Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain
Encyclopedia
Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain is a 1987 science fiction
novel by Isaac Asimov
about a group of scientists that shrink to microscopic size in order to enter a human brain so that they can retrieve memories from a comatose colleague.
, the official novelization Asimov wrote (with minor changes to fix plot hole
s) for the 1966 film
; but because Asimov did not have rights to the film's characters, it shares only the central concept of scientists shrinking to enter a human body for medical and political reasons, and the novel is actually a retelling of the original story with different characters as well as many detailed plot refinements.
to reduce Planck's constant, thus allowing the atom
s of substances within the minituarization field to reduce in size. The scientists creating the minituarization field theorize that it would be possible to couple Planck's constant to the speed of light
and that the speed of light would increase as Planck's constant decrease. Thus, by refining the minituarization process by coupling it to the speed of light, it would be possible to do it using less energy and also achieve an inertialess drive
for interstellar travel
, according to the premise of the novel. It is believed that the comatose colleague has calculated the formula for doing this, thus the motivation for entering his brain and attempting to retrieve his memory of the formula.
, inside the comatose body of an eccentric Soviet scientist, Dr. Pyotor Leonovich Shapirov, whose memories his colleagues intend to examine to discover the means of easing mass miniaturization. Its protagonist is Dr. Albert Jonas Morrison, an American scientist coerced to join the voyage in the hope of using his telepathic computer to reach Shapirov's memory. This mission fails; but on return to America, Morrison suggests to the intelligence agencies there that his own computer may be used in re-creating Shapirov's discovery.
ic positronic brain
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
about a group of scientists that shrink to microscopic size in order to enter a human brain so that they can retrieve memories from a comatose colleague.
A retelling of the original story
The title makes it sound as if it is a sequel to Fantastic VoyageFantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
, the official novelization Asimov wrote (with minor changes to fix plot hole
Plot hole
A plot hole, or plothole, is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot, or constitutes a blatant omission of relevant information regarding the plot...
s) for the 1966 film
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
; but because Asimov did not have rights to the film's characters, it shares only the central concept of scientists shrinking to enter a human body for medical and political reasons, and the novel is actually a retelling of the original story with different characters as well as many detailed plot refinements.
Scientific premise of plot
In the novel, minituarization is achieved by using massive inputs of energyEnergy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
to reduce Planck's constant, thus allowing the atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
s of substances within the minituarization field to reduce in size. The scientists creating the minituarization field theorize that it would be possible to couple Planck's constant to the speed of light
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
and that the speed of light would increase as Planck's constant decrease. Thus, by refining the minituarization process by coupling it to the speed of light, it would be possible to do it using less energy and also achieve an inertialess drive
Inertialess drive
The inertialess drive is a fictional means of accelerating to close to the speed of light or faster-than-light travel, originally used in Triplanetary and the Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith, and later by Robert A...
for interstellar travel
Interstellar travel
Interstellar space travel is manned or unmanned travel between stars. The concept of interstellar travel in starships is a staple of science fiction. Interstellar travel is much more difficult than interplanetary travel. Intergalactic travel, or travel between different galaxies, is even more...
, according to the premise of the novel. It is believed that the comatose colleague has calculated the formula for doing this, thus the motivation for entering his brain and attempting to retrieve his memory of the formula.
Plot
The voyage takes place in a fictional mid- to late-21st century Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, inside the comatose body of an eccentric Soviet scientist, Dr. Pyotor Leonovich Shapirov, whose memories his colleagues intend to examine to discover the means of easing mass miniaturization. Its protagonist is Dr. Albert Jonas Morrison, an American scientist coerced to join the voyage in the hope of using his telepathic computer to reach Shapirov's memory. This mission fails; but on return to America, Morrison suggests to the intelligence agencies there that his own computer may be used in re-creating Shapirov's discovery.
Relation to Robot/Foundation series
This novel is implied to be included in the Robot/Foundation series' fictional universe--on page 327 of the novel, an American scientist describes fictional components of a robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic positronic brain
Positronic brain
A positronic brain is a fictional technological device, originally conceived by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Its role is to serve as a central computer for a robot, and, in some unspecified way, to provide it with a form of consciousness recognizable to humans...
.