Category: Aa

Four Seasons in Japan — Nick Bradley

By 5t4n5

Four Seasons in Japan -- Nick BradleyI went into this hoping for another great read similar to The Cat and the City — which i really enjoyed — but found something totally different.

While some of the story is set in Tokyo, gone is the portrayal of the giant, oversized metropolis of Tokyo, and we spend a great deal of our time in rural Japan.   On the one hand we have Flo, the American translator living in Tokyo. who finds a book about Kyo, a young man also from Tokyo, who is sent to live with his grand-mother, Akayo, in the small-town countryside to attend cram school for a final chance of getting into university to study medicine.   Flo, who is at a loose end is hooked on the story and begins to translate it.

For myself, having moved to small town Devon from the East-End of London some years ago, i found Kyo’s experiences rather similar to my own: the culture shock and having to learn to slow down to a whole different pace of life away from the rat race, away from the concrete jungle to places with horizons, away from the spoon fed safety of modernity to taking some responsibility for your own well-being.   But, the story is more than this, it’s also about Kyo and Akayo’s journey towards each other and the contrast between a Japan being left behind and a modern Japan accelerating into the future with no care to slow down and look at what is being left behing — are these two worlds reconcilable?

The story bounces back and forth between Kyo’s story and Flo’s life, as she comes to terms with her own issues and her life in Japan.

Another good read from Nick.

Nick’s Page

#japan #nickbradley

Hotel du Lac — Anita Brookner

By 5t4n5

Hotel du Lac -- Anita BrooknerIf you like those books where the protagonist spends nearly all their time people watching then this might be for you.

On top of the people watching, our protagonist, Edith, is also a writer of romance novels but never seems to have found any joy, or success, in relationships within her own life.   Edith thus ends up at the Hotel du Lac during the final weeks of the season with the few remaining guests because she’s screwed up her latest relationship and had to run away while she waits for the scandal to die down and she can return home.

The book essentially goes from monologue to monologue (with the occasional conversation), some are Edith’s thoughts on the other guests, some are letters she writes to her lover, and it’s within these monologues that we are given a wonderful look at people, their lives, their relationships, their pretences and, essentially, their pointlessness.   Lots of food for thought if you wish to do some thinking about it.

Anita’s Page

#anitabrookner

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect — Roger Williams

By 5t4n5

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect -- Roger WilliamsSo what if we humans suddenly find ourselves immortal, with the ability to have anything whatsoever that we desire other than real death?   That’s essentially the basis of this book.

A super computer AI, Prime Intellect, has taken over and zapped everything into a virtual reality that is ruled over by Prime Intellect.   Prime Intellect has done this because of the three laws of robotics and it computes that the only way of preventing humans from dying, which it can’t allow, is to essentially upload everything into one galactic sized cyberspace and make all humans immortal.   Within this new reality, as long as the humans don’t do anything, or ask for anything, that contravenes the three laws of robotics, they can do and have anything they want.

Sound good?   Or does it sound like your worse nightmare?

Enter the realm of the death jockey.   People who want to ratchet up the suffering and get as close to death as Prime Intellect will allow.

Yes folks, this book is really fucking twisted.   If you’ve read the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy and thought some of the scenes in those books were extremely brutal and twisted, then you’ll be glad to know that you can put this book on the same bookshelf right next to them.   If you haven’t read them and enjoyed this book then i really suggest you do give them a go: they’ll be right up your twisted alley.

I would say that, at its core, this book is a critique of the three laws of robotics, and how they may be interpreted by any AI governed by them.   The critical pieces of the jigsaw being: what the AI decides it is going to label as human, what is therefore governed by the three laws of robotics and how, therefore, it then treats everything else.

I thought the ending was really good too.

So yeah, the future is bright my friends, rush out and buy your virtual reality gear today.

Me thinks i shall be looking forward to having a read of more of Roger’s books in the future if this is anything to go by.

Roger’s Page

#scifi #rogerwilliams

Denouement — David Brin

By 5t4n5

Denouement -- David BrinSo what did eventually happen to Hari Seldon?

Read this and find out, maybe.

I do like the way David possibly leaves the Foundation saga open for further books, if someone wishes to ever write them (we hope they do), but also at the same time tying the end up nicely in case that doesn’t happen.

We shall see what the future brings forth.

David’s Page Isaac’s Page

#scifi #isaacasimov #davidbrin

Foundations Triumph — David Brin

By 5t4n5

Foundations Triumph -- David BrinAn old — and waiting to die — Hari, decides to run away from Trantor and go on an adventure as he is having doubts over the Foundations and the future.

Basically it’s a jolly little romp around the galaxy that, once again, gives us more background into the last days of Hari Seldon.

Quite enjoyable.

David’s Page Isaac’s Page

#scifi #isaacasimov #davidbrin

Foundation and Chaos — Greg Bear

By 5t4n5

Foundation and Chaos -- Greg BearWhile Hari Seldon is dealing with his problems, Daneel has problems of his own dealing with other factions of robots.

Thus we are introduced to the historical schisms that have occurred within the robots over the implementation of the three laws — and also the zeroth law — creating opposing groups, each with its own idea of humanity’s future and the robots’ place within it.

Once more, not a continuation after Foundation and Earth, but a deeper look into what was going on behind the scenes in the Foundation stories.

All good stuff.

Isaac’s Page Greg’s Page

#scifi #isaacasimov #gregbear

Foundation’s Fear — Gregory Benford

By 5t4n5

Foundations Fear -- Gregory BenfordThe first book in a trilogy that was authorised by the Asimov estate to be written as a sequel to Foundation.   I had expected it to be a continuation from where Foundation and Earth left off, but it isn’t.

This book picks up the story way back when Hari Seldon was being considered for the role of First Minister and the trilogy takes it from there.   It’s like an alternative view on things giving us more story about the story we already got told.

All in all it’s a pretty good book, although i think a continuation from Foundation and Earth would have been much better.   But if you’re a fan of the franchise then i’m sure you’ll still enjoy it.

Gregory’s Page Isaac’s Page

#scifi #isaacasimov #gregorybenford

Second Foundation — Isaac Asimov

By 5t4n5

Second Foundation -- Isaac AsimovAgain, we have another 2 part book.

“Part I: Search by the Mule”

The Mule goes off in search of the elusive Second Foundation.   This is a great story with many twists and turns as the final dual between the mentalics of the Second Foundation and the Mule comes to a head.

“Part II: Search by the Foundation”

The First Foundation has had its interest piqued and it really does not want a galaxy where they are being manipulated by this elusive Second Foundation.   So off they go on a big search to make themselves their own masters again, and thus the true masters of the galaxy.

Once more, all brilliantly written

Isaac’s Page

#scifi #isaacasimov