Tag: sci-fi

Future History Lesson

History Lesson Part 1:
Roman Soldiers & American Revolution Sailors as seen by Starship Troopers

 

Starship Troopers book cover
Starship Troopers book cover

I started reading “Starship Troopers“ by Robert Heinlein today and it inspired me to investigate a little real history.

First, I’ve been a big fan of Heinlein for awhile, but strangely had never read this novel which many regard so highly. I had seen the crappy movie supposedly based on it, but let me say that movie really holds no similarities to the novel except for some characters’ and alien species’ names. Worse the movie turns some of the deeper but controversial aspects of the novel on their head, and turns the entire story into a farce. For example Heinlein’s novel portrays a democratic society in which suffrage is earned by a term of government service – in the case of the main characters this happened to be military service. The movie version portrays a fascist society where the only road to citizenship was through the military — kind of like non-citizen inhabitants of the early to mid Roman empire who could earn citizenship only after serving 25 years in the Roman legions.

I’m getting off the topic, which isn’t so much about the future the novel portrays, but about detailing some things I learned from a “future history lesson” today’s reading inspired me to take. Continue reading Future History Lesson

Review: Dayworld

Dayworld by Phillip Jose FarmerDayworld by Philip José Farmer
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My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 stars
First Published: January 1985
Read from: December 04 to 05, 2013

Dayworld – An Engaging and Exciting Read

“Dayworld” by Philip Jose Farmer (1985) has elements that remind me of a lot of other classic sci-fi books. For example, some of the police procedural, hi-tech dystopian world elements and pulp sci-fi & action story tropes of “Dayworld” remind me of “Bladerunner”, (the Ridley Scott movie more so than the “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” Philip K. Dick novel from which it was based). I guess its not that surprising as the visually-stunning and goundbreaking vision of a future dystopia that was Bladerunner came out in 1982, just a few years before Farmer published Dayworld. Continue reading Review: Dayworld

Doctor Who Saves Google

Today in honor of Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor”, Google did a Doctor Who Doodle that was also a game. You select the incarnation of the Doctor that you want to play. Then you are transported (via TARDIS of course) to a number of levels to rescue the Google letters that were stolen and are guarded by the Doctor’s enemies: the Daleks, Cybermen and even a Weeping Angel. If you die in the game you re-spawn as the next incarnation of the Doctor.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Google Doodle - Game Over Screen

Review: Boneshaker

Boneshaker by Cherie PriestBoneshaker by Cherie Priest
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My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2 out of 5 stars
First Published: September 2009
Read from: October 03 to 25, 2013

Boneshaker – More of a “Mind-number”

Very unusual for me, but only read half of this book. Just couldn’t get into it and had a lot on my plate at the time so finally gave it up as a lost cause. Nothing technically wrong with the writing, but considering all the fantastic elements it had to work with (steampunk, zombies, extended civil war era post-apocalyptic wild west,) it seemed very unexciting and unimaginative. I have read others’ reviews saying that the book started slow, but I believe I was close to, if not past, the half-way point and while some things were finally happening, even the “run for your life” scenes seemed…

Well, to put it in one word: “meh…” Continue reading Review: Boneshaker

YOU are unique in the Universe

I’ve been re-watching the seventh season of the new Doctor Who series. This extended quote from The Rings of Akhaten written by Neil Cross is really amazing on so many levels. The words were spoken by The Doctor to an innocent little girl who believed it was her destiny to sacrifice her life for her people, but they could have (and should be) spoken to anyone — the bullied, the suicidal… to everyone. Continue reading YOU are unique in the Universe

Review: The World of Ptavvs

World of Ptavvs by Larry NivenWorld of Ptavvs by Larry Niven
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My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars3 out of 5 stars
First Published: August 1966
Read from: July 23 to August 12, 2013

The World of Pshaw… I mean, Ptavvs [Niven Re-Read]

Reread this recently during one of my many “Niven binges”. This is one of Niven’s first novels (converted from a serial?) and it is NOT really one of his best.

The World Of Ptavvs is in Larry Niven’s “Known Space” universe but is a stand alone adventure. You get to see some aliens & alien tech from the “early days” of the galaxy. As usual with Niven, there are lots of cool scientific ideas for the most-part well developed. Lots of space travel, hi-tech gadgets, aliens, and a life and death plot… and characters that are very shallow even compared to the Niven standard.

Continue reading Review: The World of Ptavvs

We *ARE* In The Twilight Zone

While doing house work, I have been watching original episodes of The Twilight Zone. Heard this little bit of narration from the pen and mouth of Rod Serling.

“You’re looking at Mr. Fred Renard, who carries on his shoulder a chip the size of the national debt.” — “What You Need” The Twilight Zone, S01E11 (1959)

Even in 1959, the U.S. national debt was considered incredibly large. In 1959 it was “only” $290,797,771,717.63 ($290.8 billion). As I write this @ 2pm on 8/21/2013, it just passed $16,909,269,760,000 ($16.9 TRILLION). And you can visually watch it increase by the tune of over $10,000 per SECOND.

But really, I guess it’s not that bad… That is only 58 times bigger than it was 54 years ago. Now just wait $10,000, did I just say that? Just goes to show that we ARE in the Twilight Zone.

Review: Ringworld

Ringworld by Larry NivenRingworld by Larry Niven
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My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars5 out of 5 stars
First Published: January 1970
Read from: July 07 to 10, 2013

Ringworld – A Fun & Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Adventure [Niven Re-Read]

Reread as part of Sword & Laser book club pick for the month of July. I finished this early in the month, wrote a quick note, but am only now doing a full review.

I have read Ringworld an unknown number of times in the past and it is definitely one of my favorite all time “hard sci-fi” exploration adventure stories. Whenever I read it I can’t put it down. Of course it now has me in the mood to consume the sequel Ringworld Engineers which I also enjoy (though not quite as much).

Obviously I love this book. And being biased and having read it so many times I feel I may not be able to give it a normal review here. Instead, having read some other people’s negative reviews, I think I will respond to some of their points.

Continue reading Review: Ringworld