Brian T.N. Gunney, scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and author of Dragon’s Ridge will be at Civic Center Library to give a talk about dragons. In a presentation designed for fantasy fans and science buffs alike, Gunney will discuss his book and his aerodynamics calculations for dragons. He'll reveal the fascinating insights that science provides and the amusing consequences of trying to cheat Mother Nature. Dragons appear in the mythologies of countless cultures, but readers have never seen them quite like in Dragon’s Ridge.

While scientific realism is a frequent goal in science fiction, it's less common in fantasy, which can rely on magic to explain things. In Dragon's Ridge, the story is shaped by the scientific principles and historical facts of the real world. To create realistic dragons, the author, who has a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, researched the parameters that would make dragon flight possible. He also delved into medieval history to craft an authentic period setting.

Brian Thao Nguyen Gunney was born in Vietnam and escaped to the U.S. as a refugee in 1975. After briefly considering a creative writing major, he earned a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and scientific computing from the University of Michigan. He drew on his technical training, outdoor experience, and interest in history to bring dragons into the real world in his first novel, Dragon’s Ridge. Gunney works in scientific computer simulations at LLNL. He writes, hikes, runs, and bikes in Northern California, where he and his wife just sent their children to college.