MAY 2015 - AudioFile
The wizards of Unseen University have a problem—Charles Darwin has written the wrong book, one championing the “theology” of evolution and not the theory. What to do? British comic actor Michael Fenton Stevens and longtime Discworld expert and narrator Stephen Briggs bring ease and glee to this third installment of Terry Pratchett’s “fact/fantasy fusion” series. Glee, yes, really. Sometimes complicated ideas and information soak into the brain more easily when heard and not just read, and that is certainly the case here. When delivered by the right authors and the right voices, the theories of evolution and general relativity and a number of other real science theories transmute into absolutely mind-boggling comprehensible fun. Education mixed with entertainment—what a wonderful concept. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
09/07/2015
The third Science of Discworld volume takes readers on an adventure across alternate timelines and behind the evolution of evolution. Ever since the wizards of Discworld's Unseen University accidentally created "Roundworld"—aka Earth—they've been trying to ensure humanity's survival, with mixed results. In Roundworld's Victorian England, Charles Darwin's "Theology of Species," and its support for the idea that life on Earth could only have risen from a godly designer's hand, has slowed scientific progress to a crawl. Outside interference has sent Roundworld down "a different leg of the Trousers of Time," and unless the wizards can put it back where it belongs, humans won't survive the next extinction event. The story alternates chapters with wry and illuminating essays on scientific progress and the history of evolution theory. The late Pratchett, creator of the wildly popular Discworld novels, and his coauthors offer fascinating insight into Darwin, his world, and how Victorian life shaped his theory of evolution. Even technophobic readers will enjoy this cheerful, accessible look at the less-than-linear path of scientific discovery, where the most comfortable answer is usually not the best. (June)
From the Publisher
An irreverent but genuinely profound romp through the history and philosophy of science, cunningly disguised as a collection of funny stories about wizards and mobile luggage.” —Frontiers
“[Pratchett alters] history with such brilliant effortlessness . . . it all gels into a cohesive and exciting whole — which demands to be both read and enjoyed. For anyone looking for something fresh or even more off the beaten path than Pratchett’s own ‘Discworld’ universe, one would be hard pressed to find a better pick than this.” —ScienceFiction.com
MAY 2015 - AudioFile
The wizards of Unseen University have a problem—Charles Darwin has written the wrong book, one championing the “theology” of evolution and not the theory. What to do? British comic actor Michael Fenton Stevens and longtime Discworld expert and narrator Stephen Briggs bring ease and glee to this third installment of Terry Pratchett’s “fact/fantasy fusion” series. Glee, yes, really. Sometimes complicated ideas and information soak into the brain more easily when heard and not just read, and that is certainly the case here. When delivered by the right authors and the right voices, the theories of evolution and general relativity and a number of other real science theories transmute into absolutely mind-boggling comprehensible fun. Education mixed with entertainment—what a wonderful concept. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
