Skepticism

Ghost

Ghost coverThis month’s book selection almost coincides with the Sunday Monster series. I’m not sure that ghosts actually are monsters and, even after reading the entire book, I’m not sure that Alan Lightman’s novel is actually about a ghost (the word is only used once in the entire book and that’s in the title).

Lightman, a physicist and novelist, has an unusual combination of skills, built on a lifelong dual interest in science and literature. His background and bio are as interesting as his novels. He excels at illustrating the wonder and awe, as Sam recently discussed, that is available to us through an understanding of science.

In Ghost he explores the human psyche with a story that asks the question, “What would you do if you personally experienced something that you could not explain?” It’s interesting to ponder, because it’s a question none of us can actually answer if it doesn’t happen to us.

Lightman has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. If you’ve missed either of these books, you might want to consider adding them to your reading list:

I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s on my list:


Still waiting to hear back from Mick O’Hare so I can post our interview about How to Fossilize Your Hamster.

Writerdd

Donna Druchunas is a freelance technical writer and editor and a knitwear designer. When she's not working, she blogs, studies Lithuanian, reads science and sci-fi books, mouths off on atheist forums, and checks her email every three minutes. (She does that when she's working, too.) Although she loves to chat, she can't keep an IM program open or she'd never get anything else done.

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One Comment

  1. that sounds great…i should really get around to finishing the golden compass so i can pick up another fiction book (i have a rule that i will only read one fiction and one nonfiction book at a time, cuz otherwise i would just be starting new ones constantly and never finish anything.)

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