M R Cates is a physicist who's spent many hours in laboratories making measurements using fascinating gadgets like lasers, optical fibers, interferometers, spectrometers, and the like. In his writing he likes to take advantage of this professional background, but only insofar as to make the stories more plausible and more entertaining. What he really wants to bring to his readers is a group of wonderful characters who come to life on the page and e more...