book review
Books reviews of the best science fiction stories, texts, educational texts, and journals.
'Ubik' Review (Spoiler-Free)
Going into reading Ubik, all I knew was that Philip K. Dick was its author and that it was some kind of science fiction. Unlike other editions of the book, the cover of my copy shows not a spray can of the eponymous substance, but a mix of strange, colorful, clipart-y images. I was so ready to get reading what promised to be a mind-bending sci-fi tale.
By Lindsey Keefer7 years ago in Futurism
'The Lives of Captain Jack: Volume 2' Review
For fans of 21st-century Doctor Who, few characters have left an impact the way Captain Jack Harkness has. Played by the incomparable John Barrowman and introduced in 2005's "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances," he's gone on to be a sizable presence through numerous appearances, a spin-off series in the form of Torchwood, and even a mention in the 50th-anniversary special. He's also found a home on audio, with Barrowman reprising the role for Big Finish Productions since their Torchwood range kicked off in 2015. Even so, there are parts of this immortal wanderer's life left unaccounted for still, opening up new storytelling avenues. The Lives of Captain Jack offers up just such opportunities, and the second set, released in June 2019, also gives Jack a chance to do something he'd never get to do on-screen: interact with one of the Doctors from classic Who.
By Matthew Kresal7 years ago in Futurism
Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 9)
Stephen Hawking made the statement, “Intelligence is central to what it means to be human.” This statement stood out to me because I never really thought about intelligence that way, it was just something we have. I feel like it can also be central to non-human animals because there are many of them that are extremely intelligent(not my dog though he is dumb, but I love him).
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in Futurism
Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 7)
Hawking postulates, "The clock and its movements are, of course, entirely symbolic but I feel compelled to point out that such an alarming warning from other scientists, prompted at least in part by the election of Donald Trump, must be taken seriously.” This statement stood out to me because I agree that the election of Donald Trump as president was terrible and it felt like it is speeding up the end of the world.
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in Futurism
Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 6)
In terms of this chapter, I do believe that time travel is currently not real, but I think there is still a chance that it might exist one day. I personally do not think we will ever see it actually made and used in our lifetime. Compared to aliens, God, etc… I think time travel is on the bottom of the list of being real. Hawking made the statement that, “In science fiction, space and time warps are commonplace. They are used for rapid journeys around the galaxy or for travel through time.” This statement stood out to me because there are so many movies and shows that use time travel. The most recent I’ve seen are Avengers: Endgame and Supernatural.
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in Futurism
Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 4)
One of the statements Hawking made was, “They offer to behave better or be kinder if only they can get an A-grade for a course or pass their driving test.” This statement stood out to me because I am definitely going to pray to God that I pass my IB exams and get my IB diploma because it is something I want very much; although, I am not sure what I would do as an exchange because I am honestly a pretty good person, but we can all improve.
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in Futurism
Exploring the Second Insight
The Celestine Prophecy, by James Redfield is a riveting adventure novel that uses the tale of one man's adventure through the virgin forests and ancient ruins of Peru in search of an ancient manuscript, which details an impending mass spiritual awakening on Earth. Not only does this manuscript predict a mass spiritual awakening, but it also lists the sequence in which it will happen at the individual level. The concepts of the insights cannot be grasped until the previous insight is fully understood... and the sequence is essential. Upon learning each Insight, you get a glimpse of a plethora of information that it seems you have suppressed some place deep in your soul, and the resonance of the knowledge comes flowing into you like ancient memories. The mystery of the Universe feels like less of a mystery and the steps forward seem refreshingly clear.
By Kristin Wilson7 years ago in Futurism
Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 2)
Yes, I agree that the universe had a beginning, but I am not entirely sure what that beginning looks like. I am looking forward to future scientific discoveries that can shed a light on how exactly this universe came to be and why we are here. One specific statement I would like to expand upon is, “We don’t expect the universe to end in a brick wall, although there’s no logical reason why it couldn’t." This statement stood out to me because it is completely true; there is absolutely no reason why the universe could not end right now at this exact moment. That is to an extent crazy to think about because if the universe ends right now there are a lot of things I would never have gotten the chance to do or see; I wouldn’t have traveled or gone to college or seen my niece grow up. I do not want to die before I achieve all these things, but there is no reason why the entire universe couldn’t just stop at this very second. I don’t really know where I was going with this, but it is crazy to think my life and the life of everything I love could end instantly.
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in Futurism
Review of David Walton's 'Three Laws Lethal'
David Walton's newest novel, Three Laws Lethal—title inspired by Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics—begins with what certainly is an ethical quandary that typifies our increasingly AI-driven age, in this case, driven literally. A mother with her children are passengers in an AI-driven automobile. She can turn around and tell them to stop arguing, without risking an accident. She marvels at being in the driver's seat with her hands off the wheel. And then... a big tree falls in front of them. To plow into the tree would risk the death of both mother and children. The AI computes the deadly odds, and acts upon it, instantly swerving the car to the right to avoid the tree. Unfortunately, there's a biker in that lane, and he's killed by the swerving car.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Thoughts on the Book 'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' (Ch. 1)
I believe faith plays a role in this chapter because he is answering the question about whether there is a God or not; evidence is highly important because the author is using scientific evidence to answer the chapter’s question. Imagination is involved because the author asks us to imagine certain situations in order to better understand his answer to the question. Group consensus plays a role because the laws of nature are accepted because of group consensus. Authority is also involved because Hawking is the authority since he is the author of the book; as well as how people see God as an authority figure. Sense perception can also be considered as a way of knowing for this situation because to understand the universe and the laws that govern it we use our different senses. Reason plays a role as well because the author is using logical arguments and scientific laws to answer the question. I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with the conclusion he came upon, which is that there is no God. This is because the science Hawking was explaining made sense to me and I agree with the scientific part of it. For example, I believe in evolution even though I was taught that God created all living things. I change my religious beliefs based on new evidence and new proof that we find because I hold science very highly. Thus even though I agree with the science of our universe, I still believe that there is a celestial being out there that is beyond scientific explanation. I believe in this entity not because there is an abundant amount of evidence it does but because I really want it to. I want it to exist because if it does exist then there is high chance heaven and hell exists as well.
By Selena Vazquez7 years ago in Futurism
Review of J. Neil Schulman's 'The Fractal Man'
Alternate realities have become something of a vogue in science fiction, especially on television with Fringe and Counterpart. I've even tried my hand at it in a few short stories such as "The Other Car." But J. Neil Schulman has outdone all of this with his novel The Fractal Man, which for most of its 160 some odd pages—meant literally as well as a figure of speech here—is not only a masterpiece of alternate reality, but one of the best science fiction novels I've ever read, literally.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
