“BANG! The Universe Verse: Book 1″ by James Lu Dunbar

I’m happy to let Dunbar introduce the book himself:

Book one in a three-part series, “BANG!” explains the scientific theories regarding the origin of the universe with captivating illustrations and whimsical rhymes.

From the beginning of existence to the birth of galaxies, you’ll learn how matter was created, why stars shine and where we fit in this wild and crazy universe.

This book is intended for all ages. If you don’t understand everything, don’t worry, no one does! That’s why I made it rhyme and added lots of pictures.

You know me, always skeptical. Obviously I was hoping this short book would be interesting, but I did begin to have doubts when I read that part about rhyme. I often find that people limit their writing when they use rhyme, especially when it comes to science that often features awkward words. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The beginning of the universe explained through illustration and rhyme? Good luck. It’s already difficult enough to provide a succinct explanation with words alone.

So what exactly is it? Well, first you should know that this is just the start of a series. This book focuses on the origins of the universe, from the big bang to the creation of the heavier elements. Dunbar explains that the rest of the series will go onto more complex structures and the evolution of living organisms, so the whole series will effectively explain the universe and our place in it. The book is quite short at just 40 pages, but these pages are full of illustration and character. He has clearly put a lot of time into this project. It’s also very clear from his writing that Dunbar is passionate about communicating science to the masses and combating ignorance. When I caught glimpse of a small warning, I thought I was about to read something about explicit language or porn. On closer inspection, it read:

Warning: This book contains graphic depictions of scientific knowledge which may lead to decreased ignorance and heightened sensations of awe and wonder.

Fantastic. Anything that aims to combat ignorance is good in my book, and I liked where this was going. Sure, the author may fail with the whole concept of rhyming and illustration, but he clearly has a sense of humour and has put some effort into this. Curiosity took over, and I dived right in.

Charming. Enjoyable. Intelligent. I was very pleasantly surprised. “BANG!” is a beautiful grayscale comic, featuring intelligent rhymes and exceptional illustrations. The writing gives the impression of a wise and loving parent explaining the universe to a child, but I didn’t feel babied. Either “BANG!” can be enjoyed by adults as much as children, or I’m just a big kid. Maybe a bit of both. The amount of science is perfect. Dunbar has glossed over some details (e.g. dark matter), but in hindsight it would detract from the flow of the story. And that’s the great thing about the book, it is a flowing story, partly because the history of the universe makes a good story and partly because the author has intelligently weaved it all together in a way that pulls you from one page to the next. Obviously Dunbar is going for scientific evidence and facts, but equally important is the sense of awe and wonder. Astrophysicists may disagree, but when it comes to the origin of the universe, some of the science is nearly mundane. It can be difficult to demonstrate to Joe Public the beauty and importance of something as simple as chemical reactions in a few fractions of a second. But the narrative isn’t confusing, and Dunbar is open and honest about what we don’t know, which is good science.

And abruptly, I’m going to stop right there. This isn’t an in-depth review, it’s just a quick post about what I think is a wonderful little book. It’s like finding an elegant and educating poem wrapped up in terrific artwork. If this was an expensive book, I would be tempted to write a lot more. That way you could decide if it was worth splashing out on. But this isn’t a problem. The author is publishing the book himself, and is currently offering the electronic version of the book for free. That’s right, no need for me to go any further, you can go and find out exactly what it’s like! Alright, it sounds good. And it’s free. So what’s the catch? Is this guy a bit daft? No, he’s just passionate about promoting science. In the book, Dunbar explains that the ebook is free partly to promote it and get the title out there, but also because this is his “ode to science”.

I believe that science-literacy is a critical factor in the well-being of our species and the rest of the Earth’s ecosystem. This is my ode to science, and hopefully it will contribute to a greater appreciation, admiration and understanding of science in the general population, especially children.

If people enjoy the ebook, Dunbar hopes that they will share it, and that’s what I intend to do. I’ve already sent a letter to my local library and hopefully they will get in touch with the author to purchase a hard copy of the book. If you want to download the free ebook, you can do so by visiting Dunbar’s website at www.JLDunbar.com. Go on, it’s free, it has nice pictures, and it has science. What more could you want? If you check it out, I’d love to know what you thought about it. Did you enjoy it? What are the good/bad points? Do you think it could help inspire a scientific understanding of the universe? Let me know!