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I'd add Neal Stephenson's Seveneves to the Space Travel and perhaps comet sections. There was some excellent physics that dealt with issues like inertia, delta-V, orbital parameters, simulated gravity and complex dynamics (bolos etc) in great detail. As well, it handled long-term day to day life in space as a first class element of the book.


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Agree - strongest book I've read in that category.

Anathem for the QM section? Maybe a stretch!


If nothing else, I love the way that Anathem presents an alternate nomenclature for a whole range of scientific and philosophical concepts, ranging from the Hylian Theoric World (Platonic ideals) and Gardan's Steelyard (Occam's Razor) to Saunt Bucker's Basket (Faraday cage). While Stephenson's practice of inventing alternative names met with some derision (like https://xkcd.com/483/), it adds something to the work that wouldn't come through the same way with familiar names.

"it adds something to the work that wouldn't come through the same way with familiar names"

I think it would have been too close to Earth if there hadn't been some sense of "foreignness" created by the different words. Of course, the similarity of Arbre to Earth is an important part of the plot so its not like he could make the environment wildly different.


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