| |
 |
|
|
Science Forum Index » Chemistry Forum » chemistry sci-fi...
Page 1 of 4 Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
|
| Author |
Message |
| ... |
 Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 6:17 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
Hi all, I'm looking for decent, technically detailed, chemistry
specific
science fiction novels to read, any good recommendations would
be really appreciated.
Thanks |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Bill Penrose... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:04 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 21, 9:17 pm, EvilGo... at (no spam) gmail.com wrote:
Quote: Hi all, I'm looking for decent, technically detailed, chemistry
specific
science fiction novels to read, any good recommendations would
be really appreciated.
Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
Sadly, at the party of scholarly people, we are the wallflowers. Even
accountants find chemists boring. It would be fun to read a real
chemistry based novel, but I suspect even a novel writer would drift
off to sleep in chapter one.
Dangerous Bill |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Madalch... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 8:08 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 22, 9:04 am, Bill Penrose <penr... at (no spam) iit.edu> wrote:
Quote: On May 21, 9:17 pm, EvilGo... at (no spam) gmail.com wrote:
Hi all, I'm looking for decent, technically detailed, chemistry
specific
science fiction novels to read, any good recommendations would
be really appreciated.
Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
In that book ("A Whiff of Death"), a grad student is also murdered by
someone who replaces a sodium acetate solution with sodium cyanide.
When the student acidifies his solution, the HCN formed kills him.
The book was rather dull, not because of the chemistry, but because it
was such a Mary Sue. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Richard Schultz... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:16 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
In article <7bd2747b-007c-46f7-b980-e56a39d8ea30 at (no spam) f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>, Bill Penrose <penrose at (no spam) iit.edu> wrote:
: Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
: audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
: glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
: offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
I take it that you've never read _The Currents of Space_ in which analytical
chemistry plays a major role in the plot, or _The Gods Themselves_, which
starts out with the discovery of a sample of plutonium-186.
-----
Richard Schultz schultr at (no spam) mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
"Logic is a wreath of pretty flowers which smell bad." |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Richard Schultz... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:20 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
In article <7bd2747b-007c-46f7-b980-e56a39d8ea30 at (no spam) f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>, Bill Penrose <penrose at (no spam) iit.edu> wrote:
: Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
: audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
: glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
: offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
I suddenly realized that you even got that wrong: the attempted murder
was by putting *platinum black* on an oxygen cylinder, which is what gives
the murderer away, since he soon realizes his mistake and puts the platinum
black on a hydrogen cylinder. There are at least two other stories in
_Asimov's Mysteries_ that involve chemistry: one that involves people
looking things up in the Beilstein catalog, and of course "Pate de Foie
Gras." I guess "Obituary" doesn't really count. There's also an early story
by Asimov, "Sucker Bait," that involves chemistry. And let us not forget
the thiotimoline stories.
-----
Richard Schultz schultr at (no spam) mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
There's something I must tell you, there's something I must say:
The only really perfect love is one that gets away. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Madalch... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:37 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 22, 1:20 pm, schu... at (no spam) mail.biu.ack.il (Richard Schultz) wrote:
Quote: In article <7bd2747b-007c-46f7-b980-e56a39d8e... at (no spam) f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>, Bill Penrose <penr... at (no spam) iit.edu> wrote:
: Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
: audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
: glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
: offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
I suddenly realized that you even got that wrong: the attempted murder
was by putting *platinum black* on an oxygen cylinder, which is what gives
the murderer away, since he soon realizes his mistake and puts the platinum
black on a hydrogen cylinder.
No, I believe "A Whiff of Death" had the murderer attempt to kill the
protagonist by putting glycerin on the oxygen cylinder. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Borked Pseudo Mailed... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:40 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
Quote: Hi all, I'm looking for decent, technically detailed, chemistry
specific science fiction novels to read, any good recommendations
would be really appreciated.
Carl Djerassi (chemist) uses the expression "Science IN
Fiction" to distinguish "science fiction" from credible,
reasonable science in fictional stuff (novels, short stories,
plays, ...).
Since "chemistry" is NOT specific, it can include biochem,
bioorganic chem, p-chem, bio-p-chem, medicinal chem, etc.
In addition to Djerassi's own novels, see "Magic Bullet"
by Harry Stein. It has kind of reasonable med chem
modifications of a drug discovery and realistic descriptions
of the bench work. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Madalch... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 11:43 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 22, 2:34 pm, david.bostw... at (no spam) chemistry.gatech.edu (David
Bostwick) wrote:
Quote: In article <4835DF7C.D37DA... at (no spam) sonic.net>, Mark Thorson <nos... at (no spam) sonic.net> wrote:
Bill Penrose wrote:
Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
Several authors have used thallium:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium#In_fiction
Though I think this would be a bad idea, because
the thallium would remain detectable in the corpse
upon exhumation, even after many years.
There's also a plot I remember in which beryllium was poisoning people,
although new technology had long ago replaced it with other materials. The
sleuth had to first diagnose beryllium poisoning because it hadn't happened in
a very long time, and then determine that the metal got into the person's
system because they were using very old tools(?).
My memory of the details is rather fuzzy, but I'm sure someone here will fill
in the correct items.
I think that was also an Asimov tale, where the expedition to the
planet (where colonies have been lost) includes a kid from "Mnemonic
Services", a branch of the military whose members are supposed to
memorize lots of data.
<checks Wikipedia> Oh- that would be "Sucker Bait", which has already
been mentioned. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Mark Thorson... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:02 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
Bill Penrose wrote:
Quote:
Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
Several authors have used thallium:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium#In_fiction
Though I think this would be a bad idea, because
the thallium would remain detectable in the corpse
upon exhumation, even after many years. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Mark Thorson... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:07 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| David Bostwick... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:34 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
In article <4835DF7C.D37DA941 at (no spam) sonic.net>, Mark Thorson <nospam at (no spam) sonic.net> wrote:
Quote: Bill Penrose wrote:
Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
Several authors have used thallium:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium#In_fiction
Though I think this would be a bad idea, because
the thallium would remain detectable in the corpse
upon exhumation, even after many years.
There's also a plot I remember in which beryllium was poisoning people,
although new technology had long ago replaced it with other materials. The
sleuth had to first diagnose beryllium poisoning because it hadn't happened in
a very long time, and then determine that the metal got into the person's
system because they were using very old tools(?).
My memory of the details is rather fuzzy, but I'm sure someone here will fill
in the correct items. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| ProfessorGunz... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 5:04 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
Mark Thorson wrote:
Quote: Bill Penrose wrote:
Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
Several authors have used thallium:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium#In_fiction
Though I think this would be a bad idea, because
the thallium would remain detectable in the corpse
upon exhumation, even after many years.
IIRC, the Russians used thallium on an American electronics tech in
Moscow some years ago. Okay, make that "quite some years ago," seeing
as how it's now 2008. Man, 40 years ago seems like yesterday... |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Bill Penrose... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:12 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 22, 12:16 pm, schu... at (no spam) mail.biu.ack.il (Richard Schultz) wrote:
Quote: I take it that you've never read _The Currents of Space_ in which analytical
chemistry plays a major role in the plot, or _The Gods Themselves_, which
starts out with the discovery of a sample of plutonium-186.
Apparently written by someone with no knowledge of nuclear chemistry?
I haven't read it. I did fail to mention TV programs such as the CSIs,
where the characters have magical machines that do DNA sequences in
seconds and analyze any sample for anything.
The basic problem is this: How can you have a plot turn on a chemical
phenomenon when the average viewer's chemistry is limited to a rough
idea of what aitch-too-oh is? If chemisty isn't somehow intrinsic to
the plot, it could be a drama located in a chemistry lab, or a
molecular biology lab, or a sewage plant.
I suppose that if medical shows such as Grey's Anatomy can feature
doctors making goo-goo eyes at one another while juggling hearts and
kidneys, chemists can have bottles of Pu-186. What the hell, it's
fiction. (Looking up from laptop screen at continuing moronic behavior
on Grey's Anatomy.)
Dangerous Bill |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Bill Penrose... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:24 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 22, 12:20 pm, schu... at (no spam) mail.biu.ack.il (Richard Schultz) wrote:
Quote: In article <7bd2747b-007c-46f7-b980-e56a39d8e... at (no spam) f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>, Bill Penrose <penr... at (no spam) iit.edu> wrote:
: Even the great Asimov couldn't make chemistry interesting to a fiction
: audience. The closest he got was an attempted murder by putting
: glycerine on the threads of an oxygen cylinder. This was a method of
: offing someone that even very few chemists had heard of.
I suddenly realized that you even got that wrong: the attempted murder
was by putting *platinum black* on an oxygen cylinder,
Are you sure? It imprinted on me because I was regularly working with
compressed oxygen when I read it, sometime in the '60s. It helped me
appreciate the seemingly unimportant things that can rise up and bite
you in the ass in the lab. (Like the insigniificant lettering on
regulators: Do Not Oil.)
I recall that it was glycerine, and the protoagonist happened to spot
it glistening on the threads as he was about to open the valve.
Incidentally, Pt black burns quite nicely in oxygen, often
spontaneously. Now I need to know how Pt on a hydrogen cylinder
regulator would cause an explosion? (Not saying it can't. I just can't
think of how.)
Quote: And let us not forget
the thiotimoline stories.
Oops. You got me on that one. That's a clever story hinging purely on
chemistry, understandable by any reasonably intelligent person.
DB
> |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Bill Penrose... |
| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:29 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On May 22, 1:02 pm, Mark Thorson <nos... at (no spam) sonic.net> wrote:
Gosh, if you include poisoning stories, there's bushels of them. Some
of them depend on knowledge of how the poison works, which I guess is
chemistry-based. .
[I knew a guy who survived thallium. He stood in the smoke from
burning ant traps, when they used thallium sulfate. He hadn't a hair
on his whole body (he said).]
DB |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| |
Page 1 of 4 Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
The time now is Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:41 am
|
|