t read some sci fi novels and did not want them spoiled. However, since I have watched more movies discussed by this lecture series, perhaps it is time to dive into more lectures.
November 27, 2020
A solid browse by scientific topic of the scientific ideas that shape science fiction.
Plus: much more literary than wonkish, though full of good science, and broad in choice of era and scale of story.
(very small) Minus: Mostly consists of old books and new media. It is 100% worth listening to, but I would have preferred Dr. Adler read some of the nebulas from the past two decades to anchor the lectures to the state of the genre.
Plus: much more literary than wonkish, though full of good science, and broad in choice of era and scale of story.
(very small) Minus: Mostly consists of old books and new media. It is 100% worth listening to, but I would have preferred Dr. Adler read some of the nebulas from the past two decades to anchor the lectures to the state of the genre.
May 26, 2024
Very fun! I love the discussion of the close connection between hard science and the stories people come up with. I have a LOT more respect for science fiction authors, screenwriters and the like, who in many cases are very hard-working and studious in their research!
September 17, 2024
This is a good collection of lectures about science in science fiction. It is interesting to learn how much authors have based their creations on fact.
August 2, 2021
This book was donated as a gift to the current work library I am at from an anonymous person. I wanted to glance through it since I had started a syfy type of novel with a relative that still hasn't been completed since late 1999.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews