Popular Science Review - George's Secret Key to the Universe

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Review - George's Secret Key to the Universe - Lucy & Stephen Hawking

Science fiction by science writers...

George's Secret Key to the Universe is children’s fiction where science, and in particular Physics, takes centre stage. Although Stephen Hawking was advertising this book as for '8 to 80' (until he was accused of ageism) George's Secret Key to the Universe is ideally suited to 7-11 years old children (but I am sure most adult readers will enjoy it too).

This is a very special children’s science fiction book: how many children’s novels (even adult’s for that matter) have a small label saying 'includes the latest ideas about black holes' on their covers? How many more can boast a Lucasian Professor of Mathematics as co-author to be sure that the science is accurate and not rubbish? Just this one I guess (soon to become two and then three). Regardless of the authors, it is special because of its noble and ambitious goal; to entertain and to educate at the same time.

Without revealing too much, the story is about a boy, George, son of 'green activists' who won’t allow him to have a computer and are generally suspicious of science (an evil force that helps destroying the environment). His pig is the only excitement in life until he meets his new neighbours a little girl called Annie, her dad Eric and Cosmos the world most powerful computer, so powerful it can open portals anywhere in the Universe. Jump through the portal and be ready for some fast paced cosmic adventures.

Sharper critics will point out that the characters are all stereotyped (the head-in-the clouds scientist with glasses at an angle, the evil one, the bullies) and that the plot can be predictable. Maybe so, but the characters are definitely not over-caricatured and the story is always enjoyable. What is crucial in George’s adventures is that science is as central a character as the different heroes and villains. You could even say that all the adventures are only a pretext to learn about comets, planets, stars, our solar system, the Universe, the origin of life and yes, even black holes! The amazing thing is that the science bits never kill the flow of the narrative.

For those who wants to know more, additional information is provide in text boxes and the book also has some fantastic pictures and illustrations of the different celestial objects encountered.

So does Secret Key to the Universe deliver on entertaining, instructing and stimulating your appetite for science all at once? It certainly does. By combining the story writing talents of Lucy Hawking (she has authored a couple of adult fiction titles) with the astronomical knowledge of her dad and some very good illustrations and amazing colour plates on the universe, the book more than achieves its goals and will be appreciated by a wide readership.

How am I sure of this? Well it got me reading about black holes to try to plug the ones in my general ignorance and more importantly, my kids aged 5 and 7 were attracted to the illustrations and started asking questions, the eldest going through the pages and reading a few sentences. If you know someone who think science is just for boring adults with pens in their shirt pocket, buy him/her this book for the next holiday, it might be a mind opener.

Also in hardback (US edition is hardback): Also in audio CD:

Reviewed by Marc E. Miquel

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