Structured-Abstract Book-Review: `Atlas Hugged' (Wilson 2020) ~ by Velikovsky of Newcastle
Structured-Abstract Book-Review:
Atlas Hugged (Wilson 2020)
by
Velikovsky of Newcastle
http://storyality.wordpress.com/
14th Dec 02020
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Atlas Hugged (Wilson 2020)
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Structured Abstract (300 words)
Aim (of the novel Atlas Hugged)
To engage, entertain, inform, educate, and improve the world by telling a great story, via Atlas Hugged (2020). Cleverly satirizing Ayn Rand’s (barely-readable) Atlas Shrugged (1957) and its outdated, unscientific – let alone, deceptively-named – “Objectivist” `philosophy’, which promotes evil and harmful forms of selfishness. (Because: It’s long overdue-!)
Background
The vast negative real-world effects of Rand’s so-called “Objectivist” `philosophy’, as `dramatized’ (if you can call it that?) in her terrible novel Atlas Shrugged (1957), include some of the worst mistakes humanity’s ever made. …Here’s a remedy…!
Taxon
Kingdom: Written culture.
Phylum: Literature.
Class: Narrative prose fiction.
Order: Prosocial Values.
Genus: Satire!
Species: Philosophical Novel – including: mystery, hard science fiction, and a love story.
Location
Global. (Primarily: the U.S., and Ecuador.)
Methods
For one thing, Wilson has changed the name Ayn Rand to Ayn Rant - which is deeply funny when you consider that rant - I mean, er, “speech” - by John Galt near the end of (Rand 1957) that goes on about 300 pages too long.
On the bright side, you don’t ever need to read Atlas Shrugged to enjoy and appreciate AtlasHugged, which frankly is a huge relief. (To anyone else who’s ever avoided Rand 1957, you sure dodged a bullet, there.)
Wilson also includes amazing real-life characters, with amusingly-altered names. (No spoilers here.)
Also, there’s: a moving love story, some great (even: hilarious) sex scenes, and a duel. And, science!
Results
A novel that brilliantly inverts Rand’s cancerous: values, politics, vision, and world view, and instead presents a desirable alternative - a positive new narrative for a remade, and vastly better world.
Conclusions
You should read it.
It will make you smarter. And, nicer.
Also, it’s funny as hell. (In a good way, and, for all the right reasons.) - Wonderful!
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REFERENCES
Rand, A. (1957) [Redacted - Redacted - Redacted ] (as: Ayn Rand was a terrible thinker & writer; you shouldn’t even have to be reminded of, or traumatized by, a reference to her actual drivel.) )
Wilson, D. S. (2020). Atlas Hugged. Irvine, CA: Redwood Publishing, LLC. https://atlashugged.world/
THE END
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P.S. Dear Reader: That’s it. That’s: The Book-Review. It's exactly 300 words, not counting the References.
(...When’s the first time you read a Review of a novel, as: a Structured Abstract? Things are changing. Altogether now: “Change…! Change…! Change…!”)
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Belated *Trigger Alert*: Sorry! - I know a lot of "Conservatives" are not good with the word: "Change". It can be traumatic. You can go into anaphylactic shock, due to an extreme allergic reaction to "change". I get all that.
...But, change is good, when it's change for the better. Read Atlas Hugged.
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Hey and also - I did a (long!) Analysis of Atlas Hugged (Wilson 2020), here. But - that article is full of story spoilers, so - I strongly advise that you read the novel Atlas Hugged first, before reading that article!
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Also - as a "Teaser" - here (again) is: a very short extract from that very long Analysis...
Also, to enrich the reading experience - before - or after - or even during - reading Atlas Hugged,
visit some of the real-world entities that appear in the novel:
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ALSO - TO EXPLAIN:
...If it helps to explain, why I wrote a book-review, as (of all things?) a Structured Abstract:
I am a big fan of consilience: combining the Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Arts.
And, I've done a lot of book reviews over the past 30 years, but I outgrew the conventional format? (Not saying there is anything wrong with the old way; just that, I felt like a change :)
...And I (...for one?) have never before seen, a book review of a new novel, written in the format of, a Structured Abstract ! - Like, you might see, for a scientific article, in say, a Bio-Geography journal...
...So, I figured, why not combine two "old" things, to get a new thing?
(After all, it's: The universal algorithm for creativity, in both Biology, and in Culture...)
So - Why not: combine a Structured Abstract , and a Book Review... ?
(...What's the worst that can happen?)
(Answer: Some people might freak out: Too... different!)
...And, the result (see, the 300-word Book-Review, above) might even be found to be: creative...?
New, useful, and surprising. By some - or even many - people...? Who knows.
It's an experiment. So - let's see, the (audience) results (of the experiment)...?
(I note, the standard tripartite definition of a creative artifact, in any domain in culture, is one that is: (1) new/novel/original, (2) useful/appropriate/adaptive, and, (3) surprising...!)
So, who says, you can't do Science in the Arts?
...Or even, Art, in the Sciences?
Just look at Atlas Hugged -!
(In fact, see ArtScience , for more on all that...)
Maybe, creative things can sometimes emerge, when, we combine Science, and the Arts...? *
(So, a question:
...Did you, personally, find the above book-review to be: new, useful, and surprising...?)
(Please feel free to leave a Comment, below.)
P. S. - As I read Atlas Hugged (by D S Wilson, 2020), I was also reminded of another novel I really enjoyed: Anthill: A Novel (by E O Wilson, 2020).** Also, Isaac Asimov was a scientist before he was a novelist, too - and I also love a lot of Asimov's stuff. But I digress.
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--------------//---------------* (In fact, between us, I am quite sure of it - see my (2016) Ph.D, just as one random example - but it sounds less threatening to any folks biased against Science, when I pose it as a question. :)
** (
In fact, I liked it so much, I even created A Game Design for Anthill:The Novel. But I digress.)Well, that's about all we have time for, folks!
You have been reading / viewing a blog-post by:
Dr J T Velikovsky Ph.D
(aka: Velikovsky of Newcastle)
Information Scientist & Systems Scientist & AI Researcher & Enthusiast & Evolutionary Culturologist & Filmmaker & Writer & Artist & Actor & Muso & Random Guy
(and, also The StoryAlity Guy)
aka Humanimal
(or, The Artist formally known as Dr J T Velikovsky)
More stuff:
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My ouvre... etc etc.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6741-066X
Forthcoming book (November 2021): https://www.igi-global.com/book/principles-protocols-practices-evolutionary-culturology/267379
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