Sci-Fi & Scary

Blockbuster Science was a neat concept. As someone who loves hard science fiction, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It explores everything from Theory of Relativity, to String Theory, to Black Holes and everything in between. The chapters are short, kept as light-hearted as possible while still being informative, and obviously written by someone who truly loves science and science fiction.

I feel like Blockbuster Science would have been better as a coffee table book.

Yes, I think pretty pictures would have helped it out a lot.

It had very few photos, and most of what it did have were simple yet boring ones that we’ve all probably seen in some form several times before.

While I did genuinely enjoy reading several of the chapters, I found myself beset by the thought that I wasn’t really the right person for this book. Everything in Blockbuster Science was either something I’d read (lots) before, or something that went so completely over my head I could barely get a glimpse of it’s rear before it was out of sight. I picked this book up and put it back down several times before I actually got around to finishing it. It was never a bad book, it just felt unfinished/rough.

This is a science book for someone who doesn’t really want to science but like science at the same time. And while that sounds like it would be a really cool book in theory, in actuality, it just felt a bit off. Like it couldn’t quite figure out what it wanted to be. I think a pared down version, using (color) photographs and/or illustrations would have been able to hold my attention better. (Disclaimer from me: I’m the type of girl who likes to read Nat Geo and Discovery books about science for kids.)

One of the times when its easy to celebrate exactly how neat science is when you’re learning it in context of a great story. Its easy to see science as ‘the cool bits’, and much of that science is – indeed – awesome! However, to take the cool bits and talk about them in a way that keeps a casual reader (or viewer’s attention) requires a certain way with words and a charisma that few have. As it is, Blockbuster Science feels a bit text-bookish, with pop-culture references that are fun but don’t really do enough to keep the momentum of fun + educational going.

Blockbuster Science had a lot going for it, and the information contained within it is very interesting. However, it neither fails or succeeds spectacularly and left me, as a reader, vaguely frustrated because I felt like it could have been so much better than it was.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.