151–160 of 168 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lem's Invincible, Solaris and Eden form a trilogy of "what if we meet a civilization so alien to humans that we can't establish a contact with them"
Also „Fiasco“, which is depressing and great. For a more recent take on a similar theme, see also „Blindsight“ by Peter Watts.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
See above, public apology to everyone. Meant to reply to "Stirlitz, the Russian James Bond" specifically. I read most "good" sci fi I can get my heads on. To me it goes something like Stephenson, Vernor Vinge, Gibson, Harry Harrison for the "campy" stuff, Asimov very much in that order, though I know I will be crucified for putting Asimov last. Then there are good one-offs like The Forever War, Ender's Game, the Oumu…
That's a shame about The Three Body Problem . I have it on my list to read. There's a chance I might like it, of course, but because you said you like The Forever War I think perhaps not. Where would you start with Neal Stephenson? Have you read Iain M. Banks?
As far as The Three Body Problem - it's ok and starts off really strongly, but then just completely falls apart.
I have not read Iain M. Banks, what do you recommend as a start?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I so wish that that were true. No, a lot more is made than what is available to you.
[flagged]
"Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine."
"Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."
"When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. 'That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3' can be shortened to '1 + 1 is 2, not 3."
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd like to second the Culture, but just to add (minor spoilers ahead) that it's also a distopian depending on your point of view, which makes it even better. In the Culture all real agency humanity has is lost to machines (Minds). Humans have about as much say in important matters in the Culture as dogs do in ours, when anything really important happens (e.g. the events of Excession) they're not even involved. For a…
> In the Culture all real agency humanity has is lost to machines (Minds). Humans have about as much say in important matters in the Culture as dogs do in ours. The Culture is explicitly a direct democracy, it's just that the books are mostly about what is effectively a somewhat-rogue intelligence agency's activities in other civilizations. > Politics in the Culture consists of referenda on issues whenever they are r…
> The Culture is explicitly a direct democracy
It's not, and what you've quoted at length only reinforces my point.
Sure, humans get a vote in the design of their habitats, and even input on where the ship might fly.
But that's like saying that a modern nuclear power is a democracy because people get to vote on where their local park benches are located.
I'm saying that humans have no say on anything of consequence in the Culture. Anything that matters is decided upon by sentient hyperintelligent machines.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky were pretty prolific during this time (often writing in secret, and reciting their works only to trusted friends). "The Doomed City" is one of the best pieces of philosophical scifi I've ever read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doomed_City
Never seen those names before this week, apparently there are new translations in 2023 : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-beetle-in-the-anthill...
I consider The Waves Extinguish the Wind their best novel, for its simplicity. But I didn't read any English translation, and it's a big "but".
I feel like Andy Weir did a phenomenal job with his handful of books. The Martian, Project Hailmary. Both of these felt more like team effort emphasis, which I liked.
He is a fastidious and interesting writer. I nonetheless found both these novels disappointing. They seem to be porn for engineers. Like all porn, the lead character is a cardboard cutout with monomaniacal motivation. (It seems revealing that both books place the protagonist in a position of complete social isolation.) This was a more serious flaw in Project Hailmary, in which first contact - a profound event - is tr…
> "Stories often touch on topics like space travel, benevolent robots, disease-curing nanobots, and deep-sea exploration. They lack aliens and beings with superpowers. Instead, the real superheroes are the exceptional North Korean scientists and technologists who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders." Here is an interesting symmetry as reflected by ideological mirrors. In NK, the state sanctioned imaginal…
> Both are aiming to pacify the target society. You know what the big secret is? Let me tell you. Everything is aiming to pacify the society. Movies, books, TV shows, video games: obviously tittytainment. Time wasters to waste your time and energy. Education: to produce workers who are useful for the big system. Religions: the ultimate form of brainwashing. Yoga/Meditation/etc: religions but instead of gods we follow…
Tangentially related: NG You know, I was in China in 2007, and it was the first ever state-sponsored, Party-approved science-fiction convention. They brought in some people from the west and I was one of them, and I was talking to a number of the older science-fiction writers in China, who told me about how science fiction was not just looked down on, but seen as suspicious and counter-revolutionary, because you coul…
The inventors at Google and Apple and Microsoft also like to trip on the occasional LSD. That might be something else China will have to allow if they want to be a magical radical land of invention.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> And no, you can't just become one of the special superheroes. Both are aiming to pacify the target society. Worse: You aren't such a superhero, but by random chance you might be chosen to become one and you are invited to imagine yourself in that situation. Any common person who might want to limit your hypothetical powers is an awful bigot and many of the stories revolve around tension between those with powers wh…
Reality: Americans have not been ruled by the superhero-like ultra rich for decades, and are starting to notice that little is improving and much is getting worse.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Reality: Americans have not been ruled by the superhero-like ultra rich for decades, and are starting to notice that little is improving and much is getting worse.
That's because the ultra-rich figured out how to buy the politicians, so they're not the ones "in charge" and don't take the blame.