A Stroke of Genius Trivia Quiz

Answer: Griffin

Published in 1897, "The Invisible Man" is an early example of science fiction. Griffin manages to make himself invisible by changing the refractive index of his body. Having done this he then finds that he cannot make himself visible again, and as a result becomes violently insane. Eventually he dies whilst attacking someone and his body gradually becomes visible again.

Answer: John Roe O'Neill

Published in 1982, "The White Plague" tells of a disease engineered by John Roe O'Neill that kills only women. This is in revenge for his wife and children having been killed by an IRA bomb. He lets the plague loose in Ireland, England and Libya and demands that all citizens of those countries living elsewhere are forced to return home so that they will loose what he has lost.

In the ensuing break down of law and order the plague escapes into the wider world leading to chaos. As it spreads Rome is destroyed by atomic bombs, North Africa becomes a desolated area. Women capable of child bearing are forced into multiple marriages, and are fiercely protected from all outside contact in an effort to keep them healthy.

Answer: Ras Thavas

Edgar Rice Burroughs of "Tarzan" fame was also a prolific science fiction author. His "Barsoom" series of books are set on Mars and are essentially swashbuckling tales set on another planet. He does however explore the concepts of genetic engineering and cloning, and has Ras Thavas performing genetic engineering experiments on humans.

Answer: Blood Music

Originally published as a short story in 1983 and winning the Nebula Award for best novelette in that year, "Blood Music" by Greg Bear was expanded into a full novel in 1985. Vergil Ulam creates tiny biological computers based on his own lymphocytes. When his employers order them destroyed he injects them into himself to conceal them. Once in his body they alter their genetic makeup and eventually take over most of North America.

Answer: Professor Burroughs

The book by Robert Heinlein covers the travels of the 'Gay Deceiver', a spacecraft manned by Deety Burroughs and her professor father as well as Zebediah Carter and Hilda Corners. The contiua device allows them to travel to fictional universes including Oz.

Published in 1980, this books links to Lazarus Long and "Time Enough For Love".

Answer: Dr Susan Calvin

Dr Susan Calvin is a constant character in Isaac Asimov's "Robot" series. She is portrayed as dedicated and hardworking and somewhat severe. Often she appears to prefer robots to men. Eventually, in "Robots of Dawn", her actions are tied into those of the future, and this ties her into the "Foundation" series.

Answer: Herbert West

First published in 1922, this H.P. Lovecraft story, which is a cross between science fiction and horror, has been made into a successful series of films. Herbert West, the main protagonist, experiments with bringing people back from the dead, with some very gory results.

Answer: Dolphins

"Startide Rising" is part of David Brin's "Uplift Universe" series. It is one of the few books to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards. The dolphins in the books have been genetically modified to speak three languages, and part of the book is written from their viewpoint.

Answer: A self aware planet

Whilst scientists probe and examine the surface of the planet "Solaris" they are unaware that they, in turn, are being probed by the planet itself. Eventually the planet conducts psychological experiments on them by probing their guilty secrets and making them come to life.

Written by Stanislaw Lem, the book was translated from the original Polish into English in 1970.

Answer: Erasmus

Frank Herbert's son, Brian, in collaboration with Kevin Anderson, has cleverly filled in the back story to "Dune" with several prequels. In "The Butlerian Jihad" we get the explanation for the ban on thinking machines found in "Dune", finding that they once ruled the universe enslaving humanity.

When Erasmus, one of the main ruling robots, kills Serena Butler's baby, this starts the human revolt against the robots and computers.