Novels with scientific themes can be convincing even if the science isn’t.
Take Jim Crace’s Being Dead (Penguin, 2000). It traces the history of two
corpses, partly through the parasites that feed on them. Its microbial heroes
were good enough to fool palaeontologist Richard Fortey of London’s Natural
History Museum. It’s an even better book because of it, says Fortey.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
2
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
3
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
4
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
5
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
6
Putting CO2 into rocks and getting hydrogen out is climate double win
7
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
8
Intoxicating and astonishing: Why 'The Selfish Gene' almost never was
9
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
10
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
