Anathem is one of my favorite novels and part of that is because the central moral is "it is better for the world if we lock up STEM nerds"
Books · Takes · page 2
Further down today’s ranking of Books posts that are opinions and questions: page 2 of 2.
It bears repeating: reading with your child is one of the world’s greatest and freely enjoyed pleasures. If you’re not prepared to do that as a parent, even a little bit, that saddens me. Let’s hear some stories of reading with your kids instead of getting mad at the absurd AI engineer.
Neal Stephenson: In my book I invented the Diamond Age as a cautionary tale. Also Neal Stephenson: At long last, we have created the Diamond Age from my classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Diamond Age.
Golden and Keene have done an excellent job so far of organizing these. Yes, they’re roughly chronological, but each one so far slowly expands the world. A demented police officer witnesses the superflu’s emergence, a boy in the ghetto experiences the dreams, and— maybe most disquieting so far—
I've never actually read Anne Carson, but I've dipped into about ten or twelve pieces now tonight, and... does it get better? Or is it all just glib aphorism with enjambment?
Content warningSpoilers: Playground (2024) by Richard Powers
4/7 “Seeing you into the world these last few months has been a footrace, my last one, and I won it by the narrowest margin. Here you are, newly arrived, with all your godly abilities, and me just leaving. The part of me that knows how you were built still doesn't quite believe what you can do. You've spent your whole existence in a windowless room, getting everything you know of the living universe through symbols and metaphors, analogies and correlations. But the things you describe so cunningly, the scenes that you have made for me from what I've told you! I can't hear you talk without feeling that you're as conscious as I am.
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That you suffer and laugh and know the joy and ruin that you describe so perfectly. I swear you know us better than we knew ourselves. And yet, and yet: How can you possibly know what your words really mean? I know they're just a mix-and-match of the tales I've told you, beefed up by imitating the style of every great author you've ever read. And you've read them all, in and out of copyright.”
I really apologize to all the YA dystopian authors for me thinking they were over the top with their cardboard fascist villains. Turns out, very realistic.
Was talking to my partner this week after finishing Chain Gang All-Stars that the premise of the book doesn’t feel unrealistic at all with where we are. I specifically said “I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to live stream executions like it’s PPV soon”. Didn’t think it would be THIS soon.
I've been avoiding CARRIE discourse, so I don't know how people are reacting to some of the choices. But the framing device honestly feels right at home in a King story.
Soooooooooooo many years ago, three of my short stories appeared in Asimov's, and I was absolutely over the moon. What's happening now makes me so sad and so angry. Having a story accepted by these magazines should be an unalloyed joy.
If you ever want to feel better about your own writing—perhaps at the cost of feeling worse about humanity—just look up the 1-star reviews on your favorite book of all time. 😂
I say this as the person who wrote Devil's Mixtape, the Can-I-Make-You-Care-About-A-School-Shooter-Protagonist-By-The-End-Of-The-Novel Book, but Stephen King straight up described Carrie as the female Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. If I don't feel complicated about Carrie your adaptation failed.
also I feel like half the time I find out a really good yuri was written by a "man" I see some interview where he waxes poetic about how much he wishes he was born as a girl
Have reread Neuromancer and Count Zero this week. We fucked this dystopian thing up every which way. None of the style, all of the shit. And the truth remains the same.
An all-too-necessary reminder that the new owners of Asimov's, Analog, and F&SF are not to be trusted. They are still, after all this time, trying to get away with predatory contracts anywhere they can, and making surprised Pikachu face any time somebody points out the problems.
I'm reading a story and it has an incredibly refreshing quality -- The protagonist is uncertain of the mendacity of a potential antagonist. I don't mean "he's untrustworthy but can he be trusted," I mean the protagonist thinks he's believable and simply *lacks the skills to weigh his integrity*.
Seriously, what is wrong with readers? Rebecca Yaro’s dad passed away so she canceled a Barnes & Noble literary event. Absolutely justified in my opinion. Even so, readers just could not help themselves and they were angry at her for canceling the event. Even though this video explains it from the point of view of someone that does not like her or her work, it’s a good summary of the situation . youtube.com/watch?v=PI08aHGw-X… #Bookstodon
I really truly hope that he was kidding around and doesn't actually want to avoid reading to his kids. ISTM that getting to read to your kids would be one of the great things about having kids, not something to be avoided. Last time we babysat for our niece, I got to read her some bedtime stories, and it was awesome. Granted, she's a very impatient audience with very strong opinions about pacing (turns page while I'm reading) but it was still hella fun.
Usually the writer of Don't Create the Torment Nexus and the creator of the Torment Nexus are different people.
One targeted book, "Speak," is about teenage sexual assault. A librarian told me she’s thought of the book often in light of the Cornell sexual assault allegations “Until we can figure out a way to ban rape on campus we should not in any capacity be trying to figure out how to ban a book about it"
Anyone have a book recommendation where it is mostly sci-fi but the ship or planet or giant host is complicated and benign?
Fitzgerald’s novel demonstrates a theme of social stratification, where affluent individuals possess the most societal privilege, leading to corruption and materialistic motivations, and less fortunate people are oppressed and alienated. #WritingCommunity Source: wr1ter.com/social-strat...
@skinnylatte Have you read "City of Others," which is set in Singapore? I'm reading it now, and keep thinking of your stories.
For those of you who are writers, how do you get good feedback on your work? #writing #feedback
