Alan Lightman What an absolute classic Einstein’s Dreams is. I began reading, got lost, and then wanted to somehow stretch it to at least another day, and completely failed! The book is a collection of 30 stories, set as dreams in the (fictional) mind of a young Albert Einstein as he works in the patent […]
Cory Doctorow I like science fiction, but I absolutely love it when it gets into worldview and philosophy! Walkaway is set in a post-scarcity world, where anyone can design and print basic necessities – food, clothing, and even shelter. And in this world, there are broadly three kinds of folks – the elite oligarchs, who […]
Kai-fu Lee Kai-Fu Lee wasn’t a name familiar to me until I heard him in a podcast where he was talking about the book. Based in China, he is considered an expert in AI, and has worked with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. The book has an interesting structure consisting of ten stories, with a commentary […]
Kazuo Ishiguro has a knack for digging deep into what makes us human. In this book, he uses Klara an AF (Artificial Friend) to create a layered narrative on what a sentient AI could tell us about ourselves.
This is a radically different style of #scifi from what I have read so far. What sets it apart is the underlying ideas and philosophy, and the sociopolitical commentary. When you consider the background machinations of #scifi publishing in the 60s and 70s, it is a little distressing, especially since it also reveals a few clay feet.