Banville's scientific tetralogy (1976-1986) –

(1976),

(1985),

(1982) and

(1986) – comes after the self-contained worlds of his first two novels,

(1971) and

(1984). The tetralogy traces an interesting trajectory in historical and scientific development from early modernity to the present, highlighting an intriguing interplay between scientific knowledge and literature. In an article published in the

in 1985, “Physics and Fiction: Order from Chaos”, Banville suggested a kinship between modern science and literature, in particular in terms of cognitive uncertainties, as propounded by Heisenberg:

The dream of certainty, of arriving at a simple, elegant, and above all concrete answer, has had to

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Citation: Palazzolo, Pietra. "Doctor Copernicus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 October 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5542, accessed 25 November 2024.]