I’m currently rebuilding the website as the old one got totally messed up when i was playing around with things (no idea what happened).
So i thought that while it was a total clusterfuck mess of SQL, i would take the opportunity to give it a whole new life and everything.
So if you go clicking on things you might find that very strange things happen. Don’t moan, i know a lot of things are broken, i’m working on it, it takes time.
I’ve got tons of old posts and pages from three websites that i’m working through and will be gradually posting all the stuff i want to keep on here while fixing all the broken things as i go through, one post, one page, at a time.
On top of doing all that, i will, of course, be continuing to add more new content and my latest posts will always appear directly below.
Or, if you prefer, you can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest where i put a link to all new posts.
Enjoy
Dopamine Nation — Anna Lembke
I recently discovered Anna when she appeared on the two podcasts below. So i immediately got hold of this book and decided to put all my other reading on hold and dive straight in: some times i feel some things are just that important.
So having listened to the two podcasts was there anything more to be learned from the book?
Yes.
Without a doubt, both podcasts were great in their own unique ways, Rich and Michael approach this topic from two very different angles and flavour their podcasts accordingly, and when it comes to the book i think that the reader will find their own bag within it.
One thing Anna isn’t within this book is judging and preachy: she’s not telling anyone what to do or what not to do. Anna simply lays out a bunch of case histories and how the human propensity to seek pleasure and minimise pain within this age of abundance is what is ultimately causing so many problems. The reader can make their own mind up as to where they are on this wild and crazy spectrum of addiction that is plaguing our age and species, and also what they may wish to do about it.
Super good and definitely a book to put on the shelf next to The Pleasure Trap: if you haven’t read that then seriously, get reading that too.
But, whether you wish to take the time to read Dopamine Nation or not, i do hope you’ll take the time to listen to the podcasts: both are different, so please don’t just listen to one.
The Rich Roll one is also available on video if you prefer it that way:
Anna’s Page
#annalembke
Dopamine Nation — Anna Lembke
I recently discovered Anna when she appeared on the two podcasts below. So i immediately got hold of this book and decided to put all my other reading on hold and dive straight in: some times i feel some things are just that important.
So having listened to the two podcasts was there anything more to be learned from the book?
Yes.
Without a doubt, both podcasts were great in their own unique ways, Rich and Michael approach this topic from two very different angles and flavour their podcasts accordingly, and when it comes to the book i think that the reader will find their own bag within it.
One thing Anna isn’t within this book is judging and preachy: she’s not telling anyone what to do or what not to do. Anna simply lays out a bunch of case histories and how the human propensity to seek pleasure and minimise pain within this age of abundance is what is ultimately causing so many problems. The reader can make their own mind up as to where they are on this wild and crazy spectrum of addiction that is plaguing our age and species, and also what they may wish to do about it.
Super good and definitely a book to put on the shelf next to The Pleasure Trap: if you haven’t read that then seriously, get reading that too.
But, whether you wish to take the time to read Dopamine Nation or not, i do hope you’ll take the time to listen to the podcasts: both are different, so please don’t just listen to one.
The Rich Roll one is available on video if you prefer it that way:
#addiction #drugs #dopamine #annalembke
Stroboscopic — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Deep Navigation.
I get the distinct feeling with this short story that Alastair was just having some fun with an idea. And why not?
Basically, there’s a game that involves some newly discovered, alien lifeform that the solar system’s best gamers are invited to play. There’s also a bit of politics involved, with the goodies v baddies, evil corporation thing going on in the background as well.
It’s ok, only 4 stars for this instead of Alastair’s usual 5, but like i said, this one just seemed like he decided to have some fun for a change.
Next up on the Alastair Reynolds timeline, from 1998, it’s On the Oodnadatta.
Bye for now.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Belladonna Nights and Other Stories — Alastair Reynolds
I’ve rearranged the stories into date order, rather than the order they are in the collection: coz that’s juse how i roll, darlings. Obviously, you can read them in any order you chose as well.
Revelation Space
Night Passage – 2017
Standalones
Different Seas – 2018
For the Ages – 2011
Visiting Hours – 2017
Holdfast – 2017
The Lobby – 2013
A Map of Mercury – 2013
Magic Bone Woman – 2011
Providence – 2018
Wrecking Party – 2014
Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee – 2016
Death’s Door – 2018
A Murmuration – 2015
Open and Shut – 2021
Plague Music – 2021
House of Suns
Belladonna Nights – 2017
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Spirey and the Queen — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.
It’s looking like all of Alastair’s early writings were short stories, and this is another one in the long list. You certainly get to see how Alastair worked on his craft as a writer, cutting his teeth on these sci-fi ideas neatly wrapped up within a few hundred Kindle Loc Points.
Spirey and the Queen was written at a time when Alastair was just beginning Revelation Space and there’s certainly aspects of self aware machine vs human going on within this. It’s a really good story, but, and it’s a big but, the beginning is all rather all over the place in terminology and nomenclature. It’s like you’re thrown into this completely blurred out reality and slowly, over time, like in an opticians appointment, Alastair gradually finds the right lenses and all gradually becomes clear.
In Zima Blue and Other Stories, Alastair comments at the end of this story, that he’d like to come back to Spirey at some point in the future and explore what happened afterwards: which i would really look forward to reading.
So while i do feel this could have been better served had Alastair given it a novella length and explained things a lot more as we went along, i won’t throw the baby out with the bath water, it’s still, certainly, a good short story.
Coming next in the Alastair Reynolds reading list wil be Stroboscopic.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Byrd Land Six — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the anthology, Deep Navigation.
In this short we’re off to an Antartic research station, in Marie Byrd Land: oh yeah, you get to learn about real stuff with Alastair.
Anyway, someone’s been playing with quantum entanglement and has totally messed all kinds of things up for the people at “Byrd Land Six”, and also on the Moon, where the other half of the entangled pair is residing.
Once again, super good sci-fi from a real physicist: we like!
Next up in the Alastair Reynolds timeline is Spirey and the Queen.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Digital to Analogue — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories, and the anthology In Dreams.
A rather different take on why the dance music craze spread like wildfire in the 90’s. As someone who was totally into the London acid techno scene in the 90’s this was right up my alley.
A fun little short with a nice touch of nostalgia for some of us.
Next up in the Alastair Reynolds timeline is Byrd Land Six.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Enola — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.
A really enjoyable, short, post-apocalypse story. A bit confusing at first as it jumps back and forth between a human girl and an AI machine, but it all makes total sense at the end.
Next up from Alastair will be Digital to Analogue.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Nunivak Snowflakes — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the anthology, Deep Navigation.
Messages from the future found inside fish falling from the sky landing in front of the person the message was meant for.
Basically, someone from the future is being naughty and messing with the past in an indigenous community in Alaska.
Other than The Big Hello, of which i have no idea when published, this is Alastair’s first published story. So it’s very early Alastair Reynolds, so don’t be expecting Revelation Space or anything like it.
But it’s a reasonable, quirky, little read that’ll keep you happily ensconced in you favourite reading pit for a while.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Fiction
. . .me thinks it’s a good time to re-read Asimov.
Nonfiction
Nonfiction
