Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Croatia, in the city of Zagreb. I finished college there, and then I went on to live and work in three other countries: Belgium, United States and Japan. I went to graduate school in Baltimore, Maryland, and I have lived in United States most of my life. Currently, I live with my spouse Laurie in Bloomington, Indiana, and I work at Indiana University.
I have written two books, one of which is a deeply technical monograph. I have also recently published a short story, a fictional memoir of the legendary craftsman and inventor Daedalus.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a collection of essays titled “Whither Science?”; it is a reflection on the state of natural science in our present time.
Popular science news speak daily of exciting discoveries, complete with fascinating images and promises of great technological advances. Yet for all the buzz, recent decades have seen few truly fundamental scientific insights, let alone any onrush of transformative technologies. Our production of energy and goods, our transportation, medicine, communication — even our ever-present personal electronic gadgets — all of that is based on scientific discoveries that are at least half a century old, most of them much older than that.
Behind its image of fascination and near-magic, contemporary science has become a largely self-serving institution, failing both the public common good and its own noble ideals. In “Whither Science?” I attempt to lift the veil of magic from the practice of science, in hope that a better public understanding will restore its accountability, as well as its value as a great historic undertaking that natural science really is.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write slowly, and I’m careful about making my writing hang together coherently. Maybe that’s the scientist/engineer in me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Classical Greek mythology has long been part of my intellectual world, and I always find something new and interesting in these ancient stories. Among the authors whose ideas have influenced my recent work, I count the philosophers Rene Descartes and Gottfried Leibniz.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a novella about Prometheus, the mythological rebel, fire-bringer and creator of humanity.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The Goodreads web site is very good; I also do some advertising through social media.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
In a cartoon by the well-known cartoonist Sydney Harris, a middle-aged academic bemoans his misspent years to a drinking companion, and says: “The biggest mistake of my life was to go into cosmology just for the money.”
Some things are meant to be a labor of love, or else nothing at all. Artistic expression and cosmology are such things.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Evaluate for yourself any advice you receive.
What are you reading now?
“City,” an old science-fiction novel by Clifford Simak;
“Medea,” a play by Euripides.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Whatever the Fates bring about.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Doctor Faustus” by Thomas Mann;
“Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll;
“Nonexistent Knight” by Italo Calvino.
Author Websites and Profiles
Danko Antolovic Author Profile on Smashwords
Danko Antolovic’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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