The Real Science Behind the X Files: Microbes, Meteorites, and Mutants

This book contains the foreword and 3 chapters discussing the science or non-science of the X-files. Chapter 1 - Hidden & Hungry Chapter 2 - Visitors from the Void Chapter 3 - Mutants and Monsters

Not being a fan of the fantastically popular Fox series, I picked up this book as a curiosity, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth to which Simon, the "science advisor" to the show, goes to elaborate on some of the plots to the TV show. Simon is a molecular biologist, and her discussion tend toward cell biology, but are written with such clarity that even those largely ignorant of life sciences (like me) won't be put off. For instance, her discussion of the the mystery of aging goes on for a fairly dense 20 pages, having been introduced by the episode plot "Turning Back Time" where Mulder and Scully search for the missing Dr. Ridley, who was conducting illegal research aimed at modifying the process by which cells age and eventually die. Anyone who enjoys a good scientific detective story will enjoy this book. Simon presents countless real-life mysteries from the recent research of biologists and geneticists. My only real complaint was arriving at the end of the book and NOT finding a "recommended reading" list. Reading this book really piqued my interest in some of these scientific hunts.

Anne Simon's "The Real Science Behind the X-Files" is my new favorite book. It addresses complex subject matter in a manner similar to that of Physicist Stephen Hawking...easy for the layman to understand and enjoy, and packed with enough hard core science for a true scientist to become captivated. And to top it all off, you've got Mulder and Scully as the leading characters. Simon does a magnificent job of illustrating exactly where the real science becomes science fiction, but gives due respect to that which is not yet proven or is knocking on the door of discovery. It makes you appreciate the "X-Files" a whole lot more knowing how much thought and effort goes into making the storylines as accurate as possible. Great for a casual read and a pleasantly entertaining learning experience.

This is a great book for X-Files fans, but also for anyone who has even a passing interest in science. If you think science is dull, boring, difficult, only for nerds or without a shred of imagination - read this book. It is filled with lots of scientific facts and anecdotes that are, sorry Chris Carter, better than the X-Files. It turns out real science is more interesting than science fiction. The book is written so people of all levels can understand the concepts behind the X-Files, and some other ideas that are at the forefront of scientific research in the world today. I wanted to share this with a lot of my friends, and not only my science friends. I never new science could be so exciting. It turns out, that, science, like everything else, needs a little bit of luck, hard work, and a lot of imagination to discover the "microbes, meterorites, & mutants" that make this planet go around. A great gift, and get one for yourself.

This book makes fascinating reading, even for the non-scientist and non X-File fan. Personally, my last forays into science were sometime in the tenth grade, and I've only seen the X-Files show sporadically. But Professor Simon explains the scientific rationale behind the episodes in such an entertaining and illuminating manner, I never missed a beat. She is a thoroughly competent scientist, but I think it's her excellent storytelling ability that sets this work apart. As someone who's tried to struggle through a number of "science for laypeople" books and put them down unfinished, I would recommend this book as a very entertaining read.