Richard N Philip | Author of Jimbo’s Assumption
The Author

Richard N Philip

Richard N Philip writes intelligent science fiction shaped by engineering, curiosity, scientific discovery, human progress, and the bigger questions behind civilisation.

Read Richard’s Reflections →Read Biography
About the author

Engineering experience meets speculative imagination.

Richard’s background and curiosity-driven approach bring a unique perspective to his storytelling.

Richard N Philip is an internationally experienced engineer, having worked across consultancy and industrial roles from Asia to the Americas. Before turning his focus to fiction with Jimbo’s Assumption, Richard’s writing primarily catered to technical and academic audiences.

His wide-ranging interests include the history of science, statistical methods, and cutting-edge astronomical research. Currently, he resides in Worcestershire, nestled in the heart of the English Midlands.

His diverse background and curiosity-driven approach bring a unique perspective to his storytelling, blending scientific insight with imaginative exploration.

Interests and influences

The ideas behind
the imagination.

Jimbo’s Assumption draws energy from Richard’s technical background and his fascination with the scientific, historical, and cosmic questions that shape human civilisation.

Engineering

International consultancy and industrial experience inform the practical intelligence behind Richard’s fiction.

Science History

The people, discoveries, and turning points of scientific progress are woven into the wider world of Jimbo’s Assumption.

Astronomical Research

Cutting-edge astronomical research and cosmic scale help shape the novel’s sense of wonder and possibility.

Author reflections

Why Jimbo’s Assumption
was written.

In these reflections, Richard N Philip shares the thinking behind Jimbo’s Assumption and its celebration of science, ingenuity, compassion, and human possibility.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives, but the one most responsive to change." So said Charles Darwin. Similar sentiments are attributed to Professor Hawking. In a global community threatened by rising sea levels, mired in debt, and confronting violence, while infested with autocrats, wannabe dictators, snake-oil salesmen, and several consummate monsters, it’s good to remember that our inventiveness and adaptation have brought huge progress to our Homo sapiens species. We depend utterly on science and a lineage of scientific breakthroughs for our survival.

To celebrate our better part, I wrote Jimbo’s Assumption, contemplating a few of the professor’s noteworthy antecedents: a timeless computer examines our recent 100k years, a mere flicker of the galactic brow, pondering 50 wizards from Euclid to Maxwell and beyond, accompanied by an engineering student while he dreams. From Newtonian mechanics via Boyle’s Law to ring-pull beer cans, fruits of our genius and persistence.

Richard N Philip
Read reflection two

We live in fractious times. Maybe also interesting, but many dimensions of dystopia. Here I have tried to celebrate the better part of us, our capacity for empathy, compassion, philanthropy, and inventiveness. Particularly, our cleverness, surely the trait that will save our species. We depend on science and scientific ideas, old and new, to live and prosper.

So, I wrote Jimbo’s Assumption: an ancient computer examines our recent 100k years, a mere blink of a galactic eye, briefly contemplating 50 wizards from Ptolemy to Marconi, accompanied by an Edinburgh engineering student while he sleeps. From Newtonian mechanics to fridges and ring-pull beer cans, the fruits of our genius and perseverance.

Read reflection three

‘May you live in interesting times’, goes the bittersweet aphorism. Said with irony. Our era exemplifies the phrase with horrors worldwide. Some monsters on the loose, influential, and dangerous. My modest hope is to promote our better part, our capacity for philanthropy, our appreciation of nature and art, and our ingenuity. Cleverness will protect our species if anything can. We depend on science and a pyramid of scientific ideas to thrive.

So, I composed Jimbo’s Assumption: an ageless computer probes our recent 100k years, a momentary twinkle of a galactic eye, contemplating 50 sages, from Hero to Maxwell and beyond, accompanied by an engineering student while he dreams. From the Carnot cycle to wine coolers and corkscrews, a tale of our genius and persistence.

Read reflection four

“I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.” One of Stephen Hawking’s many insights.

Despite a world afflicted by rising sea levels, debt, and conflict, infested with autocrats, wannabe dictators, and some outright monsters, it’s important to recognise that many of us enjoy free will, the capacity to make choices and do the right thing. Our human history is populated by such notables: sacrificing, signalling empathy, creating beauty, and offering ingenuity. Cleverness is the trait that will save us if anything can. We depend utterly on science and a succession of scientific ideas.

To celebrate our better part, I wrote Jimbo’s Assumption, referencing a few of the professor’s antecedents: an ageless computer contemplates our recent 100k years, a mere blink of a galactic eye, pondering 50 wizards from Hero to Maxwell and beyond, accompanied by an engineering student while he dreams. From Newtonian mechanics via the Carnot cycle to wine coolers and corkscrews, refrigerators and ring-pull beer cans, fruits of our genius and perseverance.

Read reflection five

“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” The opinion of the late, great Professor Stephen Hawking.

Special, we may be, but seemingly in a sorry state: a planet being warmed by our emissions, melting polar ice and raising sea levels; unsustainable government debts; leaders who range from the ineffective to the homicidal; and people hungry in a world full of food.

Then I met a neighbour, a retired pastor, who freely gives her time to counsel convicts in a nearby prison. Then another, walking a sick friend’s dog every morning: “we must all pull together” was his advice. Maybe we are special. Generosity is such a trait, intelligence is another.

Cleverness will save us if anything can. We depend utterly on science and a lineage of scientific ideas.

To celebrate our better part, I wrote Jimbo’s Assumption, referencing a few of the professor’s antecedents: an ageless computer contemplates our recent 100k years, a mere blink of a galactic eye, pondering 50 sages from Hero to Maxwell and beyond, accompanied by an engineering student while he dreams. From Newtonian mechanics via the Carnot cycle to wine coolers and corkscrews, refrigerators and ring-pull beer cans, fruits of our genius and perseverance.

We can do better!

Author’s note

Writing Jimbo’s world.

A personal reflection from Richard on the creative journey behind Jimbo’s Assumption and the wider stories still to come.

With Jimbo’s Assumption now beyond lift-off and accelerating towards escape velocity, and a sequel and threequel almost ready to roll out, now is a timely moment to pause for breath and take stock of the journey.

The initial creative phase consumed about 1,200 hours, spread over six months. Typically, Richard writes in the afternoon, sometimes extending into the early evening, usually seven days a week when time allows.

Some writers plan in detail before composing anything. For Richard, the opposite is true. When he began, there was no clear view of where the narrative was heading, nor much clue about the characters and their personalities. This can be hair-raising if deadlines must be met, but it also means the projects become adventures. Joyous adventures. His hope is that readers find similar pleasure.

The principal players in the narrative have developed personalities that will continue to evolve in the subsequent two works. On morning walks, Richard ruminates on these characters, conscious that, at least for him, they are becoming real people. That sense of reality adds authenticity to the storytelling.

These future tales follow the formula laid down in Jimbo’s Assumption: Jimbo begins his career as a tidal-energy researcher, seemingly leading a humdrum life, but complicated by 221, the nebulous computer sharing his brain and linking him to a galactic presence known as the Intelligence.

Criminality emerges, prompting the introduction of the enigmatic Mr North. Along the way, readers meet more of the wizards who built the modern world. They will also meet Wenny, a golfer, violinist, geophysicist, and the love of Jimbo’s life.

I hope you enjoy these stories. — RNP

Jimbo

A tidal-energy researcher trying to live an ordinary life while carrying extraordinary connections.

221

The nebulous computer sharing Jimbo’s brain and linking him to something far larger.

The Intelligence

A galactic presence that widens the story from personal adventure to cosmic scale.

Wenny

A golfer, violinist, geophysicist, and the love of Jimbo’s life.

Jimbo’s Assumption

A philosophical
sci-fi adventure, reimagined.

Part philosophical odyssey, part sci-fi adventure, Jimbo’s Assumption follows Jimbo, an unassuming student whose ordinary life is transformed by an extraordinary encounter with a galactic Intelligence and its curious envoy, 221.

Set against Edinburgh and the vast reach of the Milky Way, the story explores science, consciousness, civilisation, humour, discovery, and the possibility that humanity’s greatest assumptions may only be the beginning.

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From the author

The spirit of the story.

A few brief lines from Richard’s reflections capture the spirit of Jimbo’s Assumption: science, ingenuity, hope, and the belief that humanity can do better.

Science

“We depend utterly on science and a lineage of scientific ideas.”

Ingenuity

“Cleverness will protect our species if anything can.”

Hope

“We can do better!”