Strange New Worlds

Critics Review

• “Jayawardhana brings the latest cutting-edge science to all
  those astounding science-fictional visions of alien worlds, showing us that the
  universe is every bit as exciting as the masters of science fiction have always
  claimed. It’s no accident that his title invokes the opening of the original Star
  Trek. In this terrific book, he boldly goes out into the galaxy, showing us
  strange—and wondrous—new worlds.”

  Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award–winning author

• “Anyone scanning the shelves today to learn
  about such urgent news from the universe should go directly to ‘J’ and take
  down Ray Jayawardhana’s Strange New Worlds. It begins with early
  speculation by ancient thinkers but moves quickly to a series of seemingly
  promising discoveries, beginning 160 years ago, that raised researchers’ hopes
  only to frustrate them…Reading Strange New Worlds, I felt the
  thrill of briefly sharing in the efforts of these planet-seeking scientists and
  seeing the universe through their eyes.”

  Wall Street Journal

• “With the seemingly endless stream of news about discoveries
  of alien planets, it’s easy to forget that just twenty years ago exoplanets
  were no more than theoretical possibilities. Now astronomer Ray Jayawardhana
  tells the story of how the dramatic hunt has unfolded, from the early days of
  stellar astronomy to present-day speculation about life outside our solar
  system.”

  New Scientist

• “This combination of the insider’s expert perspective and
  storyteller’s skill really shines through in Strange New Worlds…You
  won’t find a more able guide for the journey.”

  Times Higher Education

• “Remarkably evenhanded. This is a fast-moving
  field in which groups have often clashed. Nonetheless, he provides a survey of
  the subject without giving the protagonists anything to complain about. His
  lucid and effortless prose makes for an engaging read.”

  Nature

• “The search for habitable planets around other
  stars is one of the preeminent research areas in astronomy today. Jayawardhana
  gives a firsthand account of the exciting discoveries that have taken place in
  the past two decades of rapidly accelerating growth in this new field. Strange
  New Worlds not only conveys the author’s point of view about his own
  discoveries of planet-forming disks around other stars but also contains
  excerpts from Jayawardhana’s interviews with many of the other researchers who
  helped build the newest astronomical instruments, observe the first extrasolar
  planets, and create new or revised theories for the formation of planets.”

  Choice

• “Ray Jayawardhana, an astrophysicist and writer, vividly
  recounts the advances behind an extraordinary age of exploration.”

  Australian

• “An engaging read that casts a floodlight at the
  search for life-sustaining planets beyond our solar system…It is a must-read
  for anyone who has ever wondered about the possibility of life beyond our
  planet.”

  Cosmos

• “It is the most tantalizing question: are there
  other planets where creatures passingly like ourselves eat Chiko Rolls, watch
  TV, and walk the dog? Jayawardhana…explains the history and current science in
  simple English.”

  Sydney Morning Herald

• “One aspect that attracted me to this book was
  that it revealed, in story-book fashion, the chronology of discoveries
  (including the names of the most significant players involved) in the quest for
  finding exoplanets. Such a format made for easy reading and, with each chapter,
  you could see the exoplanet story unfold.”

  Planetarian

• “An exciting, highly readable glimpse into a
  discovery that could have broad scientific and cultural implications.”

  Publishers Weekly

• “Everything you need to know about alien planet
  discovery is insightfully described in this engaging book, which will appeal to
  astronomers, general science buffs, and armchair UFOlogists.”

  Library Journal

• “If you have ever wanted to know how astronomers are going
  to find an Earth-like planet, this engaging book explains it all. Not only is Strange
  New Worlds fantastic storytelling about the checkered and dramatic
  history of exoplanet discovery but it also gives a compelling description of the
  path to future discoveries.”

  Sara Seager, author of Exoplanet Atmospheres

• “Strange New Worlds is a very satisfying book
  that does a thorough and excellent job of tracing the discovery and
  characterization of extrasolar planets. It is the only popular-level book that
  gives full, up-to-date, and in-depth coverage of one of the most exciting and
  fast-moving fields of scientific research.”

  Greg Laughlin, coauthor of The Five Ages of the Universe