The Science and Fiction of Robert L. Forward

One way to examine a relationship between science and science fiction is to look at the works of individuals who simultaneously were practicing scientists and authors of science fiction. Dr. Robert L. Forward is such an individual. From 1980 through 1997 he wrote and published about twelve science fiction novels. During the same time interval, he produced many scientific and technical papers. Writing science fiction was essentially a byproduct of his scientific research. His early research concerned gravitation and astronomical objects. Later he studied space transportation technologies, including photon propelled sails, antimatter rockets and long tethers. An immediate observation is that Dr. Forward, in his science fiction, took particular care that the circumstances and technologies used had reasonable scientific bases. A prime example is his use of antimatter propulsion in his fiction. In his scientific career, Dr. Forward was a leading proponent that antimatter propulsion was possible, but very expensive. Enormous sails propelled in space by astronomical photons or laser beams is another propulsion technology employed in his novels. If a distinction is made between fiction based on sound scientific principles and fiction that is pure fantasy, the works of Robert Forward clearly fall in the first grouping.