Indistinguishable from Magic

by Robert L. Forward

Book Overview

Antigravity Machines! (six kinds) Space Warps! Black Holes! Strange Matter! Time Machines! Reactionless Drives! Faster than Light Drives! All the known ways to build real starships! Finally, someone who puts the science back in science fiction! Robert L. Forward, Ph.D. and physicist to the stars, gives us a tour of the real far-out physics theory being discussed by scientists today -- and then shows us what it's all for in his science fiction stories...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671876864
• ISBN13: 9780671876869
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Baen Books
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

The implausable made comprehensible

Sorry, I love big words. The fiction was not impressive, but the science is. Dr Forward is one of the big guns theoretical physics and it shows. He explores the ways impossible science-fiction concepts like antigravity, time travel, or faster-than-light travel might be done (if the gray areas of physics have the right answers), and sometimes ways it could be done (with a lot of engineerng).

Works in the Classroom

This is an excellent book for the introduction of physics concepts. By blending science fiction and science fact Dr. Forward puts concepts commonly misundersttod into the grasp of the laity. I have found this book very useful in my Physics courses. My students tend to enjoy it as well. Dr. Forward draws on his background at JPL to give sound techincal explanations and his ability as a science fiction writer to give the concepts life. WARNING! If you are looking for a piece of fluffy fantasy fiction this is not the book for you.

Technically acurate and ingenious ideas for science fiction

As a particle physicist I learned much from this book. When Forward discusses situations about which I know some details he almost always has it right, so I trust him when he discusses situations about which I know little. The short stories that follow the technical chapters are ingenious, although they do not all relate well to the preceding technical chapter. I would like to have had more discussion about the relative probabilities of the various scientific theories yielding useful technology.

very good discussion of exotic propulsion etc.

i bought the book purely for its scientific content and have not read the short stories. but the information concerning exotic forms of propulsion and loopholes in modern day physics is very good. another good book relating to this is the starflight handbook by eugene f. mallove & gregory l. matloff.

Highly interesting and educational hard science fiction.

Although this book is listed as Science Fiction it is notjust a collection of short stories. Dr. Forward puts forthessays on various aspects of SF technology, couching them in fairly easy to understand language. Between the hard science bits are short stories dealing with the previous chapter so you can see how it all fits together. ***Warning*** Don't read this all in one session. I did, and got a headache for my trouble. That much information in such a short time is a real brain stretcher.