Stories and Essays

Cliff Hays (Goodreads Author)

it was amazing 5.00 · Rating details · 1 rating · 1 review

A collection of two science fiction short stories, five philosophical essays, ten flash fiction fables, and over forty journal excerpts. The stories as well as the essays deal with fundamental questions of existence, the universe, consciousness, ultimate reality, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics.

This volume has been compiled with the purpose of bringing into print th ...more

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Paperback, 112 pages

Published March 6th 2017 by Independently published

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Mar 28, 2017 L.E. Henderson rated it it was amazing

As a long time Cliff Hays fan, I was excited to see that many of the stories and essays I have thoroughly enjoyed on my Kindle were now available in paperback. Even better, the author has included awesome content never published on Amazon, including his flash fiction and clever journal entries.

The collection includes many of my favorites, particularly "Dual Void," a brilliant story told from the point of view of Kes, a newly sentient computer struggling to understand her self-awareness using log As a long time Cliff Hays fan, I was excited to see that many of the stories and essays I have thoroughly enjoyed on my Kindle were now available in paperback. Even better, the author has included awesome content never published on Amazon, including his flash fiction and clever journal entries.

The collection includes many of my favorites, particularly "Dual Void," a brilliant story told from the point of view of Kes, a newly sentient computer struggling to understand her self-awareness using logic. The story is amazingly plausible and has layers of depth that make it worth reading again and again. Kes, grappling with concepts like death and fear, raises important questions about what it means to be human.

The new collection also contains the unapologetically cerebral yet inspiring essay "On the Preservation of Enthusiasm." Using rigorous logic and even employing math, Cliff Hays reaches insights about living that are psychologically comforting, intellectually challenging, and even “spiritually” up-lifting.

The essay delves into the fascinating branch of philosophy known as epistemology, the theory of knowledge which, simply put, explores how we can know what we know -- or if we can know anything at all.

This theme crops up again and again in Cliff Hays’ work. In "Dual Void" Kes is an epistemology computer. Epistemology also influences"IHU," a story in which a philosopher and cosmologist meet; as their friendship grows, their separate ways of discovering the ultimate truth clash, culminating in a courageously bizarre ending.

In addition to work previously included on Amazon, the author has added some thoughtful essays previously unavailable for the Kindle such as "The Trolley Problem" and "On the Existence of God and Evil." Subjects range from impossible ethical conundrums to the essential nature of the universe.

The same is true with his journal entries. You will not find a record of day to day experiences here, but reflections on infinity, the provability of God, musings about his favorite philosophers and why he appreciates them.

What I enjoy most about the writing of Cliff Hays is that in his essays and even his fiction, he always deals with the big questions: What can we know? What questions are worth asking? Does the existence of evil disprove the existence of God? What is the nature of infinity? What are the limits of morality? It is impossible to walk away from his stories or essays without seeing the world a little differently.

His humorous and whimsical flash fiction stories represent a lighter side of his personality, a nice surprise that counterbalances the more serious content.

The 3.99 price for a paperback collection is an excellent bargain for writing that asks interesting questions, creates a sense of wonder, and challenges traditional perspectives in a way that also entertains.

Whether you read his stories and essays on the Kindle or in the paperback collection, I highly recommend reading the work of this incredibly gifted author.
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About Cliff Hays

Cliff Hays

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Musician and author from the USA, primarily influenced by mathematics, science, and philosophy. Has written two science fiction short stories Dual Void and IHU ; one work of mathematics Bivalent Logic ; two works of epistemology and philosophy of science Aamrgan and On the Preservation of Enthusiasm ; as well as Essays in Science and Philosophy [2004 - 2009] (seven essays expl ...more