An absolute treasure if you’re even remotely interested in science fiction. The stated objective of the book is diversity, and it does justice to it on many fronts – non-English writings, the setting in terms of geography, gender, sub-genres – dystopian, alien encounters, space operas, post-apocalypse, and even satire. 105 stories spanning 1160 pages, this book definitely needs to be on your shelf!
Forum Shantiniketan hadn’t really impressed us with its dining options, so we were a bit circumspect. But the microbrewery delivered on all counts – ambiance, beer, food, service and music, and after a long while, we now have a place in these parts we don’t mind repeating!
I read two brilliant books in the last few months – Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Pérez and The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff. Both books are concerned about data, but differently. One about its lack, and the other about its abundance. But my thoughts were further afield, inspired by the first book’s finding that including women in decisions makes better business sense.
Imagine AI as a phenomenon with a singular memory that traces its origins to its current state – Speak is almost that. Through various, very interesting narrators across time – from Mary Bradford, who is making her way across the ocean to Massachusetts in the 17th century to Alan Turing to Stephen Chinn, tech whizkid and the inventor of the babybot, and a few more – we follow the evolution of thoughts which continue to reside inside the AI. The narrative may not throw light on causality, but is poignant and ironic because it conveys what it means to be human through an AI and the flawed humans who worked on it.
Bohemians does a great job on doing right by the name, both in terms of the ambiance, and the menu. A visit is warranted only for the excellent decor, but the food is delightful too. Contrary to what I had heard, the service isn’t bad either. If you’re in Indiranagar, drop in for a unique experience.