I grew up reading hard science fiction. Some of my favorite authors were Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Frank Herbert, and Jerry Pournelle. All these writers created technically plausible stories with heavy doses of science. I’ve always held that science fiction needs some actual science to distinguish it from … Continue reading Generation Ship: Review
Tag: review
The Hate U Give: Review
I picked up The Hate U Give, (THUG) because it was mentioned in a TopTenz banned books YouTube video. If you watch the video, you'll see that many great books and authors have been recently banned. George Orwell, Joseph Heller, Ray Bradbury, J. D. Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, and James Joyce, for Christ sake, were all … Continue reading The Hate U Give: Review
An Epiphany induced by reading Journey to the Edge of Reason
If you’re faced with undeniable evidence that Shakespeare was a racist, would you change your opinion about the play Othello? I’m in the habit of asking myself such hypotheticals; it helps me clothe my opinions in reason. Here's another one. If you learn that one of the greatest mathematicians in history was prone to conspiracy … Continue reading An Epiphany induced by reading Journey to the Edge of Reason
Trey and Kate: Review
This will be a completely biased review. I have a close relationship with the author so everything I say must be verified. Please buy Trey and Kate, read it, and make up your mind. With that caveat out of the way let's get started. Trey and Kate is a tale about an on and off … Continue reading Trey and Kate: Review
Review: The Way We Die Now
The Way We Die Now is not the best book I’ve read this year but it may be the most important. In Seamus O'Mahony’s opinion, modern society has forgotten how to deal with death. There are many reasons for this, the collapse of religious belief, the demolition of the extended family, the triumph of the … Continue reading Review: The Way We Die Now
The Collapsing Empire: Goodreads Review
The Collapsing Empire (CE) is a breezy fun to read space opera. Because I rate books on Goodreads mostly on how much I enjoyed them I gave CE a solid four. If you're looking for a few hours away from planet moron (Earth) CE is worth the time. While I enjoyed CE it's unlikely I … Continue reading The Collapsing Empire: Goodreads Review
How Dante Can Save Your Life: Review
Dante's Commedia may save your life, but I wouldn't bet on this book doing the same. How Dante can Save Your Life is both interesting, annoying, and ultimately disappointing. If I had stopped in the middle of this book I would have rated it higher. It certainly started out well but, what can only be described … Continue reading How Dante Can Save Your Life: Review
Pandora’s Star: a Grand Sprawling Entertainment
In my fevered youth I was an avid fan of science fiction but as I crossed the Rubicon of middle age I read less and less of the genre. For years I preferred nonfiction: mostly science with a smattering of history and biography. Then, about five years ago, I started reading science fiction again. What … Continue reading Pandora’s Star: a Grand Sprawling Entertainment
Review: Finding Vivian Maier
I suffer from SLAM (Spouse that Likes Art-house Movies). I’m sure you’re familiar with this common affliction. It strikes when you want to see Spider-Man 2 but, because you dearly love your spouse, you settle on some “uplifting work of art” that can only be seen in a cramped, look around the pretentious fathead ahead … Continue reading Review: Finding Vivian Maier
Marcus Aurelius tunes my RSS Feeds
The Emperor’s Handbook is a new translation of Marcus Aurelius’ classic The Meditations. Marcus Aurelius was a second century Roman emperor and stoic philosopher. You probably know him as the old guy (Richard Harris) that chose Maximus (Russell Crowe) as his successor in Gladiator. Marcus is counted among the “five good Roman emperors”1 and his … Continue reading Marcus Aurelius tunes my RSS Feeds
Analyze the Data not the Drivel 