Bernard Werber is a prolific contemporary French author. Whether he writes about the world of ants, a school for gods or travel through space, his novels are always entertaining and integrate an element of humanity, spirituality and science fiction.
In “the Butterfly of the Stars” published in 2006, he describes a solar vessel traveling through space. In an amazing development, the Japanese Space Agency just announced an experimental launch in orbit of a small satellite that will unfurl a 20m solar sail…
If you never read a book by Werber, grab one and make up your own mind. You probably won’t regret it. His books have been translated in many languages and you will not have any difficulty finding them in English.