Marcus's latest books are Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, which is a wonderfully approachable survey of the weird and wonderful world of quantum theory, with general relativity thrown in for good measure; and Felicity Frobisher and the Three-Headed Aldebaran Dust Devil, his first foray into children's fiction which the Scotsman called: "A thrilling, silly escapade among the stars."

Before that, he wowed the critics with The Universe Next Door: The making of tomorrow's science, which The Independent called: "An exuberant book - a parallel universe where science is actually fun." His previous book was The Magic Furnace: The search for the origin of atoms. "All the narrative devices you'd expect to find in a Harry Potter book are here," said The Daily Mail. "They transform the story of the quest to unlock the secret of the atom into a giddy page-turner."

Marcus's first popular science book was Afterglow of Creation, which is one of the widest read popular science books ever in the UK. Marcus chooses his words carefully. The magazine FOCUS bought 180,000 copies to give away to its readers. Marcus
didn't actually sell that many copies!

Marcus graduated from the University of London with a first-class degree in physics, and four years later he gained a Master of Science in astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology. He has been a lecturer in Madagascar, a freelance writer, and a broadcaster for the BBC. He is the author of a children's book, Stars and Planets, and the coauthor with John Gribbin of two science fiction novels, Double Planet and Reunion. He lives in London with his wife, Karen, who is a cancer nurse.