I experienced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams (1952-2001) as a cleverish, satirical comedy, science fiction novel that's I experienced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams (1952-2001) as a cleverish, satirical comedy, science fiction novel that's written in a tone, narrative, and dialogue style that seemed to have been inspired by Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. A fun, easy-going, read, so I can see why readers enjoy it. Nevertheless, it didn't captivate me enough, that is why I'm not sure that I'm up for reading the entire "trilogy" made up of five parts....more
Aldous Huxley, with a satirical tone, introduces us to a society in which masses of embryos and fetuses are developed in artificial A Motherless World
Aldous Huxley, with a satirical tone, introduces us to a society in which masses of embryos and fetuses are developed in artificial surrogate mothers; incubators. Where infants and toddlers, in controlled environments, are psychologically and emotionally manipulated in order to develop characteristics beneficial for the common good. A society that learns while it sleeps, through hypnopedia, during which the individual is thought to have an intolerance for: family, as they "stink" of emotions, monogamous relationships, which are primitive and indecent, as they are based on passion, and a hatred for nature, books, and the lower caste.
Instead, people are thought to rejoice in order, synthetic music, consumerism, sexual promiscuity, and every pain, sadness or experience of naturally occurring moral dilemmas or human feelings are to be suppressed by pharmaceutical substances that can objectively shorten one's lifespan but subjectively lengthen its quality.
A world that employs the practice of eugenics in order to breed a superior alpha human for the sake of maintaining a quintessential community while variations of inferior human offspring’s are reproduced, by physically manipulating the development of the unborn during gestation, in the interest of creating a caste system that will maintain all features and elements of this utopian society.
This dystopian novel setting takes place in the Ford Era, 632 years after the Model T was first introduced. Huxley envisioned a future society in which Taylorism is engraved in every aspect of a functioning community and Freudianism a blueprint for childhood personality development. He designed a society governed by manipulation, not force. A culture that embraces machines, science, and sensory pleasures, but mocks religious rituals, beliefs, and spiritual values.
I found the Brave New World (1932) well-written with an engaging plot that strengthens as the story unfolds, nevertheless, some scenes were overstated. Also, the storyline was somewhat loose with not quite convincing characters that were only subsequently developed. But what I liked the most about the book is how Huxley quite accurately predicted the future....more
This book is a work of art and my first five-star read this year. While consuming every word and savoring each page I've noticed my pencil's point vanThis book is a work of art and my first five-star read this year. While consuming every word and savoring each page I've noticed my pencil's point vanish by the end of the first few chapters.
We (1920) is written by the Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884-1937) who was a one of the first Soviet dissidents and whose We earned the title as the first book to be banned by the Soviet censorship board.
The premise of the story takes place several hundred years in the future. In which the protagonist, a mathematician and engineer, is developing a spaceship for his 'One State' government. The space mission's purpose is to conquer the extraterrestrial planets and impose on its inhabitants the One State system of government that is exclusively dictated by rationalism.
The characters in the story are nameless. But they are all assigned a number; something that resembles a serial number: for the male characters they start with a consonant followed by a rigid prime number, and for the female characters they begin with a vowel attached to a beautifully rounded even number.
The entire One State is made of transparent glass structures dominated by curveless geometry and enclosed by a green wall. The people live by a predetermined daily schedule, outlined by the authority, which is precisely defined by an almost perfect equation with barely any unknown variables. Everyone is under constant surveillance by the Benefactor and his "guardian angels" for the benefit of the We, rather than the I.
Every citizen's life is a mechanical one; dreamless and devoid of passion. Any involvement in asymmetrical art, music or poetry is punishable by execution. The only melody permitted is the one in tune with the mathematical notes.
The State has to approve for everyone a brief visits by their partner, where the State usually assigns two or three companions for each person all for the sake of mimicking a triangle or square. During the protagonist's short impersonal walk with his assigned companion, he spontaneously meets another, free-spirited woman, with whom he becomes infatuated with and eventually falls in love. This leads him to develops a sense of self-awareness, and as a result, he is diagnosed by the State's doctor with a terrible illness; the birth of a soul. What will happen to the space mission? What’s behind the green wall? Will his "illness" ever be cured and will his love endure it all?
This compelling read is a fusion of dystopian science fiction and political satire with religion root metaphors. It reads like a poetic prose with beautifully crafted expressions, with the right dose of sarcasm, and Zamyatin's unfinished sentences that leave you wondering......more
Why do many of us find enjoyment in reading dystopian novels but would dread living in such a society? Why does our imagination find stories of oppresWhy do many of us find enjoyment in reading dystopian novels but would dread living in such a society? Why does our imagination find stories of oppression compelling and attractive while in reality, we have an inborn repulsion and intolerance for injustice? Perhaps it's just human nature and certain stories produce in us a wide spectrum of feelings and subsequently we get to experience the color of emotion we desire. These are some of the thoughts that came to mind while reading Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).
What can I say about a book that so many have read and reviewed? Well, during the first half of Orwell's book I was distracted, as the plot, to a significant extent, resembles Yevgeny Zamyatin's We (1920). It's obvious the Englishman was more than just inspired by the Russians We. To give just one example: in We the protagonist records his thoughts in his secretly kept journal while anxious that the One State will get a hold of it and as a result, he will be executed. He writes and plans to share his journal with the people his authoritarian government is preparing to conquer in the future. Similarly, Orwell's protagonist, Winston Smith, is also keeping a diary, strictly hidden from The Party while concerned that the government authorities will find it for which he will be executed. Winston Smith also writes for and plans to share his diary with future generations. There are several other similar examples.
Although, the second half of the book was exceptionally original and overall Orwell's plot was very engaging. Also, his detailed descriptive narrative allowed me to effortlessly visualize every single scene clearly.
Orwell depicts a society that resembles a communist state run by a totalitarian regime. All party members live by strict daily routines under constant surveillance by Big Brother, where your thoughts are your only freedom. The majority of the population, the uneducated working-class, is continually being manipulated by the government and thus live in ignorance, humiliation and unawareness. Our protagonist, Winston Smith, is struggling with low self-esteem and dreams of rebellion. He gradually becomes aware of himself and his surroundings and is able to formulate his own opinion on things. Winston later meets Julia and they enter a relationship, but their love wasn't convincing or I just couldn't relate to it. Altogether, this is a great science fiction novel without the impossible futuristic science but with the possible social and political science.
Second Foundation (1953) is the 3rd novel of the The Foundation Trilogy and the one I found most compelling of the three.
The Mule, after conquering thSecond Foundation (1953) is the 3rd novel of the The Foundation Trilogy and the one I found most compelling of the three.
The Mule, after conquering the First Foundation, which is at the forefront of the physical sciences in the Galaxy, is in a restless search to find and eliminate the Second Foundation. The Second Foundation is the Mule's only threat and obstacle in uniting the Galaxy under his tyrannical rule. The Mule is a mutant with supreme mental powers capable of tampering with and manipulating the emotions of others while converting them into his loyal devotees. But the Mule is in for a surprise, as the Second Foundationers have for centuries been developing and refining their intricate telepathic science and have acquired the mental capabilities that for the Mule are inborn. Has the Mule met his match? And does Arcadia, a 14-year-old girl, become the key link as the events unfold?
As far as I am concerned, this is not a sturdy stand-alone novel, therefore, you would need to read the previous two parts, for all of this to make sense. Although, the narration flow of this novel is smoother than in the previous parts and the dialogues are well developed and psychologically intriguing, though, some of the jargon is dated.
Throughout the book, Asimov gives the advantage to the Second Foundationers due to their education in neuroscience, psychology, and sociology as well as presenting in a positive light their egalitarian society with a horizontal structure of government. Compared to the First Foundation, which is governed by a more conventional hierarchical structure where their strengths are derived from nuclear power, high-tech technology, commerce, and education in the physical sciences. But what science, 'mental' or 'physical', shows to be superior? And what system of government, 'vertical' or 'horizontal', prevails at the end of the novel?
There is a whole series of these novels but I think that I will pause with completing just this Trilogy and perhaps come back to it one day....more
Reading Foundation and Empire, the second book in the Foundation Trilogy, reminded me of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche: “In every real man, a child iReading Foundation and Empire, the second book in the Foundation Trilogy, reminded me of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche: “In every real man, a child is hidden that wants to play.” That said, reading a SF book once in a while, can be great play.
This story continued where the previous book Foundation left off. Hari Seldon, used psychohistory to project that the 12,000 year old Galactic Empire will collapse in 300 years and the dark ages will reign for the next 30,000 years. But as the Emperor allowed, Seldon, to establish two Foundations colonies at the extreme ends of the spiral galaxy, Seldon, and his scientists have in return promised to, with their work, reduce the barbarian ages to a mere one thousand years.
It's seems that, Hari Seldon's, predictions are coming true. But with the appearance of The Mule, who is presented by Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) as a rebel conqueror and threat to Seldon's plan, is a new breed of a human being, with greater metal and emotional powers than that of man. With the appearance of The Mule things are not looking promising for the Foundation. Did Seldon's deterministic calculations fail to predict the probability of a spontaneous mutation that resulted in a creation of a human with greater intelligence that the homo sapiens, a new dominant race? Also, what ever happened to the other, Second Foundation, at the opposite far end of the Galaxy?
I have to say that I enjoyed this book slightly more than previous one, perhaps the story grew on me. I liked the many allegorical settings, such as the Galactic Empire's administration positioned on a dead planet Tranton housed with billions of isolated lonely people in a vast closed structure - sounds very familiar. Also, the symbol of hope and order, the Foundation, is the cradle of science, research and development of the galaxy.
Since the plots time frame lasts over a century, new generation of characters are introduced, but faintly, while the old ones have passed. There is a constant change of characters, and once you begin to learn about or like your characters, they are exchanged by their successors. Which makes it difficult to keep up with all the names. All in all, the storyline and narrative were good enough to make me want to read the following book....more
While reading this book, I was thinking to myself, this book can easily be converted into a script for a television show. It's written in a form as ifWhile reading this book, I was thinking to myself, this book can easily be converted into a script for a television show. It's written in a form as if it was prepared in advance for a narrator to recite it on a stage set. Sure enough, a TV series was produced based on the Physics of the Impossible a year after the book's release.
Michio Kaku, who governs so well with all the complexities of modern physics, very briefly, but effectively, introduces the development of several branches of physics, staring from Newtonian mechanics of the 17th century up to relativity and quantum mechanics of the 20th century. However, if you're looking for a more elaborate exposition of the theories and laws of physics, I would suggest Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos.
You should definitely consider reading this book if you're a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek and curious no know how probable and feasible is it to achieve, in the future, the hypothetical technologies illustrated in these blockbusters.
Kaku, a well known science popularizer, does a superb job explaining how Sci-Fi technologies and ideas depicted in these movies could function and what is restricting us from achieving them today? How realistic is it to expect for humans to overcome these engineering challenges? In order to do so, do we need a new branch of physics or mathematics? Will a robot ever achieve or surpass the capabilities of the human brain? Kaku maintains an optimistic tone throughout the book while his overall assessment is cautiously optimistic concerning accomplishing these technologies.
The book even suggests different methods and ways to make flights into orbit more cost-effective, but does not propose reusable rockets, that have substantially decreased the cost of launching payloads into orbit since SpaceX's successful launch in 2015. The book was written in 2008.
The authors writing style is clear, smooth, and easy to understand. I read most of the book while watering my garden (a grove of fruit trees) and getting a couple of scratches from the tree branches, which made all this talk about the possibility of achieving human teleportation and interstellar travel seem light-years away. But I have to remind myself of the main lesson of the book: to stay open to far-fetched ideas and not reject them before considering every aspect, even though they sound impossible....more
This Sci-fi narrative takes place fifty thousand years into the future. Humanity has achieved the possibility of interstellar travel and inhabited a lThis Sci-fi narrative takes place fifty thousand years into the future. Humanity has achieved the possibility of interstellar travel and inhabited a large part of our galaxy, although, strangely, still relying on oil, coal, and for the fortunate ones, nuclear power, as the primary source of energy.
Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) Foundation begins on planet Trantor the administrative and ruling capital of the 12,000 year old Galactic Empire. Hari Seldon, who is on trial for treason in front of the Emperor himself, is a psychohistorian (a branch of mathematics that combines psychology and mathematics) uses his deterministic system and calculates that in 300 years the Empire will collapse and enter a 30,000 year dark age period. As predicted and wished by Seldon, he is ousted by the Emperor, along with his scientists and scholars, to a far off insignificant planet Terminus (Foundation) that is located at the edge of our galaxy where he would be allowed to unite all human knowledge and compose the Encyclopedia Galactica in order to reduce the dark age period to 1,000 years.
This book was written at a different time, mostly in the 1940's, but the story takes place in the high-tech future where you would not expect to hear phrases like "women and children", "man to man", etc. Also, it's surprising that, Asimov, envisions a future with a possibility of human interstellar space travel at parsec distances (which is close to impossible) but didn't foresee women having a roll in science, politics, military, and trade. As you probably assume all of the characters are male who still hunt birds for sport and smoke in public areas. Women are referred to as wives and mistresses.
We have here a fairly well-written book, with some really good dialogues, and somewhat developed characters. Although, the allegory of the story is very meaningful! It portrays knowledge as the only and true beacon of hope. The "religion of science", even though practiced by the few, is the path to equality, freedom, and a utopian society. There is also a hidden political message that was relevant at the time the book was written. If you like Sci-fi, you could give it a try....more
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