REVIEWS by SULLYDOG
Borderlands of Science
by Charles Sheffield
When I said that Gregory Benford should have incorporated more
graphics and charts in his novel Eater, it was wishful
thinking, not criticism. The same does not apply to Sheffield’s
non-fiction offering, Borderlands of Science. Sheffield
has written what could have been a definitive science primer and
reference for sf authors. Unfortunately, his effort is crippled by a
complete lack of graphics.
Now, if Eater, or any other hard sf novel that deals
with difficult concepts, isn’t ruined by a lack of figures, then
why should I be so hard on Borderlands? Because Eater
is a work of fiction, and ultimately all fiction is about what
happens to people. But Borderlands is, in
the final analysis, a science textbook. I challenge you to find any
basic science textbook worth its salt that isn’t packed with
figures. You might counter that Borderlands is geared
for a more general audience than most science textbooks—but then
you’d be making my argument for me. Even Newsweek knows better
than to try to explain DNA or black holes to the general public
without graphics. College professors, teaching everything from
chemistry to calculus, know better, too. A picture is still
worth a thousand words.
Now, don’t get me wrong--despite profound reservations, I have
to recommend this book.If you want to write sf, Borderlands of
Science probably deserves a place on your shelf, even if
you’re a scientist. I’m a scientist, but unless I’m
writing about my own little corner of biomedicine I need an ectopic
brain. I’ve already gone to Borderlands to help me
put together a story or two. Sheffield, like Asimov, writes with
authority on a wide range of subjects. He covers the basics with
clarity and elegance, and most importantly he goes beyond convention
to examine the most fertile ground for sf—unresolved dilemmas
and scientific heresies. And he does it all with that charming
Sheffield irrascibility. What he doesn’t do is provide us with
figures. And that’s why there’s a huge and dissapointing
gulf between what this book is and what it should have been.
Sullydog approves.
