Microscopy and literature

Endeavour. 2019 Sep;43(3):100695. doi: 10.1016/j.endeavour.2019.100695. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Abstract

This article draws attention to literary works which have been influenced by microscopy, or in which microscopy has played a significant role. The work of writers including Jonathan Swift, Voltaire, George Eliot, H. G. Wells and D. H. Lawrence is discussed. In many cases these authors had direct experience of operating microscopes and viewing the wonders of the microscopic world. However, with the increasing separation of the two cultures, recent examples of microscopy in literature are rare.

Keywords: D.H. Lawrence; George Eliot; H.G. Wells; Jonathan swift; Microscopy; Robert Hooke; Science and literature.