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I am somewhat behindhand on my reviews of the Hugo nominations. This is largely because I started the novels and the first one I picked up is “The Three Body Problem” by Cixin Liu. Other people on File 770 have raved over it, but I’m finding it very hard going. I will try to finish it, but I’m only prepared to give it another couple of days before I give up and move on. It’s not the translation – the translator did a bang up job – I’m just struggling to dig up much interest.
It’s also because I had to prepare to run my occasional Call of Cthuhlu campaign for my two friends, which always takes up time. We had a good game, though. Well worth it. We’re still looking for a third player, in case anyone’s interested.
The final two "related" works…and there are no spoilers in these items, for once.
“Why Science is Never Settled”, Tedd Roberts (Baen.com)
The article is a good short outline for the uninitiated that “science is a process, not a conclusion.” I would hope that anyone who’s done basic science courses already knows that. If they don’t, they didn’t pay attention.
The article is well laid out and presented, but doesn’t cover anything new and I’ve seen the same argument made far more attractively and cogently by the likes of Dr Ben Goldacre (I particularly recommend his book “Bad Science”), Professor Brian Cox and the blogger Orac (Respectful Insolence).
Nothing new, though adequately explained. 6/10. The nomination appears on both the Sad and Rabid Puppy slates.
Wisdom from My Internet, Michael Z. Williamson (Patriarchy Press)
This book consists of tweets and other bits culled by Williamson from the internet. It’s a bit like those books that one keeps in the lavatory so that any user who is constipated has something to keep them occupied while waiting for things to happen.
I struggled through between a quarter and a half of it, before giving up in disgust and boredom. Occasionally there is a nugget of something I found mildly amusing, for example, “When my neighbors found out I was agnostic they burned a giant question mark on my lawn” and, “Guy Fawkes Day. We celebrate to remind Parliament that, while it failed, it would not have entirely been a bad thing had it succeeded.” I should point out, though, that these examples were at least ten pages apart.
Pretty much bilge. I don’t know why this was chosen for anyone’s slate – it doesn’t even seem to have much to do with SF/F. 1/10. On both Rabid and Sad Puppy slates.
It’s also because I had to prepare to run my occasional Call of Cthuhlu campaign for my two friends, which always takes up time. We had a good game, though. Well worth it. We’re still looking for a third player, in case anyone’s interested.
The final two "related" works…and there are no spoilers in these items, for once.
“Why Science is Never Settled”, Tedd Roberts (Baen.com)
The article is a good short outline for the uninitiated that “science is a process, not a conclusion.” I would hope that anyone who’s done basic science courses already knows that. If they don’t, they didn’t pay attention.
The article is well laid out and presented, but doesn’t cover anything new and I’ve seen the same argument made far more attractively and cogently by the likes of Dr Ben Goldacre (I particularly recommend his book “Bad Science”), Professor Brian Cox and the blogger Orac (Respectful Insolence).
Nothing new, though adequately explained. 6/10. The nomination appears on both the Sad and Rabid Puppy slates.
Wisdom from My Internet, Michael Z. Williamson (Patriarchy Press)
This book consists of tweets and other bits culled by Williamson from the internet. It’s a bit like those books that one keeps in the lavatory so that any user who is constipated has something to keep them occupied while waiting for things to happen.
I struggled through between a quarter and a half of it, before giving up in disgust and boredom. Occasionally there is a nugget of something I found mildly amusing, for example, “When my neighbors found out I was agnostic they burned a giant question mark on my lawn” and, “Guy Fawkes Day. We celebrate to remind Parliament that, while it failed, it would not have entirely been a bad thing had it succeeded.” I should point out, though, that these examples were at least ten pages apart.
Pretty much bilge. I don’t know why this was chosen for anyone’s slate – it doesn’t even seem to have much to do with SF/F. 1/10. On both Rabid and Sad Puppy slates.
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I have now read the "Skin Game" excerpt. My, that was *bad*. The supernatural world as one big Catholic dog and pony show, I'm kind of used to (made me stop reading Dresden Files to start with, I GMd all that in the 1990s), the action scenes are competently handled, but the narrator's voice and personality just *grates*. And if you feel that the characters in "Three Body Problem" are short on options, they are at least cold about it. I wish Dresden was. (Don't get me started on the names, BTW.)
Have read the first few chapters of "The Dark Between the Stars" -- nice, solid, workmanship writing. Feels as if it wasn't entirely sure if it wanted to be Star Trek or Star Wars fanfic, but I expect it will stop to matter somewhere in the next 760 pages.
Started "The Goblin Emperor" and will now wait until I have the physical book in hand, becaues this will be nicer to read on paper than on screen.