Monday, September 26, 2011

Superheroes of Science Blogfest

Look, there in the lab! It's a flask! It's a fruit fly! It's...SUPER SCIENTIST!

That's right, this week, Claudie A. is hosting a Superheroes of Science blogfest. If you'd like to join in, please sign up on her blog for a chance to win a prize. Here are the writing prompts:

Who is the most memorable scientist character to you? What's so special about him?
What scientists - dead, alive or fictional - made a difference in your life?
Is there a scientist you admire? What has he discovered or what is he working on?


Today, I'm going to discuss fictional scientists. One of my favorite scientists in fiction is Dr. Mackenzie "Mac" Connor from Julie Czerneda's Species Imperative trilogy. Mac is a biologist whose work with migrating salmon proves to be vital for understanding a deadly alien race. She cares passionately about her work, and her relationships with her friends, both human and alien, are as important to her character as her science.

If you're interested in alien scientists, check out Robert J. Sawyer's Far-Seer, Fossil Hunter, and Foreigner for dinosaur counterparts to Galileo, Darwin, and Freud.

Finally, even though it's going to be a few more weeks until my novella Lyon's Legacy is ready for publication, I can't resist mentioning the heroine, Joanna Lyon. Joanna is the descendant of a Twentieth Century rock star, but she prefers genetics to music. As she struggles to find a lab where she can work on her dissertation, she shares her love for science with everyone, even those who are indifferent to science.

Do you have any favorite scientists in science fiction? If so, who are they?

3 comments:

PT Dilloway said...

Do mad scientists count?

My favorite would be the character I created, so there you go.

Claudie A. said...

Oh, I think Mad Scientists should absolutely count. They're the most hilarious. :D

Briane said...

Boy. Up until you ASKED, I probably could have named a bunch of scientists, but now all I can think of is "Dr. Shrinker." Which is probably not a valid entry.

Can't wait to get a hold of your book.

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