Academe/research/science/history

[Deb]

I just read A Discovery of Witches and particularly liked the first third of the book where the main character is researching alchemy and the history of science at the Bodelian library in Oxford. The romance that came later bored me, but I find I really enjoy when characters research a topic or are experts in some esoteric area of knowledge and the author shares it in an interesting manner.

It's always better when the author is an expert in the field as well. So anyone have suggestions for well-written fiction that offers a good story with lots of exploration of academic topics? Tough one, I know!

[karen, future RA queen]

pretty much anythingRichard Powers writes would suit you. he kind of does it all: genetics, artificial intelligence, music theory, computer science, virtual reality. he is pretty much a genius, but he can wrap a good story around all the larnin'

[Christy]

Yes! I second Richard Powers. I haven't read all of his books (yet), but I would say I'd recommend not starting with The Echo Maker (a more recent one that is generally considered to be lesser than the others) and maybe start with The Gold Bug Variations or Galatea 2.2.

You might also like Umberto Eco for this; The Name of the Rose is a murder mystery in a medieval Italian monastery (and the setting and historical context is important) and Foucault's Pendulum is just chockful of info about conspiracy theories and occult groups. I quite enjoyed both of them.

If you're interested in science in particular, you could also look at hard SF writers like, for instance, Gregory Benford, Greg Bear, or Ben Bova. It's science fiction, but hard SF is really invested in the science itself.

One last thought for now: Bharati Mukherjee's The Holder of the World is quite good and one of the main plot lines follows a historian's process of researching a particular woman - it brings together the history of Salem, MA, as well as 17th century Mughal India.

[Christine]

Not a reccomandation, but more of a warning. AVOID The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.

Have you tried Possession? It's a book for people who like academics and English Literature.

[Christy]

Elizabeth wrote: "Oh, Name of the Rose drove me crazy! Eco is wonderful if you really don't know much about the topic but terrible if you know anything at all. But if you're not into early modern church history, you..."

That's really interesting - I know nothing about the topic and found it fascinating. :-)

I would also totally second the warning about The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I bought it to be a fun read, but the only reason I finished reading it was because I paid money for it.

[Christy]

Um, what list did I suggest?

[Christy]

It may well have been me. I do write about women in science/SF. I wouldn't put it past to me to have suggested a list and completely forgotten about it. :-)

[karen, future RA queen]

does this sound like a fun RA project to anyone besides me???

[Christy]

I've used this website as a jumping off point for some of my research into women scientists in science fiction, and I certainly have a list of lots of science fiction featuring women scientists. Welcome to my dissertation! :-)

Once I'm done with my dissertation (next month), I could create a list of what I have for the group.

[karen, future RA queen]

that would be very generous!

[Jennifer (formerly Eccentric Muse)]

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest James Morrow's The Last Witchfinder. I could be suggesting it just because you started with A Discovery of Witches, but I also think it meets your criteria "when characters research a topic or are experts in some esoteric area of knowledge and the author shares it in an interesting manner" and "well-written fiction that offers a good story with lots of exploration of academic topics."

The main character, Jennet Sterne, is a very strong female, a rationalist battling 17th C superstition.

You should know that the narrator of this one is Newton's Principia Mathematica and it takes major liberties with the use of time/place (Morrow's a surrealist-absurdist, I'd say--so not for everyone).

[Jennifer (formerly Eccentric Muse)]

It's one of my faves, Elizabeth! I'll be interested in what you think, if/when you get around to it.

[Jasmine]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of my favorite books. It's about two magicians in victorian england who are trying to bring back magic. and the one thing every magician needs is a good arm chair.

[karen, future RA queen]

did you end up reading any of these?? were the suggestions good?