Andrew May obtained a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Manchester in 1982 and is an experienced and versatile professional, with a career spanning academia, government and private industry. Since 2011 he has been working as a freelance writer and defence consultant. He has a wide range of interests and has written both authoritatively and entertainingly on the physical sciences, military technology, British history, science fiction, New Age beliefs and the paranormal. He has recently published Pseudoscience and Science Fiction (2017), Rockets and Ray Guns: The Sci-Fi Science of the Cold War (2018) and Fake Physics: Spoofs, Hoaxes and Fictitious Science (2019) with Springer.