The Science of Rick and Morty

Starred review from August 19, 2019
This terrific pop-cultural excursion from Brady, a high school teacher and founder of The Science Of... website, marries accessible science with imaginative story lines from the popular and irreverent animated show Rick and Morty. He observes that “while Star Trek used science as a tool,” the newer series approaches it “as a toy: something to be tinkered with and used... in the most unconventional and irreverent ways.” Brady examines the realities, practicalities, and outright fiction contained in Rick and Morty episodes, covering aliens, wormholes, clones, and the logistics of shrinking people or making them exponentially larger, among other subjects, not to mention a recipe for bake-free brownies. Weaving in plot points from fan-favorite episodes like “The Rickshaw Redemption,” “Lawnmower Dog,” and “Pickle Rick,” Brady is a well-informed guide who doesn’t talk down to his audience. If some of the writing ventures a little deeply into the nerd weeds, readers shouldn’t object, as Brady’s enthusiasm for his subject is contagious. His terrific and well-researched survey will be of most interest to confirmed Rick and Morty fans, but its combination of science and humor will be enjoyable even for those who’ve never seen an episode.