February 2012 Debut of the Month.

A vivid, thrilling portrayal of the lives and work of Kepler and Galileo and their struggles with the social and political forces around them. It's the first in what will be a fascinating trilogy. Each book bringing to life, through vivid storytelling, key moments in our understanding of the cosmos. Set in the seventeenth century, when religion and science were at war, the revelation that the earth was not the centre of the universe is seen through the eyes of the two men who proved it; Galileo and the lesser known German scientist Johannes Kepler. Books like this transform the way you access and understand our view of history.

The Sky's Dark Labyrinth series:
1. The Sky's Dark Labyrinth
2. The Sensorium of God

Comparison: Harry Thompson, Iain Pears, Tracy Chevalier
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Synopsis

At the dawn of the 17th century, it was believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth. Yet some men knew that the Heavens did not move as they should and began to believe exactly the opposite - a heresy punishable by being burned alive.

The Sky's Dark Labyrinth follows the stories of Johannes Kepler - a German Lutheran and the first man to distill how stars and planets moved according to mathematical laws - and Galileo Galilei. An Italian Catholic, Galileo tries to claim Kepler's success for his own Church, and finds himself enmeshed in a web of intrigue originating from within the Vatican itself. Both men and their families are trapped by human ignorance and terror in one of the darkest, yet also one of the most enlightening, periods of European history. The Sky's Dark Labyrinth is the first of a trilogy of novels inspired by the dramatic struggles, personal and professional, and key historical events in man's quest to understand the Universe.

Reviews

'This book is a moving and eye-opening story of brilliance and bravery, and the fight against bigotry and closed-mindedness'
DAILY MAIL

'Stuart Clark follows a game of galactic hide-and-seek'
NEW SCIENTIST

'Clark's account is superb ... a cracking good read'
COOLSCIENCEBOOKS

'Well stocked with informative historical asides'
SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

About the Author

Stuart Clark’s career is devoted to presenting the complex world of astronomy to the public. He holds a first-class honours degree and a PhD in astrophysics, and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a former Vice Chair of the Association of British Science Writers. In 2000 The Independent placed him alongside Stephen Hawking and the Astronomer Royal, Professor Sir Martin Rees, as one of the ‘stars’ of British astrophysics teaching. Currently he divides his time between writing books and writing for the European Space Agency in his capacity as senior editor for space science. He is a consultant to New Scientist, writes features for The Times, BBC Focus and BBC Sky at Night and is a former editor of Astronomy Now magazine. The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth, the first book in the trilogy of the same name, was his first novel.   Author photo © Simon Wallace More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation