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Fiction Meets Science

"The World of Science under the Literary Microscope"

· science,literature,ecology,ornithology,Arctic ecosystem

Flight of the Goose isn't only about shamanism! 

The other main protagonist is a scientist, an ornithologist--or "birdman" as the locals call him--hired by Big Oil to study the effects of oil spills on the Arctic saltmarsh ecosystem and how this pollution affects migratory birds ( he is personally interested in an endangered species of goose, Tallin's goose. 

His other, secret motive for his field research is to evade the draft; the story takes place during the Vietnam War. He has other reasons too to be alone in the remote Arctic wilds but that quest is unconscious to him; the story will reveal what it is). 

Most reviews for my novel focus on the themes of shamanism and traditional Inupiaq culture but that is only half the story! How Western science makes up one's world view and how it can clash with tradtional lifeways--and in that process, change or become a new science and make an orthodox scientist into what one might call a deep ecologist or mystic--is delved into in my book. 

So I was very pleased to see Flight of the Goose listed in a fascinating German organization: FMS, Fiction Meets Science. Their introduction says:

"The World of Science under the Literary Microscope

In recent decades, fiction writers have been creating new kinds of stories about science. They are exploring its practices, concepts, people, institutions, products and societal fall-out. What are the literary and social implications of this trend? What does contemporary fiction have to say about the human dimensions of science? Are its practitioners villains or heroes, drones or creative individuals, recluses or team players—stereotypes or multidimensional characters? Is this new wave of thinking about science in fiction leading to new literary forms? What is its role in science communication? Can a novel, film, or play make science more approachable, or inspire curiosity about scientific concepts? 

Fiction Meets Science (FMS) is an academic research program made up of  literary and sociological studies; residencies for fiction writers; book clubs; and public readings and interchangesbetween humanities, arts, and science communities. We are based in northwestern Germany, but our scholars, writers, and scientists come from around the world.

Are you a reader who likes novels with some intellectual punch? A working scientist or student interested in the philosophical and human dimensions of science? Then be sure to check our growing database of fiction about science.