book review
Books reviews of the best science fiction stories, texts, educational texts, and journals.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE, MANY POSSIBILITIES
I’ll begin with a brief paragraph describing my regular daily routine. At 5am I wake up and do a couple of hours of mindfulness exercises prior to getting out of bed. As soon as I pull off my blankets I start looking for my clothes and begin to get dressed. Once I’m fully dressed I have my breakfast, medication and finish everything that I need to do before I begin my work. If at home during the day I write my blogs, answer various emails or do work on my business. Sometimes I go out on weekdays for travel training with a support person. Perhaps I’ll go to the shops and buy a few things that I need/want; or maybe I’ll visit places such as our local historical village which is so fascinating and run by lovely people. Many younger people have become more interested in this place after a paranormal show investigated the site and reported it to contain a few ghosts. Once I return home (and/or finish my work) in the evening I have dinner, have a shower, brush my teeth, watch television, play Minecraft, pull on my pyjamas and read in bed before falling asleep at around 11pm.
By Rebecca Sharrock6 years ago in Futurism
African Myths of Origin
“African Myths of Origin” is a book that concerns the different regions of Africa, their creation stories and theme-based narratives. Themes of hunting, food, humanity, morality, death and dying, the Gods, supernatural ability, war and battle, masculinity vs. femininity and others prove that these stories are not only well-written and sophisticated but also prove that these narrators understand the very essences of human existence. Along with the ability to make it into an entertaining narrative, a lot of these stories echo and almost Biblical experience of life. The outline of the book is to treat these historical stories as a part of a geographical location and an entire population of people. The most notable thing is how all of these themes link together to make a narrative that contains a teaching, a tale and characters who are relatable to any time and place. As the narrative states on the theme of hunting: “the original human lifestyle is foraging mixed with hunting.” (p.3). Thus showing that the nature of humans looking for food is not only important thematically to the stories, but is also a quintessential part to every human no matter upon place, time etc. Past, present and future, humans will always require food to survive and this is only one of the bases of human existence that is seen in the book.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Futurism
BOOK REVIEW: ON A BLUE MOON: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEYS BY WILLOW
RATING: 4/5 FORMAT: PAPERBACK The lives of a man from Earth, an alien being, and a young girl converge on a moon deep in space. A violent act is the spark that ignites incredible journeys. The moon has three human societies. In each society there is an evil presence that the man, girl, their friends, and their loved ones must confront, or flee from. In the end, life on that moon is vastly transformed. Willow is the author of ON A BLUE MOON. That tale, and the five to follow, are based on her experiences, and the accounts related to her by the many beings she has known, both human and nonhuman. Those tales are collectively THE DAUGHTERS OF FIRTH TALES. At the beginning of each tale, after the Prologue and before the first chapter, Willow and her daughter, Frither, are together and interacting. Their banter is the thread that ties the six tales together by providing an introduction to each tale, and a hint about what’s to come. Sam is the main protagonist at the beginning of ON A BLUE MOON. As it and future tales progress, Willow, Frither, and the other daughters of Firth, become the driving force. Earth, as viewed from space, is primarily blue. So is Bluemoon. Bluemoon represents a much less complex version of Earth, yet possess some of the malignant forces of our “real world”: a malicious leader of an autocratic society, a ruthless despot who has his henchmen kill anyone who dares oppose him, racism, and environmental destruction. Shadow, an alien Meddler, represents an uncontrollable force that drastically alters Sam’s life’s journey, and that of the inhabitants of Bluemoon. Similar to how forces beyond our control shape our lives on Earth. Overriding everything else, the tales are about the courage of individuals intervening to protect the vulnerable, while so many others observe but do nothing.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW6 years ago in Futurism
Everything You Ever Wanted by Luiza Sauma Book Review
Imagine a refreshing coming-of-age dystopian novel set within very dreary and dull modern-day London, depicting a protagonist living an underwhelming, relatable yet horrific existence, who decides to start her life afresh on another planet. That is the context of Everything You Ever Wanted (EYEW) in one sentence. In words, simply "unassuming yet powerful and prolific". The story is told by a young-ish depressed woman named Iris, a Digital Innovation Architect for a company, who often rolls her eyes when she tells anyone her pretentious job title and laughs at what little significance the words have in the grand-scheme of the Universe. She has a lot of complex modern wants, worries and desires, but above all she wishes her life had a greater fulfilling purpose. Her situation is one that I'm sure many of us are fairly familiar with; she feels her life in the modern world is hopeless, ungratifying, and she craves some kind of deeper satisfaction from her actions. So when the opportunity arises for her to change her state of existence completely, she jumps at it and goes to live on the planet Nyx. For the rest of us, sadly, picking up our roots and starting afresh is much more diificult. The only catch is that when she leaves, she can never return.
By Laura Watt6 years ago in Futurism
A reView about "Ender's Game"
Genius is a lonely person but walking alone will make us stronger. Born the third child in a family that both his brother and sister had participated in the test to find talent, it was Third, an "unexpected" baby but a "tool". Ender is not chosen for its appearance, not for the life it desires but it is all a plan. No family, no friends by his side, he had to learn to fight on his own. It is said that "isolation is the best environment to create" but is that too cruel to Ender? Literature has the ability to penetrate, record and deepen the most subtle changes in the human soul, thoughts and emotions. For that reason, Ender in me is clearly concerned with concerns, including anxiety, standing between the boundaries of reason and affection. That Ender is not fighting to become the best commander but fighting with himself.
By Thao Thao Tran6 years ago in Futurism
A reView about "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History"
Imagine a non-fic book in the direction of a detective novel, where the victim slowly disappears, and the culprit is increasing. More specifically, the perpetrator showed no remorse, became more and more barbaric, scary, and his skills were so skilled that he did not need to try at all. Elizabeth Kolbert was the one who wrote this tragedy in the Pulitzer Prize winning book: Friday's Extinction. What is more frightening of all is that each of us has the face of the killer, and the victim is none other than the planet, where people are still living, breathing, and working.
By Thao Thao Tran6 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Testaments' by Margaret Atwood. Top Story - October 2019.
“Praise be!” It has been 34 years since the controversial, and even banned novel, The Handmaid’s Tale was published (1985), and on September 10, 2019, Margaret Atwood published its sequel, The Testaments. Her latest novel has already garnered critical praise and was named to the shortlist for the Booker Prize.
By K.E. Lanning6 years ago in Futurism
'Leia, Princess of Alderaan'
As a die hard Star Wars fan I will always find new ways to learn more about the universe George Lucas created, including cosplaying as Princess Leia herself. It is one of my favorite things to do, and in order to add more to my portrayal of this great heroine, I read the book Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray.
By Erika Farrah6 years ago in Futurism
Review of Author Cixin Liu's 'Supernova Era'
Cixin Liu’s latest work, Supernova Era (launching this October & published by Tor Books), begins with a terrifying event—eight light-years from Earth, a dying star explodes into a supernova. Undetected by the world’s astrophysicists, the Earth takes a direct hit from massive waves of radiation, with disastrous effects rippling across the globe.
By K.E. Lanning6 years ago in Futurism
