|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0385333781
| 9780385333788
| 0385333781
| 3.90
| 61,378
| Aug 18, 1952
| Sep 2006
|
liked it
|
I have enjoyed every Kurt Vonnegut book I read… until now. Player Piano is Vonnegut’s first novel but his other books that I have read are so very goo I have enjoyed every Kurt Vonnegut book I read… until now. Player Piano is Vonnegut’s first novel but his other books that I have read are so very good that I could not help but have high expectations for this one even though it is his debut. It is set in a future where society has been fully mechanized, humanity is fully served by machines resulting in demarcation among the masses who were formerly of the workforce, and a social divide where the managers and engineers are the elites living luxurious happy lives while the rest are bereft of purpose. The narrative mainly features Dr. Paul Proteus a disillusioned engineer who is beginning to feel that something is wrong with society and is disturbed by the meaningless lives of the masses. He eventually decides to do something about it. What I love about Vonnegut’s books are his wonderful idiosyncratic humour, his snappy, witty prose, the eccentric short chapters, and the recurring refrains he uses in his later works. Player Piano is lacking in these beloved features, while it is not mundane or conventional it is oddly turgid and not compelling. This is one of the few of his books that were labeled as science fiction. If I remember correctly (do let me know if I am mistaken) only this book, The Sirens of Titan and Cat's Cradle were published and marketed as sci-fi. While his other works such as Slaughterhouse-Five and Galápagos use sci-fi elements like aliens, time travel, the far future, and such, they are used as satirical props rather than the main focus; and they are much better than Player Piano. The trouble is Player Piano does not work as sci-fi, we are told society is fully mechanized but it is not supported by any kind of vivid world-building that would give us a sense of what this world looks like. Machines are vaguely described in passing as automated but Vonnegut is not interested in describing any machine in any detail, only the resultant ennui they are causing to the people. Consequently, it is difficult to imagine how it would feel to live in this society. Putting aside the sci-fi issue, the narrative suffers from a lack of focus, Vonnegut goes off on so many tangents that it plays hell with the narrative flow. Looking back at my review for Breakfast of Champions he did something similar there too, but the difference is Breakfast of Champions is often hilarious but Player Piano has a much lower quotient of humour. There is also no pacing to speak of, just when things are getting interesting the author goes off on a dull tangent that stops the flow of the plot, after a while, he resumes the story of Paul Proteus, but soon veers away again. I was interested in Paul’s attempt to change his life and what his wife’s reaction will be given that her values are the polar opposite of his. Unfortunately, Vonnegut keeps moving away from this storyline to introduce numerous other characters that I can not keep track of until I stopped caring. Eventually, I just gritted my teeth to plow through the novel and finish it. I should have abandoned it before the halfway point but Vonnegut keeps enticing me with the Paul side of the narrative. I don't want to be overly critical of this book because I am a fan of Kurt Vonnegut, and this book is loved by many. While I have very little appreciation for it I am sure that its finer points must have escaped me. An author of Kurt Vonnegut’s caliber should always have the benefit of the doubt. Suffice to say that I personally cannot recommend this book but if you want to read it you may want to get opposing opinions elsewhere, or simply dive into it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 02, 2021
|
Jul 12, 2021
|
Jul 13, 2021
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
1409936481
| 9781409936480
| 1409936481
| 3.83
| 7,627
| Jun 1922
| Oct 16, 2008
|
it was amazing
|
I am in the process of writing a review for The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, apparently the most popular Lovecraft anthology. However, as
I am in the process of writing a review for The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, apparently the most popular Lovecraft anthology. However, as I have just finished reading Herbert West–Reanimator which is a longish short story (AKA novelette) of about 30 pages I thought I would review this separately. This story is atypical of Lovecraft’s main body of work in several ways, not in tone but in structure and prose style. Lovecraft was commissioned to write a six parts serial for Weird Tales magazine, each part ending with a cliff hanger. HPL hated having to write outside his preferred framework but he had to this one for the money and consequently hated this story with a passion. So much for the quality of labour of love because this is one of his most popular works and it is one of my favorites of his stories. Another divergence from the typical HPL fare is that Herbert West–Reanimator has nothing to do with the Cthulhu mythos, no elder gods and the unmentionable (but frequently mentioned) Necronomicon by the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred here, certain parts of the story are set in the Miskatonic University in Arkham though. [image] Herbert West–Reanimator is about the eponymous Dr. Herbert West who is obsessed with the idea of defeating death under his theory that life is thoroughly mechanical in nature, there is nothing else beyond it, no soul, no afterlife (but hopefully some form of rock ‘n roll). This being the case West likes to experiment on fresh corpses to try to bring them back to life with their minds intact. I don’t think it will much of a spoiler to say (view spoiler)[he never succeeds (hide spoiler)]. The more he experiments the more chaotic the results, much While I enjoy HPL’s work in general I am not a fan of his prose style. All too often he seems to strive too hard for eloquence and ends up with awfully convoluted almost unreadable sentences that often outstay their welcome. I tend to prefer his shorter works, whereas I struggle to get through his longer works like At the Mountains of Madness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. This is another unusual aspect of Herbert West–Reanimator, while it is longer than most of his stories, it is written with an economy of word usage I seldom see in his work, the prose here is straightforward, free from artifice and verbiage, he even calls a spade a spade! Consequently, this is one of his very best stories. As mentioned above, the subject matter has nothing to do with the Cthulhu mythos, no Mad Paula Abdul (or whatever his name is) and no Necronomicon, this makes for a nice change of pace. [image] This story is pure sci-fi horror (as opposed to his usual cosmic horror), the “sci” part of it is handwavium nonsense but nobody is expecting him to do an Asimov. It will likely remind modern readers of zombie stories and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, without the subtlety. To quote the AV Club "H.P. Lovecraft wasn’t generally a barrel of laughs", but I did find this story unintentionally hilarious at times. I don't know if anybody will find it scary, but it is vastly entertaining, and I would heartily recommend it to newcomers to HPL and fans of the horror genre. Note: [image] The cult classic 1985 movie adaptation deserves a mention, as with most adaptations it diverges freely from the source material, especially as it is (very) darkly hilarious, read more about this at the AV Club. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Mar 2021
|
Mar 2021
|
Mar 01, 2021
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
1561465380
| 9781561465385
| 1561465380
| 4.20
| 611
| May 01, 1987
| Nov 1991
|
it was amazing
|
I was just reading this Reddit thread "Does it bother you when you finish a book then don't remember anything from it 6 months later?" yesterday. Soon
I was just reading this Reddit thread "Does it bother you when you finish a book then don't remember anything from it 6 months later?" yesterday. Soon after I found a PDF copy of this story online and immediately started reading it as I am an Octavia Butler devotee and the title did not ring a bell. It transpired that the bell is in a state of disrepair as I gradually felt a sense of déjà vu while reading this story. It turned out that I have indeed read it as a part of the great anthology Bloodchild and Other Stories (link to my review because that is the sort of black hearted villain I am!). My memory is indeed like a sieve (with a large hole punched in the middle). Since I have gone and reread it and it is a novelette (or “a longish - but not all that long -short story” as I prefer to call them) I thought I may as well This story is about a disease called “The Duryea-Gode Disease” (DGD) caused by a cancer treatment drug that leads to a genetic flaw in the children of the drug user that will cause them to lose their minds later in life. The symptoms include extreme psychosis, murderous rage, and self-mutilation, self-cannibalism even. Just about the least fun you can have from a drug (which you did not even take). The main characters visit a retreat for DGD sufferers where they are working on a cure. But sacrifices will have to be made. “Dad had killed Mom then skinned her completely. At least, that’s how I hope it happened. I mean I hope he killed her first. He broke some of her ribs, damaged her heart. Digging. Then he began tearing at himself, through skin and bone, digging. He had managed to reach his own heart before he died.” Well, there goes my lunch. As you can see, this is not a story for the faint of heart, it is quite harrowing and features deranged people who chew on their own body parts. If you can stomach that sort of thing* it is definitely a good read. Like most of Ms. Butler’s stories, there is more to it than meets the eye. The story illustrates how science can eff us up but the solution is through even more science. Also, what will you give up to make the world a better place? Note This novelette can be read free online, I am pretty sure it is all legit, but as I cannot be absitively certain I suggest you google “The Evening and the Morning and the Night PDF”. Bob will then be your uncle if you know what I mean. * See what I did there? ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
not set
|
Feb 22, 2021
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
0765332655
| 9780765332653
| 0765332655
| 3.80
| 6,372
| May 20, 2014
| May 20, 2014
|
really liked it
|
I absolutely love Jo Walton’s Among Others, a wonderful, heartwarming novel, with the added bonus of being a love letter of sorts for the sci-fi/fant
I absolutely love Jo Walton’s Among Others, a wonderful, heartwarming novel, with the added bonus of being a love letter of sorts for the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I would have read many more of Ms. Walton’s books if not for the synopses of them which do not seem so appealing to me. Still, I thought it was about time I read something else by her having declared to be a fan after reading just one book. My Real Children is one of her highly-rated novels and the synopsis seemed interesting. As it turned out My Real Children is oddly sci-fi* (or fantasy) that does not read like sci-fi most of the time. The novel is more concerned with character study and human drama than futuristic tech and aliens (of which there are none). The premise of the book, in sci-fi term, is like a parallel worlds story, except there is no mention of parallel worlds in the narrative or any explanation of how such a situation came to be. The life of the protagonist Patricia suddenly bifurcates into two timelines or paths. This occurs when she makes a momentous decision to marry a man called Mark / and also not to marry him. The narrative then alternately depicts her life and times of Pat in each reality. Initially, it seems that one reality is much happier than the other, which reminds me of this quote: [image] This sounds quite fantastical but in execution, this book reads very much like a mainstream novel. Mark turns out to be a terrible, callous, selfish, unloving man. In this “married life reality” Pat comes to be called “Trish” by her friends (no significant reason, just for easy identification purposes for the reader I imagine). Trish leads a miserable oppressive life with Mark for years but gradually develops the fortitude to counter his abuses and eventually manages to turn her life into a happier one, also helped along by having several mostly good, intelligent, and successful children, including a rock, and star scientist. In the alternate Pat is only called Pat, having wisely decided not to marry Mark she lives a much happier life, if rather unconventional life, with a female partner. This narrative strand explores the life of a gay couple, the acceptances and rejections they encounter for their domestic arrangement. However, Pat wants children and manages to have several, with the help of a very kind male friend. Pat becomes a successful author of travel guides, her children also grow up to be successful and talented. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes which makes her “married life” very difficult but in this reality she also has considerable fortitude and manages well against all odds. I am both disappointed and satisfied with this book. As a sci-fi nerd looking for some mind-blowing flight of fancy I am disappointed. The two realities are mostly grounded in our real world’s mundanity, except for a few details like wars that never happened, research stations on the moon, and some strange geopolitical structures. However, these are mostly background details in a mostly grounded narrative. Fortunately, I am not a total philistine and I can recognize a good work of fiction when I read it. The book is beautifully written and the characters are extremely well developed. I came to care about Pat in both plotlines and felt quite moved by the end of the book. However, recommending this book is not a straightforward matter. I can't even say that if you love Jo Walton’s Hugo & Nebula award-winning Among Others you will love this because perhaps you won't. It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking awesome sci-fi you should look elsewhere. However, if you are simply looking for a good book with believable characters, something you can emotionally connect with, and perhaps even ponder the meaning of life with, this may be just the thing. [image] * Wikipedia classifies My Real Children as fantasy, I’ll just go with sci-fi if you don’t mind. [image] The premise of this book is very similar to the 1998 movie Sliding Doors. Actually one of my favorites, the best Gwyneth Paltrow’s performance IMO. [image] Quotes: “She remembered Kennedy being assassinated and she remembered him declining to run again after the Cuban missile exchange. They couldn’t both have happened, yet she remembered them both happening.” “And they all kept asking me if I’d met Prince Charles and Princess Camilla—for Republicans they’re awfully keen on hearing about our royalty!” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 2020
|
Feb 09, 2020
|
Feb 09, 2020
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
0446698903
| 9780446698900
| 0446698903
| 4.39
| 6,598
| Jan 05, 2007
| Jan 05, 2007
|
it was amazing
|
This is the omnibus edition of Octavia Butler's wondrous Patternist series (AKA “Patternmaster series”), about telepaths and mutants, set in the past,
This is the omnibus edition of Octavia Butler's wondrous Patternist series (AKA “Patternmaster series”), about telepaths and mutants, set in the past, present and future. If you have any interest in great, beautifully written sci-fi you should not miss this. I have reviewed each volume individually: • Wild Seed • Mind of My Mind • Clay's Ark • Patternmaster ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
not set
|
Sep 06, 2019
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
0446362816
| 9780446362818
| 0446362816
| 4.03
| 10,543
| 1976
| Jan 01, 1995
|
really liked it
|
Patternmaster is the last volume of Ms. Butler’s classic* Patternist series (AKA “Patternmaster series”. I read this volume as part of the omnibus S
Patternmaster is the last volume of Ms. Butler’s classic* Patternist series (AKA “Patternmaster series”. I read this volume as part of the omnibus Seed to Harvest which consists of the entire series except for the one volume that Ms. Butler disowned and removed from publication**. Patternmaster is also her very first published novel, and of course, she makes it looks as if she has been doing it all her life. Having said that, it is not as polished as her later books. I read vol 4 Clay's Ark just last month and I felt that it could easily have been read as a standalone novel, a very good one too. However, for Patternmaster I feel it is best read after the preceding novels in the series, nothing strange about that until you consider that she wrote this one before the others and they are all prequels to this one. I think this is because of the meaning of the neologism in takes a while to surface whereas the other books are more immediately compelling and accessible. Still, it does become quite a wild ride once you acclimatize to it. (I have read all the previous volumes but over many years so some terms or concepts are a little sketchy in my mind). Patternmaster is set in the far future of unspecified period where human society has changed beyond recognition. Even humanity, and what it means to be human, is vastly different. Two offshoots of humanity rule the world, “the patternists” a race of telepaths, and the “Clayarks”, humans mutated by the Clayark disease from space. There is also a race called “the mutes”, non-telepathic humans (basically us), who are subservient to the patternists, and are entirely ineffectual in the grand scheme of things. The novel focuses on the battle for supremacy between the world’s most powerful telepath and his younger, potentially more powerful brother. The Clayarks, who are not presented as individual characters, serve more like a group of antagonists bent on destroying the patternists and the mutes. Even in her very first novel, Butler is already adept at world-building and characterization. However, none of the characters are particularly likable whereas the protagonists in her later books are people you can become attached to and root for. Nevertheless Patternmasteris fast-paced, gripping and has a climatic psychic battle that remind me of the 1981 movie Scanners. Unless I am very much mistaken I have now read all of Octavia Butler novels now, which is a bit sad as she is one of my favorites. Fortunately, I have memory like a sieve so I can look forward to the rereads. [image] * Well, I like it! ** Survivor (Patternmaster #3.5) ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Aug 10, 2019
|
Sep 04, 2019
|
Sep 06, 2019
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
0446603708
| 9780446603706
| 0446603708
| 3.84
| 11,700
| Mar 1984
| Dec 1996
|
it was amazing
|
“He had started what could become an epidemic. Now, if he were going to be able to live with himself at all, he had to contain it.” That sounds like a “He had started what could become an epidemic. Now, if he were going to be able to live with himself at all, he had to contain it.” That sounds like a good tagline for an ad poster for this book. However, as it was published in 1984 I doubt such a poster exists… Octavia Butler is one of my all-time favorite authors, my reviews of her books tend to be somewhat fanboyish, short on objectivity, and of course completely unprofessional (this not being my profession). Still, I find it quite pleasant to enthuse about her to anyone who would listen (and also those who would not). Clay’s Ark is ostensibly part of Ms. Butler’s Patternmaster Series. However, it reads entirely like a standalone. I have read the two previous volumes Wild Seed and Mind of My Mind and I cannot find any connection to this book. I have heard that there is a connection somewhere on one page but it must have slipped under my radar. Perhaps it is better this way so that anyone can just pick up and read this book without worrying about transpires in previous volumes. Clay’s Ark is set in a near-future dystopia where people live walled up communities called “enclaves” to protect themselves from marauding outlaws. Eli Doyle, is a former astronaut, the lone surviving crew member of the “Clay's Ark” spaceship which crash-landed in a Mojave desert. The entire crew of this ship has been infected by an alien “virus-sized microbe” that give them enhanced strength and agility, in exchange for considerable loss of humanity and agency. The microbe creates a compulsion for the host to spread its disease. Doyle does not remember why he is the only surviving crew member, he does not want to spread the disease, he knows it will spell the end of the human race as we know it, but he has to, the microbe will not be denied. The theme of parasitic symbiosis is one which Butler has returned to a few times in her body of work, particularly Bloodchild and Lilith's Brood. In all these works she explores the human condition that we take for granted and the effect of the loss or involuntary modification of humanity. Clay’s Ark presents the reader with the moral dilemma of the people who have contracted the “Clay’s Ark disease”. They do their best to isolate themselves from the human population in order to avoid creating an unstoppable global epidemic and mutations, yet the microbe compels them to find new carriers for the disease, two conflicting goals with a foreseeable outcome. In this novel, the good guys are bad guys who want to be good. Clay’s Ark, like all Octavia Butler books that I have read, is very well written with complex characters, cool SFnal concepts and ideas worth pondering, all wrapped up in a fast-paced and compelling narrative. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 26, 2019
|
Aug 05, 2019
|
Aug 06, 2019
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
B0DWV8X29G
| 4.39
| 6,598
| Jan 05, 2007
| Jul 24, 2012
|
it was amazing
|
This is the omnibus edition of Octavia Butler's amazing Patternist series about telepaths, an extraterrestrial disease and mutants. Wildly imaginative
This is the omnibus edition of Octavia Butler's amazing Patternist series about telepaths, an extraterrestrial disease and mutants. Wildly imaginative, fast-paced, and - best of all - compassionate and humane. My review of each volume: 1. Wild Seed 2. Mind of My Mind 3. Clay's Ark 4. Patternmaster ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 31, 2019
|
Oct 2019
|
Jul 31, 2019
|
ebook
| |||||||||||||||||
4.13
| 332,856
| May 02, 2017
| May 02, 2017
|
really liked it
|
Having less time for leisure reading nowadays novellas are just the thing to avoid taking too long to read just one book. So I found All Systems Red,
Having less time for leisure reading nowadays novellas are just the thing to avoid taking too long to read just one book. So I found All Systems Red, a novella that won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, this seemed a just the thing. … But is it? Yeah, it is. The novella’s title intrigued me, in a clickbaity kind of way. As it turned out the “Murderbot” part of the title is just about the only thing I do not like about this (e)book. I feel that it is not representative of what the book is about, what the Murderbot does throughout the entire narrative is the exact opposite of murdering people. Having said that there was some extensive murdering in his past, vaguely referred to but not depicted. I suspect subsequent volumes of this Murderbot Diaries series will contain more suitably mudery scenes (probably in flashback). All Systems Red is the first volume of an ongoing series called The Murderbot Diaries which spans several novellas, a short story and a full length novel in the works. This first volume introduces the unnamed protagonist and first-person narrator who called himself “The Murderbot” inside his mind. To the humans, he is the “SecUnit”, a cyborg “construct” in charge of security and safety of the humans in the survey team he is assigned to protect. The novella is set on an alien planet where a scientific expedition is surveying the planet’s properties and life forms. When the survey team loses contact with another team they investigate and find that this entire other team has been murdered. It soon becomes apparent that the members of the survey team in the SecUnit’s care are also in mortal danger, and they must be kept alive at all costs. On the surface All Systems Red is just a sci-fi thriller, with some elements of a murder mystery, espionage, and conspiracy. Digging a little deeper there is some depth underneath the casual colloquial prose style. Throughout the narrative the SecUnit finds human behavior puzzling and human society awkward and uncomfortable. However, he is very dedicated to his assignment of protecting the people under his charge even to the extent of self-sacrifice if necessary. The SecUnit has a hacked “governor module” which enables him to override or ignore commands that he would normally be compelled to follow. This freedom not enjoyed by other constructs also allows for independent thinking which leads to a sort of humanizing “Pinocchio” effect. The best sci-fi often holds up a mirror to our reality and makes us look at ourselves from a different, even-nonhuman, perspective and this is what All Systems Red does so well. The only thing that holds it back from five-stardom is that I do not find the human characters to be as well developed as the cyborg, they all seem to blend into each other and are a little lacking in individuality. Perhaps the author, Martha Wells, became so engrossed in breathing life into the SecUnit character that she accidentally overlooked the people in the survey team. In any case, this is a small gripe and should not dissuade anyone from reading this great little novella. [image] Quotes: ”It’s wrong to think of a construct as half bot, half human. It makes it sound like the halves are discrete, like the bot half should want to obey orders and do its job and the human half should want to protect itself and get the hell out of here. As opposed to the reality, which was that I was one whole confused entity, with no idea what I wanted to do. What I should do. What I needed to do.” “Pin-Lee leaned over me and I said, “This unit is at minimal functionality and it is recommended that you discard it.” It’s an automatic reaction triggered by catastrophic malfunction.” “The problem I was going to have is that the way murderbots fight is we throw ourselves at the target and try to kill the shit out of it, knowing that 90 percent of our bodies can be regrown or replaced in a cubicle. So, finesse is not required. When we left the habitat,” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 06, 2019
|
Jul 21, 2019
|
Jul 23, 2019
|
ebook
| ||||||||||||||||||
0553565079
| 9780553565072
| 0553565079
| 4.16
| 60,085
| Apr 1993
| Feb 01, 1994
|
really liked it
|
Finally! The last published Foundation book, written by Asimov (a few more titles written by other authors were published subsequently). My review of
Finally! The last published Foundation book, written by Asimov (a few more titles written by other authors were published subsequently). My review of the first Foundation book was posted in 2014, as I write it is March 2019, so I feel a nice sense of accomplishment for completing a series review five years in the making. Forward the Foundation is the second prequel to the classic original Foundation Trilogy (that makes it a sequel to a prequel! Prelude to Foundation that is). It is set on Trantor, the governing planet of the Galactic Empire, eight years after the events of Prelude to Foundation. “Prelude” tells the story of Hari Seldon, the founder of the Foundation, as a young man, and the development of “psychohistory”, a predictive science for computing monumental events on a planetary or even galactic scale. “It’s a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.” At the beginning of Forward the Foundation Hari Seldon is 60-year-old, and the novel tells the story of the last ten years of his life, as he struggles to put the Foundation together. As his psychohistory predicts, the Empire is deteriorating and beginning to fall. Seldon’s mission in life is to minimize the duration of the dark age that will follow this fall, with the Foundation as the nucleus of a new empire. He is aided by his wife, Dors, who seems to possess some superhuman abilities, his adopted son and granddaughter, who have some uncanny mental abilities and several other colorful characters. [image] Who is this bloke from the book cover of several editions? No idea, too young to be Seldon! That black box is probably the “Prime Radiant”, but WTF is he doing with it? Forward the Foundation is pretty great for fans of this classic sci-fi series, it fills out details of things mentioned in the original Foundation Trilogy. However, I personally have some doubts about reading the entire series in chronological order instead of the publication order. The original trilogy, from the 50s, is comprised of three rather short novels, very tightly written and often quite thrilling. This is the case with most of the best Golden Age sci-fi books, they tend to be great stories economically told. I think that anyone new to the Foundation books would be better off reading the trilogy first simply because they are just more fun and exciting. The extra details from the prequels are not really needed to follow the trilogy’s narrative. That said, Asimov himself recommended reading in the chronological order so you may want to ignore me completely! In and of itself though Forward the Foundation is a solid novel, rather leisurely paced, as is the case of the later Asimov works from the 80s and 90s. Asimov seems to more interested in pondering and exploring ideas than telling gripping, fast-paced stories. The characterization tends to be better in these later novels, the main characters, including the smart villains, have more depth to them, the plot structure tends to be more intricate and complex. The stylistic changes are only natural as Asimov matured and changed, readers who prefer his 50s writing style have plenty of titles they can choose from as this was his most prolific period. In any case, his 80s and 90s books are interesting and very readable and I enjoy them. As a longtime fan of his books, I feel a little nostalgic, like reaching the end of an era. I don’t really feel inclined to read the subsequently published Foundation books by other authors, what I would rather do is go back to reread his early robots and empire books. Whatever order you want to read the Foundation series is up to you, I am happy with my reading order and I love the series in general. [image] Notes: • A little spoiler discussion, only read this if you have already read this book (or if you enjoy being contrary). Here goes: (view spoiler)[Towards the end Seldon is working hard to set up the Second Foundation, the community to be made up of people with mental powers, basically telepathy and mind control. The usage of mind control is presented as a wonderful tool to achieve Seldon’s goals. I find this very odd, it is as if Asimov never considered that mind control is actually very dangerous, and deprives people of free will. He even depicted this danger with “The Mule” in Foundation and Empire. (hide spoiler)] • In a previous Foundation book review (I forget which one) I mentioned that there are no aliens in the Foundation series. This is kind of correct, but there is Gaia in Foundation's Edge which is a non-human sentient entity. See Wastrel's comment, in message #5 under the review, for more details. *Chronological reading order. You don't have to read every single one of them! Some of them barely add anything to the series’ narrative. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 25, 2019
|
Mar 25, 2019
|
Mar 25, 2019
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
1434499995
| 9781434499998
| 1434499995
| 3.98
| 3,178
| Jan 01, 1960
| Apr 09, 2007
|
it was amazing
|
“It was a society which, in the final analysis, stressed individual endeavor. It was a society in which the lawbreaker was king; a society in which cr
“It was a society which, in the final analysis, stressed individual endeavor. It was a society in which the lawbreaker was king; a society in which crimes were not only condoned but were admired and even rewarded; a society in which deviation from the rules was judged solely on its degree of success. And this resulted in the paradox of a criminal society with absolute laws which were meant to be broken.” In The Status Civilization Robert Sheckley turns the idea of society and morality on its head in his world-building for the planet Omega. This is something Sheckley does very well, usually in a humorous manner. In fact Robert Sheckley has long been my favorite sci-fi humorist, alongside Douglas Adams. However, Sheckley’s output tends to be (often brilliantly funny) short stories and The Status Civilization is one of his few novels. If you have never read Robert Sheckley before, I have very good news, many of his short stories, including this very novel being reviewed, are in the public domain, available for download as e-books (and some as audiobooks). Please refer to the links in the “notes” section after the review (TL;DR fans can just skip to the links). [image] The Status Civilization is mostly set on the planet Omega where mind wiped criminals are exiled by the government of Earth (yes, just the one government) to fend for themselves on a habitable planet that Earth wants nothing to do with, just to use as a dumping ground for undesirables. Though the criminals have no memory of their crimes, by their lack of moral fibre they cannot help but revert to their criminal ways. However, in a world exclusively populated by criminals, a crime is not a crime. Will Barrent has no memory of his crime but he is told that he is guilty of murder. This surprises him because, although murder is condoned and rampant on Omega, he feels averse to the idea of killing anyone. Surviving in the Omegan society is going to be very difficult. Omega is not a dystopia and, in spite of being run by criminals, it is not lawless. They just have some very odd laws and code of conduct. In fact, an Omegan psychiatrist recommends that Will Barrent seeks immediate treatment in a sanitarium for the “criminally non-murderous”. While The Status Civilization is less humorous than a typical Robert Sheckley narrative it is still sharply satirical and made me laugh several times. There is also an old-school sci-fi adventure aspect to this book as Barrent finds himself being hunted for sport and even put into a sort of gladiatorial combat against killer robots and monsters. [image] At a mere 132 pages The Status Civilization moves at a brisk pace, Sheckley somehow manages to squeeze in plenty of plot and world building even within the modest page count. Characterization does fall by the wayside a little as Will Barrent generally just drives the narrative along with his adventures, and while the writing is very good, the dialogue tends to be rather stiff, reminding me of Philip K. Dick’s handling of dialogues a little. The Omegan society, with its weird laws, also seems rather unfeasible. None of these things matters as the novel is an entertaining fast-paced read with room for thoughtful satire and reflection. Highly recommended (especially as you can read it for free). Now I have to get back to reading the rest of the The Robert Sheckley Megapack. [image] Notes: • Download The Status Civilization free e-book here, at Project Gutenberg • Free audiobook version at Librivox. • I read The Status Civilization as part of the The Robert Sheckley Megapack which I will review soon. BTW, this Megapack is not free, it's a cheapo Amazon e-book for Kindle (USD 0.99). • Loads of free Sheckley free e-books. Quotes: “At one time he must have had specific memories of birds, trees, friends, family, status, a wife perhaps. Now he could only theorize about them. Once he had been able to say, this is like, or, that reminds me of. Now nothing reminded him of anything, and things were only like themselves.” “Evil is that force within us which inspires men to acts of strength and endurance. The worship of Evil is essentially the worship of oneself, and therefore the only true worship. The self which one worships is the ideal social being; the man content in his niche in society, yet ready to grasp any opportunity for advancement; the man who meets death with dignity, who kills without the demeaning vice of pity. Evil is cruel, since it is a true reflection of the uncaring and insensate universe. Evil is eternal and unchanging, although it comes to us in the many forms of protean life.” “One might well ask,” Uncle Ingemar droned on, “if Evil is the highest attainment of the nature of man, why then did The Black One allow any Good to exist in the universe? The problem of Good has bothered the unenlightened for ages. I will now answer it for you.” [image] ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 25, 2018
|
Jul 31, 2018
|
Aug 01, 2018
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
B0DSZGR1RK
| 3.87
| 10,169
| Jun 03, 2000
| Jul 15, 2001
|
it was amazing
|
“ ‘A caring God,’ repeated Hollus.” I have also heard the phrases ‘a loving God,’ and ‘a compassionate God.’” His eyestalks locked on me.”I think you
“ ‘A caring God,’ repeated Hollus.” I have also heard the phrases ‘a loving God,’ and ‘a compassionate God.’” His eyestalks locked on me.”I think you humans apply too many adjectives to the creator.” Calculating God is an exploration of the idea of God through the lens of science and – more specifically – science fiction. You would not find many religious SF authors (perhaps Google can find a few but I can’t be bothered), certainly, the best known SF authors like Asimov and Clarke have no truck with religion. The only one I can think of, offhand is C.S. Lewis who wrote a sci-fi trilogy of called Space Trilogy, more of a Christian allegory with sci-fi trappings than actual sci-fi (some bad science in Out of the Silent Planet as I recall). Robert J. Sawyer, however, is a hard SF author, more often than not his sci-fi is backed up by known science. This makes the main theme of Calculating God much more interestingly handled than Lewis’ stab at sci-fi. Whether you are an atheist, an agnostic, or religious, if you keep an open mind this book should give you some food for thought. I doubt it will change your belief, I don’t think that is what Sawyer wants to achieve here. I don’t even know what Sawyer’s belief is. [image] Art by SharksDen The novel starts off in a lighthearted tone, with an amusing depiction of First Contact (or close encounter of the third kind) at the Toronto museum. The “Forhilnors” aliens wisely visit Earth as holographic projections rather than risking their backsides with the notoriously trigger-happy humans. Hollus, the first alien visitor to make contact, is looking for a paleontologist to help with a research project. Thomas Jericho is the man for the job, nice fellow, ardent atheist, who soon discovers he has terminal cancer. In a narrative where a man in his condition is visited by kind, civilized aliens from an advanced race, you would expect the protagonist to healed of cancer in a jiffy. Fortunately, this is not the easy route Sawyer takes. The most important aspect of the book is the discussion Hollus has with Jericho about God. Hollus’ race and “the Wreed”, another race of aliens who is also represented in Hollus’ spaceship, believe in God. I can imagine an atheist reading the review this far saying “Pfui!”, “What poppycock!” or words to that effect, but the novel has little to do with religion, it is more an exploration of how God or a God-like entity may exist and function within our universe. The aliens have no interest in worshipping this “God”, they cannot even imagine why “it” would want to be worshipped. [image] (No idea who to credit for this one, sorry). So, yes if you are thinking of “intelligent design”, Sawyer discusses this idea at lengths, together with some rationalization both for and against the idea. This does not mean the author is a creationist, he has complete confidence in science and subjects the “intelligent design” idea to some scientific analysis. The result is inconclusive but interesting. For example: “Take gravity as an example: were it only somewhat stronger, the universe would have long since collapsed. If it were somewhat weaker, stars and planets never could have coalesced.” Did somebody tweak gravity so it is just right? No? It just happened? But it is not just gravity: “The four fundamental forces you (humans) know about are gravitation, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force. The strengths of these forces have wildly varying values, and yet if the values were even slightly different from their current ones, the universe as we know it would not exist, and life could never have formed.” This proves nothing, and yet… Putting aside the “intelligent design” discussion, Calculating God also functions well as a work of fiction. Sawyer made a good effort to develop and humanize his protagonist, he even humanized (as opposed to alienize) the aliens (which is not necessarily a good thing but it works well here). There is considerable pathos in the novel and a sense of compassion which is a special ingredient that can elevate sci-fi if conveyed sincerely (see the works of Clifford D. Simak). This book is by no means perfect, there is a subplot involving terrorist fundamentalists that sticks out like a sore thumb in the narrative, and also a sudden epic cosmic crisis that comes out of nowhere (no momentum leading to it). Calculating God is not a sci-fi thriller, and the parts intended to thrill are not particularly effective. However, even with these flaws in mind, I find to be a very good, thought-provoking read. I do like this book a lot, but it is probably not worth five stars as there are at least a couple of glaring flaws. However, I will rate it at five stars anyway, not really sure why, we all move in mysterious ways sometimes I guess. [image] Notes: • Science and God by Robert J. Sawyer Very interesting article by the author on this theme. • Sawyer's Rebuttal to The Skeptical Inquirer's Review of Calculating God Quotes: “We’re trying to protect the alien,” said the white CSIS man. “Like hell,” said a male museum patron. “I’ve seen The X-Files. If you walk out of here with him, no regular person will ever see him again.” “How do members of your species reconcile the act of prayer with the reality that most prayers go unanswered?” I shrugged a little. “We say things like ‘Everything happens for a reason.’” “Ah, the Wreed philosophy,” said Hollus. “Evolution is driven by struggles for dominance. I’ve heard it suggested that no herbivore could ever develop intelligence because it doesn’t take any cunning to sneak up on a leaf.” “There is no indisputable proof for the big bang,” said Hollus. “And there is none for evolution. And yet you accept those. Why hold the question of whether there is a creator to a higher standard?” “Surely simply creating life can’t be the sole goal. You must believe your putative designer wanted not just life, but intelligent life. Unintelligent life is really nothing more than complex chemistry. It’s only when it becomes sapient that life really gets interesting.” [image] Hollus by The-Xenosaurus ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 11, 2018
|
Jul 21, 2018
|
Jul 22, 2018
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||||
0812536363
| 9780812536362
| 0812536363
| 3.77
| 18,754
| 2006
| Apr 03, 2007
|
really liked it
|
“Nowadays, Grand Terror technology was so cheap that cults and small criminal gangs could acquire it.” Don't panic just yet, the above quote refers to “Nowadays, Grand Terror technology was so cheap that cults and small criminal gangs could acquire it.” Don't panic just yet, the above quote refers to nowadays in the narrative, not the actual nowadays, though I suppose that could also be a possibility… Near future sf is not something I get to read often, it makes a change from the standard far future setting of most sf, no galaxy-spanning human empire, usually no aliens, and never time travel. The setting is mostly recognizable as an environment that has logically developed from today, the places, the people and some objects are still mostly the same. According to Wikipedia Rainbows End is set in 2025. However, the year is not mentioned anywhere in the book so I will have to take it on faith. That makes the setting on seven years from now, but the novel was published in 2006, so Vernor Vinge was writing about nineteen years in the future (if 2025 really is the year of the setting). In this near-future augmented reality (AR) is ubiquitous, as a technology that has advanced from today’s internet and gaming technology. Most people wear smart clothing and contact lenses that add a layer of digital reality to all aspects of life. PCs, smartphones and anything with a screen are generally obsolete as people are constantly online and information can be accessed by gestures. Rainbows End focuses on Professor Robert Gu, a world renown poet and former Alzheimer's sufferer who has been cured by a state of the art treatment. Professor Gu has to adjust to the new world he suddenly finds himself in as he emerged from his Alzheimer's condition. Now everything is online and basic unaugmented reality just does not cut it anymore. This necessitates that he goes back to school to learn to adapt to the modern world, fortunately, the medical treatment has also de-aged him to the extent that he looks like a teenager. Elsewhere, a high-level intelligence officer is plotting to implement a mind control technology on the populace. The scheme requires manipulation of Professor Gu to help with a certain task… The Machiavellian mind control plotline is the thriller aspect of the book but most of the book is taken up by the exploration of this future setting and how Professor Gu adapts to it. Vernor Vinge clearly depicts how life would be with virtual overlays of reality always in place. Yes, the overlays can be switched off but the default setting is “always on” and most people are content to leave it like that. In some ways this a cautionary tale of what can happen if we are always blurring the line between reality and I like Rainbows End a lot, it gives what seems to be a convincing glimpse into the near future. It does, however, suffer from some pacing issues and is not always compelling. It is more interesting than it is riveting. Nevertheless, I recommend for anyone who is interested in how the near future is likely to turn out, and it did win a Hugo Award for Best Novel. [image] Notes: • Vernor Vinge has a lot (well, two things) in common with David Brin. An actual scientist, and follicly challenged. • His A Fire Upon the Deep is a classic epic space opera, the follow up A Deepness in the Sky is also – uh – quite good… [image] Quotes: “Many people were talking to themselves, sometimes gesturing into the empty air, or jabbing fingers at unseen antagonists. Nothing new in that; cellphone addicts had always been one of Robert’s pet peeves. But these folks were more blatant about it than the kids at Fairmont High. There was something foolish about a fellow walking along, suddenly stopping to tap at his belt, and then talking to the air.” “In all innocence, the marvelous creativity of humankind continued to generate unintended consequences. There were a dozen research trends that could ultimately put world-killer weapons into the hands of anyone having a bad hair day.” “Terror via technical surprise is the greatest threat to the survival of the human race.” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Mar 28, 2018
|
Apr 16, 2018
|
Apr 17, 2018
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
B0DLT7Y781
| 4.01
| 4,366
| Mar 1953
| Apr 10, 2010
|
it was amazing
|
“It only takes one of them. Once the first one gets in it admits the others. Hundreds of them, all alike. You should have seen them. Identical. Like a
“It only takes one of them. Once the first one gets in it admits the others. Hundreds of them, all alike. You should have seen them. Identical. Like ants.” Second Variety was first published in 1953, but halt! Please stay tuned, this oldie is not mouldy! Second Variety, like a lot of PKD’s fiction, still holds up well today, which is why they are still being adapted into movies and TV shows. However, stylistically Second Variety is a little different from PKD's more famous works like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ubik, and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Nobody uses or even mention hallucinogenic drugs in this story. Having said that, there are some surreal hallucinatory scenes in this story which depict actual events rather than drug-fueled trips. [image] Second Variety is set in a post-apocalypse Earth that has been mostly reduced to ashes by a war between the US and Russia. Conditions are so terrible on Earth that the US government has relocated to the moon to direct the military action from there. The war was going badly for the US until they turned the tide by introducing robots to the warfare. These robots are constantly developed and improved until they reach the point where they are able to repair and improve themselves, and so true AI is born. The primary function, perhaps the only function, of these robots is simply to destroy all human lives they come across, except American human lives. The Americans can be distinguished by a device they carry, a tab that emits a short hard radiation which neutralises the robots. The robots are developed and assembled in underground factories which are, of course, autonomously operated by the robots themselves. They are so effective in the performance of their job that the Russians eventually contact the Americans to discuss terms of surrender. This would have been great news for the US if not for the fact that the robots have become so sophisticated that they are no longer content to operate within the purview of destroying only Russian humans. [image] 50s Art by Ebel I suspect that Second Variety may be the inspiration for the Terminator movies, certainly, it is the best “robot uprising” story I have ever read, far superior to the clumsily written Robopocalypse. It is also a cautionary tale about letting technology go out of control, not to mention the ultimate futility of war. In fact, this would have been a depressing read if it was not so much fun! I was riveted by Second Variety from beginning to end. While it is not wonderfully trippy and mind-bending like Ubik etc. it is furiously paced and has a humdinger of an ending. Better still, Second Variety is in the public domain and can be read online for free or download as e-books (see links below). So, given that it is great, not long (about 60 pages) and free to read, I can heartily recommend it for everybody (except people who dislike sci-fi but then these people don't read my reviews). [image] Notes : • Download e-book or read online at Project Gutenberg • Free audiobook version also available from Librivox. • Robot uprising is not as ridiculous as you think, see video clip below. [image] You Boston eggheads stop it! [image] ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 11, 2018
|
Feb 12, 2018
|
Feb 13, 2018
|
Audiobook
| |||||||||||||||||
0765384469
| 9780765384461
| 0765384469
| 3.85
| 78,607
| Sep 22, 2015
| Sep 22, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
“To them, I was probably like one of the people who lived in caves deep in the hinter desert who were so blackened by the sun that they looked like wa
“To them, I was probably like one of the people who lived in caves deep in the hinter desert who were so blackened by the sun that they looked like walking shadows.” Nnedi Okorafor is the first author mentioned in the article Octavia's Daughters: Meet the New Queens of Spec Fic along with the super talented N.K. Jemisin and a few others I have not read yet. Being considered a literary descendant of the legendary Octavia Butler is something to be proud of, though to be considered great without being compared to anyone, especially because of skin colour, is probably better. Anyway, that is the first time I have heard of her, and then this novella Binti won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards for 2016, popped up in my GR recommendations and here we are! Binti is about the eponymous protagonist “Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka of Namib”, a young girl leaving Earth to attend the university on a planet called “Oomza Uni”, said to be the best university in the galaxy. While on board a transporter spaceship to this university planet the ship is attacked by the Meduse, an alien race with lots of tentacles and an absolute hatred for mankind. All the passengers and crew are killed except the pilot and Binti who manages to lock herself in her room and discovers that she has a mysterious MacGuffin-like device of unknown origin called “edan” which is able to injure and kill a Meduse, and also somehow facilitates communication with them. Once they are able to communicate she find that she has alone is in a position to save many human lives from the Meduse. A well deserved multi awards winner, Binti is a great novella, intelligent, yet fast-paced, it even has moments of pathos and a heart. When Binti encounters racial prejudice from the white passengers on board the transporter ship I thought this was going to be an allegory about racism. I thought the other passengers will consider her a refugee from an s-hole country and wish she was Norwegian instead. Fortunately, the narrative soon changes track into an exciting space opera, with themes of misunderstanding, communication, different points of view, peace and harmony. The Meduse’s attack is surprisingly violent and I did worry about our Binti even though I knew that as the protagonist she is not going to snuff it along with the other passengers. This is a testament to how well developed she is as a character, all the more remarkable for a novella-length narrative where the page count is less than a hundred. Binti’s Himba cultural heritage also plays an important part in understanding who she is. [image] The colorful stuff she has on her face on the cover is actually quite significant, it is called “ otjize”; a mix of red clay from her homeland and oils from the local flowers. The Himba natives spread the paste on their skin to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate. The otjize has an important role to play in the story. I hugely enjoyed Binti the main characters are well developed, the action bits are exciting, the themes are worth pondering and the sci-fi tech is also fun, a particularly like the bio-spaceship, one of my favorite sci-fi tropes. The Meduse is suitably alien in appearance, behavior and attitude, they are more nuanced and complex than just weird critters wanting to invade a planet. I am happy that this is actually a trilogy (of novellas!) and will read the other two volumes soon. A must for sci-fi fans, and anybody else who likes a great read, genre notwithstanding. [image] Quotes: “My father didn’t believe in war. He said war was evil, but if it came he would revel in it like sand in a storm. “The ship was a magnificent piece of living technology. Third Fish was a Miri 12, a type of ship closely related to a shrimp.” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 09, 2018
|
Feb 10, 2018
|
Feb 10, 2018
|
ebook
| |||||||||||||||
0099244721
| 9780099244721
| 0099244721
| 3.87
| 214,154
| Nov 16, 1999
| Jun 2000
|
really liked it
|
“The very concept of time travel makes no sense, since time doesn’t flow. The fact that we think time passes is just an accident of our nervous system
“The very concept of time travel makes no sense, since time doesn’t flow. The fact that we think time passes is just an accident of our nervous systems— of the way things look to us. In reality, time doesn’t pass; we pass. Time itself is invariant. It just is. Therefore, past and future aren’t separate locations, the way New York and Paris are separate locations.” There is a reason why Crichton was a blockbusting bestselling author, he had a knack for explaining things that do not make sense in such a way that they seem to make sense. I like his take on the mechanics of time traveling in this book, it is more logical and believable than most stories in this popular subgenre. This mechanics involves quantum science and the multiverse, traveling to parallel worlds set in earlier time periods than ours, through wormhole connections in quantum foam. I have never heard of quantum foam either, but Crichton anticipated that, and a pretty clear explanation is fused into the narrative. Yes, Crichton kinda rocks (or rocked, as in R.I.P.). Timeline is about three historians traveling to the year 1357 to rescue a professor who is stranded there on a previous trip. The mission, of course, turns out to be vastly more complicated than the quick in and out trip they anticipated. Jousting, sword fights, conflagration, and uses of guillotine ensue, not to mention the wearing of tights, baggy hoses, and doublets. While Timeline is jam-packed with incidents and adventures the plotline is fairly straightforward. Crichton wrote short chapters, often with a little surprising turn of event or cliffhangers at the end of a chapter. I imagine this is a little like writing a catchy hook in a pop song, in any case, the commercial appeal of such a technique is obvious. Stylistically it is not very literary or elegant but it does have mass appeal. He also wrote ridiculously fun action scenes and hair-raising escapades; he even made jousting interesting and exciting. [image] Besides the very interesting quantum science expositions early on in the book, once the main characters are in the medieval era there are not many scenes of people standing around talking. Crichton probably deliberately wrote the book to be visual and filmable, and it was, of course, adapted into the 2003 movie, which may have been his intent all along (I have not seen it though). The only snag for me is the limited emphasis on time traveling. I normally prefer time traveling stories to cover multiple eras going backward and forward to and from the past, the present and future, with mind-bending paradoxes galore (something like The Man Who Folded Himself, the most fun time traveling book ever). I doubt this is what Crichton set out to do, he seems more interested in writing about the rollicking adventure modern characters in medieval time. This book is more akin to Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court than H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. Characterization is rather perfunctory, none of the characters seem particularly fleshed out or nuanced. Having said that I don’t fault Crichton for this, he chose to focus on the plot instead of the drivers of the plot, Clarke and Asimov did much the same thing and their work do not really suffer from it. They wisely played to their own strengths. I believe Crichton did respect his readers’ intelligence hence all the quantum science expositions. However, Timeline was written to appeal to the masses, but not necessarily the “unwashed masses”, just about anyone can enjoy this sort of thing regardless of their bathing frequency. [image] Quotes: “Quantum technology flatly contradicts our common sense ideas of how the world works. It posits a world where computers operate without being turned on and objects are found without looking for them. An unimaginably powerful computer can be built from a single molecule. Information moves instantly between two points, without wires or networks. Distant objects are examined without any contact. Computers do their calculations in other universes. And teleportation — “Beam me up, Scotty” — is ordinary and used in many different ways.” “In the ordinary world, we have beliefs about cause and effect. Causes occur first, effects second. But that order of events does not always occur in the quantum world. Effects can be simultaneous with causes, and effects can precede causes.” “At very small, subatomic dimensions, the structure of space-time is irregular. It’s not smooth, it’s sort of bubbly and foamy. And because it’s way down at the quantum level, it’s called quantum foam.” “Today, everybody expects to be entertained, and they expect to be entertained all the time. Business meetings must be snappy, with bullet lists and animated graphics, so executives aren’t bored. Malls and stores must be engaging, so they amuse as well as sell us. Politicians must have pleasing video personalities and tell us only what we want to hear. Schools must be careful not to bore young minds that expect the speed and complexity of television. Students must be amused — everyone must be amused, or they will switch: switch brands, switch channels, switch parties, switch loyalties. This is the intellectual reality of Western society at the end of the century.” “In other centuries, human beings wanted to be saved, or improved, or freed, or educated. But in our century, they want to be entertained. The great fear is not of disease or death, but of boredom. A sense of time on our hands, a sense of nothing to do. A sense that we are not amused.” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 19, 2018
|
Feb 06, 2018
|
Feb 07, 2018
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
1447273281
| 9781447273288
| 1447273281
| 4.30
| 159,308
| Jun 04, 2015
| Jun 04, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
“Children of Time: Winner of the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award”. Most cumbersome book title ever (this is the full title of the edition I bought). Why d
“Children of Time: Winner of the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award”. Most cumbersome book title ever (this is the full title of the edition I bought). Why did the publisher have to tag the award thing on the book’s original title? Fortunately, on the bright side, this is my only complaint about this book! This book takes David Brin’s “uplift” concept and really runs with it. In Brin’s popular Uplift series, humanity have used technology to boost the intellect of selected species of animals to sentience level. I can’t quite remember the reason behind this, presumably to make them more useful and for other, more magnanimous, purposes. Indeed there is a direct tribute to Brin in Children of Time, in the form a little spaceship called Brin 2. However, the emphasis of the novel is not about the uplifting itself, but about the accidental sentient species that arise from the project and its subsequent interaction with humanity. The original idea was to uplift monkeys to sentient levels through an infection of an engineered “nanovirus”, and put them on a habitable planet, but someone sabotaged that project and all the monkeys are killed. However, the nanovirus is sent to the intended planet and infects several species of insects instead. Spiders turn out to be the chief beneficiaries of this project as the virus is most effective on them. This starts off one of the two main narrative threads which chronicles the rise of the spider race as the ruler of the planet. The other narrative thread concerns a group of humans fleeing from Earth which is destroyed by a final world war, on an “ark ship” called “Gilgamesh”. This massive spaceship is carrying working crew and thousands of people in suspended animation, to be defrosted when a habitable planet is found. Unfortunately the only habitable they manage to find, after hundreds of years and generations of crew have come and gone, is the nice planet now ruled by the spiders. [image] Wonderful Polish edition cover It has been a busy month so it took me almost three weeks to finish. Somehow it makes me appreciate the book even more as my constant companion to many places. The narrative is quite interesting from the first chapter and as characters, situations and world building are gradually laid down it becomes increasingly compelling, by the end of the book I was completely riveted. While the humans and spiders plotlines are given about equal time I was much more fascinated by the spiders, the culture, language and technology they develop after receiving their “increased cognitive capacity”. The spider protagonists are also very well developed, and quite admirable. I love sci-fi biotechnology, organic devices, homes and transportations. It is fascinating how the development spiders’ technology takes a different path from the humans, due to lack of metals and electricity. Their tech is based on hyper advanced biochemistry instead. I love how their society is ruled by the female, and the physically weaker and less intelligent males are generally disposable second class citizens. That is until a radical and messianic male spider comes along. The human side of the story is less fascinating but it never drags down the narrative. Their state of affairs is quite pitiful compared to the spiders. They spend hundreds of years on board “the Gilgamesh”, key figures going in and out of suspended animation as needed. Generations are born on the spaceship and never set foot on a planet. The ark ship becomes a “generation ship” even though it was never designed to be used as one and the living conditions on board become rather cramped as the on board population expands. This being the case their need to settle on the spider’s planet is understandable. Unfortunately the humans believe in the cold logic of a concept called “the prisoner’s’ choice” which is based on mutual distrust because the cost of betrayal would mean complete annihilation. As the humans and the spiders head for collision that would result in genocide of one side or the other I found myself curiously rooting for the spiders; mainly because the spider characters are generally better developed and they do have the moral high ground of being the invadees, not the invaders. Thematically it is mainly a story of racial prejudice and a plea for tolerance, with both sides thinking that there is a necessity to completely wipe out the other side for the survival of the race. Whatever the outcome Children of Time is one of the best space operas I have ever read, with a nice and clear writing style and a straightforward linear structure of the twin plotlines that make the book very accessible. The sci-fi tech is highly imaginative and the science behind it is clearly explained without resorting to infodumping; some very good characterization, thrilling plot developments and a very good ending makes this one of the greats for me. Highly recommended. [image] Notes: • In spite of the title this book has nothing to do with time travelling. • In some ways, parts of this book are like Watership Down for spiders, and that is high praise! It may also be Charlotte's Web for adults? I haven't read that one, but my spider-sense says yes. It also reminds me a little bit of a computer game called Sim Ant. • Tchaikovsky's study of psychology and zoology stand him in good stead here (he is also a keen amateur entomologist). Interestingly his fantasy series Shadows of the Apt is also based on insects. TBR'd! [image] Quotes: “There had been those back on Earth who claimed the universe cared, and that the survival of humanity was important, destined, meant. They had mostly stayed behind, holding to their corroding faith that some great power would weigh in on their behalf if only things became so very bad.” “The enemy they face is the child of a technology she cannot conceive of, advanced beyond the dreams of her own kind’s greatest scientists, using a technology of metal and fire and lighting, all fit tools for vengeful deities. At her disposal is fragile silk, biochemistry and symbiosis, and the valour of all those who will put their lives at her disposal.” “Life is not perfect, individuals will always be flawed, but empathy – the sheer inability to see those around them as anything other than people too – conquers all, in the end.” “That is the problem with ignorance. You can never truly know the extent of what you are ignorant about.” “I consider CoT to be an outreach program for literate-minded arachnophobics :) There has been a pleasant number of readers who really don't like spiders but (a) have got through the book; and (b) have come out of it willing to give the little guys the benefit of the doubt. Of course now I need to stealth-write a book that has spiders as utterly horrible people-destroying bad guys just to utterly throw my readership...” From Adrian Tchaikovsky's Reddit AMA. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Mar 07, 2018
|
Mar 26, 2018
|
Feb 05, 2018
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
057510662X
| B009AE768Q
| 3.60
| 6,517
| Oct 31, 2002
| Sep 27, 2012
|
liked it
|
“Behind all this bad behaviour was an insecurity magnificent in scope, metaphysical in nature. Space was big, and the boys from Earth were awed despit
“Behind all this bad behaviour was an insecurity magnificent in scope, metaphysical in nature. Space was big, and the boys from Earth were awed despite themselves by the things they found there: but worse, their science was a mess. Every race they met on their way through the Core had a star drive based on a different theory. All those theories worked, even when they ruled out one another's basic assumptions. You could travel between the stars, it began to seem, by assuming anything” This is one of my favorite passages from Light, the idea of different kinds of star drives some of which are based on principles which are impossible according to known science. I wonder if the idea was inspired by the infinite improbability drive from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In any event, the chaotic conflicting science fits in with the novel’s theme of an incomprehensible universe. Light is M. John Harrison’s highly respected and 2002 novel that blends contemporary human drama with space opera and magical realism and surreal fantasy. Quite a heady brew. The basic premise of Light is difficult to express succinctly. Here is an extract from the official synopsis: “Three quantum outlaws face a universe of their own creation, a universe where you make up the rules as you go along and break them just as fast, where there’s only one thing more mysterious than darkness.” The term “quantum outlaws” does not appear in the book (and does not make a lot of sense) and none of the characters are running from the police. However, the novel does focus on three protagonists in their own distinct plotlines that are related but never really intersect as such. The setting for each plot strand is quite interesting: 1999 AD: Michael Kearney, physicist by day and serial killer 2400 AD: Seria Mau Genlicher is the captain of a “K-ship” called The White Cat, or more accurately she is the White Cat spaceship, having been fused into the ship and not needing any crew. She is a mercenary and an assassin. 2400 AD: Ed Chianese is an ex-space pilot, and now a “twink”, a man who is addicted to virtual reality. He is on the run from gangsters he owes money to. All three protagonists are looking for some meaning to their lives. In the meantime, I was looking for meaning to the book. Light is not an easy read, it is structurally complex, there are a lot of neologisms and written in a range of style, shades, and tones. It is something of an “arty” sci-fi book, a genre bursting novel that blends contemporary human drama with cyberpunk, space opera, and even magical realism. The narrative jumps around frequently between the three plot strands in a non-linear timeline. It can be a little confusing and disorienting at first but as I read on it becomes more and more accessible, most of the neologisms are also directly explained as the narrative unfolds. I do, however, feel that the artistry gets in the way of the storytelling at times. The frequent switching between the almost disconnected plotlines makes the book feels rather fragmented and by the end still not one cohesive story. It does not help that I did not find the narrative compelling because none of the characters resonate with me. The moments of pathos did not do much for me because I was not invested in the characters. On a more positive note, Light is immensely imaginative and quite original. I do not want to dissuade you from reading this book, there is quite a lot of substance to it and it is never really dull. However, I am a little disappointed that I do not like is as much as I expected to after reading all the plaudits it has received. Stylistically it does not appeal to me, I personally prefer a more accessible narrative without so many literary adornments. However, I do admire what M. John Harrison has accomplished with this book and I think it will appeal to readers who have a better appreciation for the artistic side of storytelling. If you are interested read a few trusted reviews and maybe try some sample chapters. [image] Quotes: “They were arrant newcomers, driven by the nouveau enthusiasms of a cowboy economy. They had no idea what they had come for, or how to get it: they only knew they would. They had no idea how to comport themselves. They sensed there was money to be made. They dived right in. They started wars. They stunned into passivity five of the alien races they found in possession of the galaxy and fought the sixth—which they called “the Nastic” out of a mistranslation of the Nastic’s word for “space”—to a wary truce. After that they fought one another.” “Seria Mau Genlicher, chained to her horrible ship yet still fighting to be human.” “They grew the cultivar in a tank much like her own, in an off-the-shelf proteome called Tailors’ Soup, customised with inorganic substrates, code neither human nor machine, pinches of alien DNA and live math.” ‘At the moment,’ the mathematics announced, ‘I’m solving Schrödinger’s equation for every point on a grid of ten spatial and four temporal dimensions. No one else can do that.’ (“The mathematics” is the AI on board the K-ship) “He took her by the hand and made her run down the stairs with him, then pulled her into an empty room which contained two or three billiard tables, where he killed her as quickly as he had all the others. She looked up at him, puzzlement replacing interest in her eyes before they filmed over.” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 07, 2018
|
Jan 18, 2018
|
Jan 18, 2018
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
0679742204
| 9780679742203
| 0679742204
| 3.90
| 7,606
| 1966
| Jun 29, 1993
|
it was amazing
|
“The ethical understructure of medicine, he believed—and it was based on certain very real experiences in his own life—that if a man wanted to die he
“The ethical understructure of medicine, he believed—and it was based on certain very real experiences in his own life—that if a man wanted to die he had the right to die. He did not possess an elaborated rationalization to justify this belief; he had not even tried to construct one. The proposition, to him, seemed self-evident. There was no body of evidence which proved that life in the first place was a boon. Perhaps it was for some persons; obviously it was not for others.” That sounds depressing and funny at the same time. Philip K. Dick, if I remember correctly, was often unhappy but he also had a weird sense of humour that is always evident in his works and never fails to make me laugh. I usually read several PKD books a year, they are short, often mind-blowing and generally fun to read, this is my second one for 2017. Now Wait for Last Year was published in the 60s, a prolific time for him and my personal favorite PKD era. Stylistically he is at his most trippy, weird yet always accessible during this period. The Valis era 80s PKD is just not for me. Now Wait for Last Year is mostly set in 2055 at a time when Earth is embroiled in an interstellar war between two alien species, a war not of our choosing. To make matters worse we seem to have allied with the wrong side, the human-like Lilistar, because of their resemblance to human beings, whereas the insectoid Reegs are actually the good guys. Humanity is led by Supreme Elected Leader Gino Molinari a hypochondriac who has had many artificial organs transplants already and is expected to need more. Dr. Eric Sweetscent is the world's leading artificial organs surgeon with marital problems, he is recruited by the Supreme Leader as his personal “artiforgs” surgeon. Meanwhile, his estranged Kathy makes the mistake of trying a new drug called JJ-180. This drug is immediately addictive, highly toxic and also has a weird reality warping and even time traveling effect. In a moment of mean-spiritedness, she slips some JJ-180 into her husband’s drink and makes him a fellow addict. However, the drug affects him differently and he is able to put its temporary time traveling side effect to good use. Meanwhile, Earth is on the losing side of the war and our own allies are set to invade our planet. [image] A scene depicting the Reegs and Dr. Sweetscent by byona Now Wait for Last Year is vintage PKD, wonderfully weird, wacky and mind-blowing, with serious, thought-provoking themes woven into the narrative. What I love about PKD’s novels is how things usually start off quite normal but soon, for whatever reason, often to do with drugs, reality begins to bend out of shape. I love the idea of the JJ-180 drug which may be alien in origin and designed to be immediately addictive after the first usage. There is also a mystery surrounding the Supreme Elected Leader who may not be what he seems, may not be as sick as he seems, but also possibly much sicker! Now Wait for Last Year actually works well as a sci-fi espionage thriller, poor Dr. Sweetscent is often confounded by the shifting reality and situations around him, not only because of the JJ-180 in his system but also the inconstant identity of the Supreme Leader he is working for. Besides all these intrigues this book is also a tale of marital woes, a subject Dick seems to want to explore fairly extensively here. Dr. Sweetscent’s relationship with his wife is a complex one, what was once love turns into hatred but also with an indestructible element of love intractably buried at the core. Also worth mentioning are the starnge, philosophising—and sometimes avaricious—AI taxis. PKD’s dialogue tends to be amusingly awkward and eccentric, I always find it hard to predict what his characters are going to say next. His characterization is not exactly profound but I like and sympathize with Dr. Sweetscent, the protagonist, I even feel some sympathy for his wife Kathy who does some appalling things and is very selfish, but what she goes through in this book is quite harrowing, even if she brought the misfortune upon herself. As for the title “Now Wait for Last Year” Dick is talking about people who want things to go back to the way they were instead of adapting to change strive for something better. This is the case with Dr. Sweetscent who tends to resist change until he finally learns to adapt. [image] I could not find any cover that is representative of the book, but this one looks nice. I have not done a ranking of the many PKD books I have read but Now Wait for Last Year is definitely top 10 and may well be top 5. If you like PKD, particularly the early classics like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Ubik, Now Wait for Last Year is a must read. If you never read PKD before this book is also a good introduction to his wonderfully idiosyncratic brand of sci-fi. [image] Notes: • Last book read in 2017, first review of 2018! Oddly appropriate title for a New Year read! • A movie adaptation of this book has been in development since 2015! Quotes: “For these changes in herself and her world were not beliefs; they were authentic experiences, reported by the normal sensory channels, imposed on her consciousness against her will. As stimuli they could not be avoided. “ “In marriage the greatest hatred that is possible between human beings can be generated, perhaps because of the constant proximity, perhaps because once there was love. The intimacy is still there, even though the love element has disappeared. So a will to power, a struggle for domination, comes into being.” “Your nipples seem to be watching me, or is that just my imagination? In any case it makes me decidedly uncomfortable.” [image] Hilarious Italian cover, featuring a steampunk Dalek! 🤣 ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Dec 25, 2017
|
Dec 30, 2017
|
Dec 31, 2017
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
B0DLSQXX9N
| 4.29
| 316,203
| Aug 04, 2015
| Aug 04, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
“Here is a land. It is ordinary, as lands go. Mountains and plateaus and canyons and river deltas, the usual. Ordinary, except for its size and its dy
“Here is a land. It is ordinary, as lands go. Mountains and plateaus and canyons and river deltas, the usual. Ordinary, except for its size and its dynamism. It moves a lot, this land. Like an old man lying restlessly abed it heaves and sighs, puckers and farts, yawns and swallows. Naturally this land’s people have named it the Stillness. It is a land of quiet and bitter irony.” The above is an extract from the prologue. A lot of the settings and characters are explained in somewhat conversational tone here. I was not paying very close attention to it when I first read it and found the first chapter that follows it a little confusing. So do try to be attentive when you read it! I first heard of N.K. Jemisin in an article entitled “ Octavia's Daughters: Meet the New Queens of Spec Fic”, the article is about natural successors to the late great Octavia Butler. I imagine it is something of a backhanded compliment to be viewed as a successor to someone instead of a new, original artist, especially if it is because of the skin colour. Can a white female author be the new Octavia Butler? The article also led me to expect a writing style similar to Ms. Butler’s accessible, unpretentious yet beautiful and resonant style. Ms. Jemisin is more poetic and experimental. Initially, I found the prose style a little too fanciful for my taste, but once I settled into the narrative I became more appreciative. The Fifth Season is the 2015 Hugo Award winner for best novel, and the first book of The Broken Earth trilogy. The plot is difficult to summarise briefly because it is tied to the complex world building of the novel. The Fifth Season is set in a far future Earth where cataclysmic, civilization ending natural disasters occur every few centuries. There is only one gigantic continent left on this future Earth called The Stillness. There are people called “orogenes” who have the ability to stop or trigger earthquakes by using their innate ability to manipulate thermal, kinetic, and related forms of energy to direct seismic events. They are able to shift tectonic plates, raise columns of rock from under the sea and cause a sudden massive drop in temperature to a freezing point. Though they are needed the orogenes are viewed with dislike and distrust by most ordinary people (called “stills”). The Fifth Season tells the story of three female orogenes of different ages Essun, Damaya and Syenite. Essun’s husband killed her orogene son for unknown reasons then took her daughter and did a runner. The Essun plotline, narrated in the second person, depicts her journey through the Stillness to find her daughter and probably puts her husband six feet under. Damaya is an imperial orogene in training at the Fulcrum, a sort of mean-spirited Hogwarts. Syenite is a trained orogene on a seemingly straightforward mission to clear some coral out of a harbor in a small town. For this mission, she is mentored by an eccentric enigmatic senior orogene called Alabaster. While carrying out their mission they unintentionally unearth an ancient artifact and suddenly the fulcrum wants them dead for this indiscretion. There are so many plots and elaborate world building that this review would have to be three times the length it is to cover the main points or features. The characters are very well written with just enough complexity and foibles to make them seem real. The concept of this future Earth is quite original, I don't think I have come across geology-based science fantasy before. That rare SF/F commodity “sense of wonder” is strongly felt here. If you are looking for escapism this book is just the thing. As mentioned earlier Ms. Jemisin’s prose style seems too fanciful for my taste to begin with. I had no idea why the Essun plotline written in the second person. I suspected it is to convey Essun’s distance from herself; a form of self-hatred perhaps, or an inability to identify with herself. In this interview she partly explains it as a kind of dissociative state, so I was not far off. There is more to this second person business which, according to Ms. Jemisin, will be revealed in subsequent volumes. To be honest, I am not comfortable with second person POV narrative, you this and you that just seems awkward to me. However, the story here is so compelling that I soon ignored this little narrative quirk. Having said that, I am glad the other two plotlines are told in the conventional third person. If you are going to read The Fifth Season you have to be patient and just let the story unfold as the author intended, the neologisms, strange settings, culture, and characters will clarify themselves before too long. How the three plot strands come to intertwine is quite clever and surprising. This book becomes very accessible – and even riveting, once you settle into it. It is even rewarding to go back to read the first chapter after you finish the book and you would have a much better appreciation of the book’s beginning. The Fifth Season is the first book of N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy, the second book has also won a Hugo, and the third will probably do the same next time they hand out the award. Another series for me to follow and a great new author to come back to. Yay! 😊 [image] Notes: • N. K. Jemisin was formerly a counseling psychologist before taking up writing full time. This novel does frequently delve into the characters' psychology. • Tricking readers into acceptance, how Jemisin develops The Fifth Season's protagonists, and more about writing in the second person. • Her blog is well worth perusing. • I did back out of reading it after the first chapter because I could not take all that second person business but out of curiosity, I decided to give it a shot anyway. I am glad I did. It is not hard to follow this book, it clicks after a while, all you have to do is keep reading it! • The Fifth Season to be developed as TV Series at TNT Quotes: “Orogeny is a strange equation. Take movement and warmth and life from your surroundings, amplify it by some indefinable process of concentration or catalysis or semi-predictable chance, push movement and warmth and death from the earth. Power in, power out.” “No one speaks of celestial objects, though the skies are as crowded and busy here as anywhere else in the universe. This is largely because so much of the people’s attention is directed toward the ground, not the sky.” “They can’t stand sex with each other directly, but vicariously it’s amazing. And what do they even call this? It’s not a threesome, or a love triangle. It’s a two-and-a-half-some, an affection dihedron. (And, well, maybe it’s love.)” ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Dec 14, 2017
|
Dec 21, 2017
|
Dec 24, 2017
|
Paperback
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3.90
|
liked it
|
Jul 12, 2021
|
Jul 13, 2021
|
||||||
3.83
|
it was amazing
|
Mar 2021
|
Mar 01, 2021
|
||||||
4.20
|
it was amazing
|
not set
|
Feb 22, 2021
|
||||||
3.80
|
really liked it
|
Feb 09, 2020
|
Feb 09, 2020
|
||||||
4.39
|
it was amazing
|
not set
|
Sep 06, 2019
|
||||||
4.03
|
really liked it
|
Sep 04, 2019
|
Sep 06, 2019
|
||||||
3.84
|
it was amazing
|
Aug 05, 2019
|
Aug 06, 2019
|
||||||
4.39
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 2019
|
Jul 31, 2019
|
||||||
4.13
|
really liked it
|
Jul 21, 2019
|
Jul 23, 2019
|
||||||
4.16
|
really liked it
|
Mar 25, 2019
|
Mar 25, 2019
|
||||||
3.98
|
it was amazing
|
Jul 31, 2018
|
Aug 01, 2018
|
||||||
3.87
|
it was amazing
|
Jul 21, 2018
|
Jul 22, 2018
|
||||||
3.77
|
really liked it
|
Apr 16, 2018
|
Apr 17, 2018
|
||||||
4.01
|
it was amazing
|
Feb 12, 2018
|
Feb 13, 2018
|
||||||
3.85
|
it was amazing
|
Feb 10, 2018
|
Feb 10, 2018
|
||||||
3.87
|
really liked it
|
Feb 06, 2018
|
Feb 07, 2018
|
||||||
4.30
|
it was amazing
|
Mar 26, 2018
|
Feb 05, 2018
|
||||||
3.60
|
liked it
|
Jan 18, 2018
|
Jan 18, 2018
|
||||||
3.90
|
it was amazing
|
Dec 30, 2017
|
Dec 31, 2017
|
||||||
4.29
|
it was amazing
|
Dec 21, 2017
|
Dec 24, 2017
|