Parsons, Paul. The Science of Doctor Who. Johns Hopkins Univ. 2010. c.320p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780801895609. $24.95. SCI
In the tradition of Lawrence M. Krauss's The Physics of Star Trek, Jeanne Cavelos's The Science of Star Wars, and similar works, Parsons's book takes a semiserious look at how many aspects of the Doctor Who world may or may not be physically, biologically, or technologically possible. An astrophysicist like Cavelos, Parsons has written an engaging work accessible to lay audiences and interesting even to those not fanatical about the long-running BBC series. Organized into four sections with short chapters, the book discusses characteristics of the Doctor, the Tardis, other aliens and mechanical beings, and missions in space and beyond. A wide range of scientific research and news sources are cited, including bit.ly shortened URLs. The book has sketch illustrations and a robust index. Originally published by a UK imprint, it now contains a preface covering discrepancies in airtimes on each continent.
VERDICT Accessible and entertaining, this is suitable for public and academic libraries and possibly also high school collections.
By Sara Tompson, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
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