Literature and science, artistic imagination and rational thinking are considered two separate cultures. Nevertheless, there are points of intersection: What would the development of space travel be without Jules Verne? What would Sherlock Holmes be without chemical knowledge? And conversely: Is science imaginable without imagination, without literary and artistic influences? Elmar Schenkel's new book explores the episodes, encounters, and intersections of these two worlds. He reveals the mutual influence of science and literature, bringing together figures such as Marie Curie, René Descartes, Alva Edison, Galileo Galilei, Friedrich August Kekulé, and Dmitri Mendeleev with Douglas Adams, Flaubert, Calvino, Agatha Christie, Dante, Paul Valéry, Mary Shelley, Jonathan Swift, and Tolkien. A fascinating and brilliantly written exploration - full of new, surprising connections.