I haven't written a book review of a non-fiction book yet. I was very tempted with Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, but I didn't because it was a somewhat scholarly book, probably not something most people would read for fun. However, I've found a book that I think most readers of Sword's Edge would enjoy. It's non-fiction, but it's also science fiction. It's Lawrence M. Krauss' the Physics of Star Trek.

In the wonderful book, Dr. Krauss looks at some of the science of Star Trek--or, more properly, concepts of science raised by Star Trek. Things like warp speed, the impulse engines, the transporter and time travel are all dealt with in this book. Dr. Krauss uses language that any layperson should have no problem with. He breaks down the science into easily digestible chunks and feeds it to you. He doesn't spoon feed it, but he does lay it out in an easy to follow bread trail.

The beauty of this book is it helps non-science minded science fiction writers, like myself, a glimpse at some of the hard science behind space opera ideas. Star Trek has never really cared about scientific realism. Rather than explanations, they use techno-babble. That's fine, and, as Dr. Krauss points out, sometimes the techno-babble is surprisingly prescient. However, if you are interested in lending a bit of credibility to the science of your setting, this is a fun, digestible way of getting a foundation in stuff like propulsion systems in space, intergalactic travel, black holes and wormholes and stuff like that.

Occasionally, my brain froze up. I never got past high school science, so maybe I'm not wired right, but there were points where the concepts just escaped me. A couple of times I went back to really consider, really focus on what Dr. Krauss was writing about, but after the first couple of times, I just gave up. I would continue reading, letting the information sieve through me, until I hit a point I understood what was going on again. This isn't really a hit against the book, because I tend to think it was more a personal limitation than a problem with the delivery, but people should be aware that it isn’t a complete cakewalk. This isn't like watching Star Trek, where you can turn your brain off (and often should). This book demands something from the reader.

If you have an interest in the science behind the science fiction, and especially if you are a Star Trek fan, you'll enjoy this book. If you already have a Ph.D. in physics, I think this might be a tad elementary, but for the rest of us the tone is about right. Dr. Krauss has a surprisingly light style, with a few ironic turns of phrase and even some funny areas. He deals with this almost like a guy you're talking to over drinks, who's explaining something you've asked about. It's a style I really enjoyed and recommend.