Mètode publishes «Científics lletraferits»

Mètode presents Científics lletraferits, a new monograph that collects twenty tales written by prominent figures of Catalan literature with a science or technology background. The book has two wonderful editors: Jordi de Manuel and Salvador Macip. Jordi de Manuel is a biologist, professor and writer and has published a dozen novels combining mainly science fiction and crime novels. Salvador Macip is a doctor, researcher and writer. He has published five novels and two children’s stories, as well as three science popularisation books.

Each tale has a unique personality, and dives into universes full of mathematical wit and references to biology, chemistry or the logic of research. As the editors claim in the prologue, «this book proves that the artificial limits we create between science and humanities can be successfully erased».

They also highlight the effort and enthusiasm, as well as the teamwork, of all twenty authors – fourteen men and six women – who contributed to the monograph. The tales in Científics lletraferits were written by Marià Alemany, Sílvia Aymerich, Miquel Barceló, Daniel Closa, Anna Crusafont, Carles M. Cuadras, Martí Domínguez, Xavier Duran, Rosa Fabregat, Jordi Font-Agustí, Teresa Franquesa, Isidre Grau, Amàlia Lafuente, Salvador Macip, Jordi de Manuel, Joan Marcé, Miquel de Palol, Pere Puigdomènech, Carme Torras and Carles Zafon.

The tales are independent, yet science and technology are important in all of them. The twenty stories have been divided into seven thematic groups: «History, art and luck»; «Life and death»; «Science and crime»; «Interface and games»; «Making science»; «Natural and human landscapes» and «Other worlds».

Illustrations by Jaume Plensa

Artist Jaume Plensa contributed with some of his works to illustrate the book. Plensa, an internationally recognised artist, recently won the Velázquez Award for Arts by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

The monograph Científics lletraferits had the support of the Chair of Scientific Dissemination and the Linguistic Policy Service of the University of Valencia.

Mètode’s monographs

This is the seventh monograph published by Mètode. They are an excellent way to approach science from a different perspective. The different items in the collection delve into the knowledge of different fields and characters in the scientific world. The previous monographs are Albert Einstien. El seu segle i la seua ciència (sold out), Els nostres naturalistes, Charles Darwin. Autobiografia, Bestiari, Oxigen (sold out) and Herbari: viure amb les plantes.

On 12 March, the Octubre Contemporary Culture Centre of Valencia will hold a conference in which Jordi Manuel, one of the editors of the book, will speak about «Science, Fiction and Literature». The event is part of a conference cycle about science in literary landscapes. Other authors from the book will also be part of the cycle, like Carme Torras (2 April), Amàlia Lafuente (14 May) and Salvador Macip (11 June).

© Mètode 2014.