One of my very favorite old Golden Age SF novels. The old empire is dying, says one Hari Selden, a genius historian and statistician, even though hardOne of my very favorite old Golden Age SF novels. The old empire is dying, says one Hari Selden, a genius historian and statistician, even though hardly anyone believes him. Can he and his followers use their knowledge of history and human behavior to build a better galactic society when the current empire collapses? A quick and absorbing read that's great fun.
I cut my science fiction-lovin' teeth on this trilogy. Asimov was brilliant.
$1.99 Kindle sale, May 3, 2020. Robert Heinlein's books too often don't age well, but this one is one of my favorites and is still a fascinating SF no$1.99 Kindle sale, May 3, 2020. Robert Heinlein's books too often don't age well, but this one is one of my favorites and is still a fascinating SF novel, if you like hard SF. This one won the Hugo Award (and was nominated for the Nebula) back in 1966.
It's the story of a human colony on the Moon, which Earth has used as a penal colony as well as a source of wheat. The main character, Manuel or "Mannie," is a computer technician who discovers that the Moon's master computer has become sentient and even has begun developing a sense of humor (it's pretty juvenile at first, but grows in sophistication). Mannie calls the computer "Mike" (a tribute to Sherlock Holmes' brother Mycroft).
The "Loonies" who live on the Moon begin to realize that their society will break down completely if they keep sending food and supplies to Earth, so they decide to declare their independence (appropriately, in 2076). Mike the self-aware computer becomes a key component of their plans and the war against Earth.
Heinlein developed an interesting (if a little dated after 50+ years) lunar society here. But Mike is a great character, and ahead of its time. It's definitely worth the read if you like older, hard SF....more
Wow, there's a lot about this novel that I hadn't remembered. Like, basically the entire plot, other than the bare-bones outline.
I'm going to stick wiWow, there's a lot about this novel that I hadn't remembered. Like, basically the entire plot, other than the bare-bones outline.
I'm going to stick with 4 stars here. Review to come.
Initial post: Next up read from Ursula K. Le Guin: The Hainish Novels and Stories.* This one I read back in my college days, so my memories of it are pretty hazy. The unusual sexuality of the people on the planet Gethen, or Winter -- sometimes androgynous, sometimes male, sometimes female -- has stuck with me, but the plot has gotten lost in the mists of the years. So this'll be almost like reading it for the first time!
*I received a free copy of this collection from the publisher for review....more
$1.99 Kindle sale, June 12, 2017, for this epic, classic science fiction novel. It's a lifelong favorite of mine, one of the reasons I'm a science fic$1.99 Kindle sale, June 12, 2017, for this epic, classic science fiction novel. It's a lifelong favorite of mine, one of the reasons I'm a science fiction fan. Here's my personal Dune odyssey:
My dad was also a fan of SF and, as a young teen and a hardcore bookworm, I used to regularly raid his book collection. (I also found the stack of naughtier SF books that he kept in his closet, but that's another story.) I was probably 13 the first time I tried to read Dune. I was enthralled by the scene where young Paul Atreides has to stick his hand in the Box of Pain, with the poisonous gom jabbar needle being held at his neck by an old Bene Gesserit crone, ready to kill him if he pulls out his hand. And then I quickly came to a stumbling halt with the book. I tried again when I was about 14: same result. I was just too young for it.
With some trepidation I pulled Dune off the shelf again when I was 15 or 16 (I don't know why I was so stubborn with this book! maybe it was all the glowing blurbs on the cover). And THIS time I got over the hump and was swept away into the incredibly intense world of Arrakis, the desert world that is the sole source of the Spice, the vividly imagined giant desert worms, strange cultures and peoples, betrayal and corruption, love, destiny, and a duke's son who is trying to find his place and, oh, by the way, stay alive. Whew!
My highest recommendation! Seriously, go read this if you haven't. (But feel free to skip the sequels; they were afterthoughts.)...more
5 stars for this original short story version of the famous “Flowers for Algernon,” which won the Hugo Award in 1960, and which I prefer over the late5 stars for this original short story version of the famous “Flowers for Algernon,” which won the Hugo Award in 1960, and which I prefer over the later novelization.
Charlie Gordon, a kindhearted man with an IQ of 68, is chosen for an experimental surgery to triple his intelligence. In a series of journal entries, riddled with mistakes and misunderstandings at first, he tells about his job as a janitor and how friendly all his coworkers are (it's painfully clear that they're actually teasing and making fun of him because of his low intelligence), his teacher Miss Kinnian, and his frustrations with a white mouse called Algernon that keeps beating him at mazes. Charlie feels a little better when he finds out that Algernon also had the surgery and is three times as smart as a normal mouse.
After Charlie has the surgery, it's fascinating to see the gradual increase of intelligence through his journal entries. He finds joy and wonder in his increased intelligence, and in his deepening relationship with Miss Kinnian. But there's also disappointment and sadness as his relationship with his co-workers at the factory changes.
I think it's a good thing about finding out how everybody laughs at me. I thought about it a lot. It's because I'm so dumb and I don't even know when I'm doing something dumb. People think it's funny when a dumb person can't do things the same way they can.
And then more things start to change...
"Flowers for Algernon" is light on the science part of SciFi, but brilliant in exploring psychology, interpersonal relationships and the evolution in Charlie's thinking and understanding. It's a heartbreaking and unforgettable story. If it doesn't bring you to tears you're tougher than I am.
This review is for the full novel version of Flowers for Algernon, as opposed to the original Hugo Award-winning short story, which I've reviewed in more detail here. I prefer the short story over this novel, which felt like it contained a lot of filler that, in the end, wasn't particularly memorable for me. It's still a great story, either way, but the original short story version had a lot more impact on me.
Full disclosure: I read the full novel version many years ago, as a young adult, maybe even as a teen, so this is based on old memories....more
Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽
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