Short and classic Žižek compounded pessimism and optimism in the same sentence. I can't say if the pandemic will have such drastic effects as Žižek prShort and classic Žižek compounded pessimism and optimism in the same sentence. I can't say if the pandemic will have such drastic effects as Žižek predicts, I can agree that many things in the current system are unsustainable, but predicting when and how things will crumble is always mostly a Fool's errand, that's not to say that people should not be prepared to seize the opportunity and create a better society where economical power is more evenly distributed, although pessimistic as it might sound the owner class is always better positioned to seize the rebuilding process.
I think anyone who will write about the pandemic will have a had time making his writings evergreen, nevertheless, the book IMO identifies correctly the world has really failed to show a good response to this event, and that was mostly because in order to appease the ruling class and because of capital's conflicting interests we really struggled to optimally find adequate solutions.
As a side note, I also liked in this book the critiques brought to the latest legal measures which affect how people can communicate, thought policing is very dangerous and should not become accepted in society if we don't want to find ourselves in a position of less freedom. ...more
This is not your average humanoid - AI book. Carey is not what you would expect of a humanoid AI robot, as a character it is built almost like a humanThis is not your average humanoid - AI book. Carey is not what you would expect of a humanoid AI robot, as a character it is built almost like a human, and the book resembles very much the old movie 'bicentennial man'. Every robot - AI book will undoubtedly try to craft a thinking system as close as possible to humans for obvious reasons and because this is the goal in general, but this book focuses a lot more on emotions and humans than anything technical. You might enjoy the book if you look at Carey as a historic observer, and you would enjoy seeing this observer as it passing through generations....more
I really didn't like this book, it romanticizes too much the idea of monopolizes and power, the writing style also isn't great. The billionaire who isI really didn't like this book, it romanticizes too much the idea of monopolizes and power, the writing style also isn't great. The billionaire who is one of the main characters seems to me have many similarities in the story of him becoming a billionaire with Steve Jobs, a lot of boring information. This book doesn't give you much space of imagining the story, but instead, it shoves a predeterminate way of how things should socially work and that way is the only possible way. Also maybe is my fault that I work with tech but, the technical details in this book are horrible, and I get that book don't have to be accurate but I read many fantasy technical stuff and I rarely felt like the cringe was so big that I couldn't do it anymore. ...more
I maybe should not give this book a five star but I really enjoyed it, the sense of realism was palpable, and I also appreciated the fact that the manI maybe should not give this book a five star but I really enjoyed it, the sense of realism was palpable, and I also appreciated the fact that the many passages in this book contain the main character self-reflection and judgments. It had some really awkward scenes where it seems that real guns are in fact bb-guns because it was ridiculous how someone being shot in the foot form nearly point blank with a shotgun could walk it off so easily. But the truth is the realism for me at least seems to be more in the social interactions than in the actions scenes....more
I liked it more than the fourth one in the series, the series is great anyway, I will only was that this book will contain a grandiose action scene inI liked it more than the fourth one in the series, the series is great anyway, I will only was that this book will contain a grandiose action scene inside a Colosseum in a magical realm near the end of this book, which for me at least was like the centerpiece of this book. ...more
Wasn't entirely exceptional, but wasn't a disappointment either as the author stated it has many attractive elements like starships, aliens, the only Wasn't entirely exceptional, but wasn't a disappointment either as the author stated it has many attractive elements like starships, aliens, the only problem I saw in the book was that the story itself isn't a masterpiece and many parts look a bit glued but I'll give it nevertheless 4 starts because this is my kind of book. I think this book will give you a feeling of some thin resemblance of Guardians of the galaxy combined with other kinds of space odyssey types of books....more
A great book is like a long cheatsheet simple but extremely useful examples, you can read it fast due to the large sets of examples is a very practicaA great book is like a long cheatsheet simple but extremely useful examples, you can read it fast due to the large sets of examples is a very practical especially if you read it before starting a new python project. ...more
I guess this was my kind of book, it didn't have a spectacular plot but the beauty that comes with that is that it had a very plausible reality feelinI guess this was my kind of book, it didn't have a spectacular plot but the beauty that comes with that is that it had a very plausible reality feeling attached, and it kept being more of a Psychological Thriller till the very end than anything else.
When the first member of the crew that reached Mars died you immediately got the impression that something was off and felt a bit disappointed as Marcy seemed to be the last person that should fall prey to such "accident". But as the story progressed from there you could easily deduce what is happening. What I didn't understand was the behavior of Zero, I get that he was a smoker and that he was subject of paranoia but in my view, his behavior was beyond paranoid, in such a way that was hardly credible.
Now the end was interesting with multiple ramifications, maybe I'm a bit of a pessimist but even after his hardships and even after his perceived leverage, I still assert that Frank will most likely not get what he fought for. ...more
A fascinating book which explores the idea that every higher intelligence has a possible intrinsically function which is to assert its power over the A fascinating book which explores the idea that every higher intelligence has a possible intrinsically function which is to assert its power over the resources it may find. .In this book, robots are a derivate of the humans, and humans no longer exist, but they are put on the run by mainframes which I deduced are classified as an SI. Although the whole idea is improbable, you will enjoy the book a lot if you can transpose yourself into this dystopian post-apocalyptic world without question the improbabilities, it's pretty well written, and has a style of alternative history in it, it builds a very solid timeline, and has small political nuances. .Personally, I did fully appreciate this unique blend and there's not much I can object to the contents of this book....more
Future is very hard to predict unless some trends have a relative constancy, which is more or less what happened in the last decade, the accelerated gFuture is very hard to predict unless some trends have a relative constancy, which is more or less what happened in the last decade, the accelerated growth of inequality, the increase automatization and climate change are realities, but yet we still deny the existence of many realities just to support a narrative which in the long run is damaging and will amount to critical point of no return, we should rather switch some cogs while it's easy as our system of governance is failing badly. ...more
It didn't have a strong start but after 20% it started to develop a pleasant story, it was more a fantasy than a sci-fi, and most of the action was ceIt didn't have a strong start but after 20% it started to develop a pleasant story, it was more a fantasy than a sci-fi, and most of the action was centered around the intelligent alien plant mostly in the context of societal development through generations. ...more
From an expressive point of view, it's very well written and you can see yourself with ease in the shoes of the main character, most of the people proFrom an expressive point of view, it's very well written and you can see yourself with ease in the shoes of the main character, most of the people probably would desire to be like Hendrik, full of life, curiosity and a never-ending passion for continuously planning. The way our main character analyzes and interacts with his circumstances and co-habitants of the retirement shelter in Nederlands can be humoristic, and no matter how grim everything evolves Hendrik can cover that with a smiley symbol(figuratively speaking). But the reality is that is hard to be too fascinated by such small events found in this book not to mention that this is a long book and being written in a Journal style doesn't help either so you must have some resistance to bypass the boredom factor. ...more
It was a great follow-up as this time we delve into a bit of space action, like all great wars the story begins with an assassination attempt, then heIt was a great follow-up as this time we delve into a bit of space action, like all great wars the story begins with an assassination attempt, then hell follows. In the end power in dockside will forever shift, and our characters will have to pass new tests. The final battles for me seemed that were won too easy, but I guess the main two characters must have an almighty aura which can't be perturbed by a bit more weakness. ...more
I highly appreciate the book, my thoughts on Roland always change and it's really hard to picture him, as he is described being a cyborg, but so oftenI highly appreciate the book, my thoughts on Roland always change and it's really hard to picture him, as he is described being a cyborg, but so often I imagine him as a gigantic mech with an enhanced embedded pilot, after all, if I were to cite from the book he has only 10% biological mass. The storyline is 95% linear and very easy to read, and it keeps you pretty intrigued, later on, the book will put much value into the bonds of the characters. And from the second book I see that the bonds are getting stronger, for me, it was a "Goodread", 5★ I may add....more
Was an interesting book that tied the fate of humanity to a flight. At first, you need a dozen of chapters to notice is a sci-fi book, it keeps the myWas an interesting book that tied the fate of humanity to a flight. At first, you need a dozen of chapters to notice is a sci-fi book, it keeps the mystery raised, as you don't really know what's happening. Of course, you got short romance story in this book but is great because it isn't so stringent to take the focus away from the main story, even though many of the passengers of flight 305 have a role in deciding what will happen with the future and the past. We also got an interesting premise in this book, which I believe to be impossible, mainly it tells us that the world would not fall into absolute collapse if a small group of people will be immortals and the rest will be mere mortals which in my opinion is highly improbable. Also, the chosen intervals of years in between the time travel are very questioning, as it is hard to imagine how so numerous people in a particular flight will be tied to immortality and because of their decisions huge conflicts will start in ranges of hundreds of years. Anway I don't have any grand objection it was a good book by my standards....more
I gave 4 stars to this book just because it was a debut book, the technical writing was pretty good actually but the story focused way too much on theI gave 4 stars to this book just because it was a debut book, the technical writing was pretty good actually but the story focused way too much on the sentimental/sexual anguish, it felt like half of the book was only about Jack and Paladin unfortunate reflection on sexual and sentimental relationships(former,present,future). I would classify the book more like romance than a sci-fi dystopia. The beginning was pretty powerful and it gave the hope that a great sorry will unfold, but chapter after chapter you are starting to lose that hope. ...more
This is the last book I managed to finish in the Dec 2017, it was absolutely great, considering that for me it approached relevant today topics. And iThis is the last book I managed to finish in the Dec 2017, it was absolutely great, considering that for me it approached relevant today topics. And in my view, it was better than the first book. Yes I know it has a cheesy: "everything is great in the end" and the story is absolutely linear, but nonetheless it was very enjoyable. Mystery, multiple twists, as usual, a bit or a lot of action(depending on your preferences), corrupt government, corrupt wealthy individuals, secret services, warlords(though their existence will be erased in this book), nihilistic genius(although I felt mildly sorry that Rachel died) it has all you want in small amounts. ...more
I was a bit disappointed by the book, maybe it is because my personal preferences but it seem more like a collection of stories about different groupsI was a bit disappointed by the book, maybe it is because my personal preferences but it seem more like a collection of stories about different groups of people experiencing the life after a solar flare, I was expecting things to fit more nicely, more connections between the characters and a more solid ending. But then again I know that are those who like this type of writing style, so I don't want someone to deem this book mediocre, is just my appreciation. ...more
I enjoyed the book even though I jumped directly to this book, without knowing anything about the other in the sequel, It was a subtle macabre fantasyI enjoyed the book even though I jumped directly to this book, without knowing anything about the other in the sequel, It was a subtle macabre fantasy where, obsession ends up glorified, especially when there is a parallel world in which your absolute obsession for beauty(for which you are ready to do unspeakable things) is merely a virtue. I think it shows us how extremely can disparity between cultures be, a disturbed individual seen from a "normal" world is the most normal case in a "disturbed" world. ...more
A fire read I may say, It has an improbable happy ending, and is very easy to summarize with just "A group of unstable people are brought together in A fire read I may say, It has an improbable happy ending, and is very easy to summarize with just "A group of unstable people are brought together in order to have an experiment in a South pole research center", I won't say more but there is bit of gore involved but it will start later in the book. I liked the writing style and the fact that there were no long passages involving depicting the scenes. The only weak point is the story which is not something to blow you away. ...more
A very quick read it takes maximum an hour, it is good for someone with absolutely no knowledge of SEO, so if you find yourself in a situation you havA very quick read it takes maximum an hour, it is good for someone with absolutely no knowledge of SEO, so if you find yourself in a situation you have someone to explain the basics of SEO and glossary terminology to some non-techy person you could say: "Read this book so we can have a starting point for any discussion." The best thing about this book is the short length and simple definitions of concepts....more
It starts with detailing the life of each character separately, all the characters even though are not entirely connected in the beginning, will form It starts with detailing the life of each character separately, all the characters even though are not entirely connected in the beginning, will form a connection later on. The idea of the book was pretty enjoyable, but one character from this book really stepped on my nerves, that character was Amelia Black with her Assisted Migration. Full of passages of endless unmeaningful description and rhetorical thoughts and dialogs. I think I would have given 4 stars if that character was erased from the book as the mentioned character had almost no impact in the story. Now the book itself combines some interesting political views, "economic realities"(at least in my perception), and at least some environmental predictions. So many of the important characters are anti-capitalism or at least against that form of capitalism present in the book, and they will eventually with some coordinated actions bring down the system by nationalizing all the banks. The end was pretty colorful even though it was specifically mentioned that is not colorful, but from the looks of it, many may conclude that capitalism was deeply buried. It is a lengthy book but the end is not so bothersome, and the story is also pleasant most of the time, as it pictures a space and a time with all the details very well defined....more
Explore a post-apocalyptic world scenario where a new humanoid entity was created from the second generation fusion between humans and a fungal organiExplore a post-apocalyptic world scenario where a new humanoid entity was created from the second generation fusion between humans and a fungal organism. The first generation of such a fusion is the result of mindless cannibalistic nonthinking humanoids but the second generation is some type of "enhanced" human(which will retain some attributes of the first generation). Now the story itself revolves around Melanie, a special girl from a special group of children these children are the point of interest for scientists because of course, you guessed it they are from the second generation of hybrids. They are kept as lab rats in a small military base, that is not so well secured and for that, the base will be overcome, most of the staff will be killed. From that moment on 5 inhabitants from the base(including our protagonist) will escape and embark on a journey with a destination that will never be reached. Personally, I enjoyed the book mostly because it manages to keep you tense and doesn't have so many logical fractures, although there were two key points that at least for me didn't make any sense.
The first one was on a scene where a pack of savage second generation kids with the ages not more than 15 years could keep a steel hydraulic door from closing, from the description the door weighted hundred of kilos or maybe over a ton, being part of a mobile lab that was made to withstand anything that a post-apocalyptic world could throw at it.
The second point that seems odd it was the end conclusion that the second generation of hybrids/mutants would be better equipped in order to recreate a society, from what I could understand the only nutrient for this hybrid was meat with the exception of their own meat, so in a world where animals were scarce having as a group 0 prior knowledge of anything and with the impossibility to go cannibalistic I don't see where the hybrids were better to recreate society than the noninfected humans.
Anyway, apart from some oddities and the end the book is very enjoyable, make sure you get hold of it and don't draw any conclusions until you read it....more
It had more politics than the second book and, that for me was a pleasant surprise, I was a bit disappointed, that the author made a half-end, I wouldIt had more politics than the second book and, that for me was a pleasant surprise, I was a bit disappointed, that the author made a half-end, I would have appreciated a full end or no end, but overall I enjoyed it a bit extra than the second one. ...more
Loading...
