Jimbo’s Assumption
Both a philosophical excursion and a sci-fi odyssey, Jimbo’s Assumption chronicles forty-eight hours in the life of a capable yet unremarkable engineering student whose humdrum world is transfigured by his encounter with a galactic intelligence and its singular envoy, 221.
Coming soon. Stay curious.
A renewed invitation
into Jimbo’s world.
A bold new edition of Jimbo’s Assumption is coming soon, reimagined for a wider audience while preserving the curiosity and ambition at its heart.
Set beneath the spires of Edinburgh and the boundless backdrop of the cosmos, the novel invites readers on a journey across space, time, scientific discovery, and human potential. A chance to contemplate the very architecture of our reality.
From the dawn of hominin self-awareness to the mysteries of consciousness, Richard N Philip blends imagination, reason, wonder, and humour to explore the advancement of knowledge as a vital force: within ourselves, throughout our history, and conceivably across the stars. All embedded into a tale of contemporary human waywardness.
With refined material, fresh artwork, and the same sharp focus on the questions that matter, this upgraded edition offers returning readers and first-time visitors a renewed invitation into Jimbo’s world.
At its core, Jimbo’s Assumption asks what it means to evolve: intellectually, spiritually, scientifically, and as a species. It’s a story about curiosity, connection, breakthroughs, and the likelihood that humanity’s greatest days may lie ahead.
Science, reason, wonder, and galactic possibility.
Jimbo’s Assumption combines intelligent science fiction with a curiosity-driven exploration of human development, discovery, consciousness, and civilisation.
Galactic Intelligence
An extraordinary encounter with a vast Intelligence and its curious envoy, 221.
Edinburgh & The Milky Way
A grounded Scottish setting opens into a journey across space, time, and possibility.
Scientific Discovery
From Dolly the Sheep to the history of ideas, science shapes the story.
Consciousness & Evolution
A story about how intelligence evolves in people, societies, and perhaps beyond Earth.
Human curiosity
meets cosmic scale.
Jimbo begins as an unassuming student, but his ordinary life is transformed by a strange and extraordinary encounter. What follows is a journey through scientific history, philosophical questions, comic human moments, and the possibility that intelligence may be far larger than humanity has imagined.
The new edition brings fresh energy to that journey, giving readers a clearer, richer path into the novel’s ideas and Jimbo’s evolving understanding of himself, civilisation, and the universe around him.
What readers are saying.
Praise from readers who connected with the book’s blend of science history, science fiction, engineering, humour, and intellectual curiosity.
Unique and engaging odyssey into the science and fiction of human development and reason. A recommended read for both young adults and more mature fans of the magic of engineering and wonders of emerging civilisation. It is understood there may be a sequel!Philip D. Hume
I really enjoyed this book, an excellent mixture of science history and science fiction. The setting – in Edinburgh around the time of the cloning of Dolly the sheep adds an interesting back drop , especially if you are interested the discoverers of science or like me are from the Athens of the North. I particularly liked the enigmatically named alien ‘221’.John Watt
A book of the type I thought I would never read but once I understood what was in the author’s mind, I enjoyed the journey very much. It spans such a diverse collection of disciplines exemplifying the authors knowledge of many of the masters of just about every science and the proverbial ‘ology’ I had ever heard of. It became an encyclopaedia of authors of academia in every sphere sandwiched between what was quite an exciting fictional story. I was pleased with myself that I stuck to the task of finishing the book, which, at the beginning, I thought that I would never reach. Well done RNP, I wish I had your skill.Brian Humphreys
Having never studied science at school, I found Jimbo’s Assumption very interesting. I did however study 17th & 18th century French thought at university, so have read Descartes and Pascal in the original language. Much preferred Voltaire and the Enlightenment. Thank you Richard N Philip for telling me such fascinating stories about those clever scientists. Now feel much better educated. Je pense donc je suis.Katie Kidd
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