A Golden Review in Winter

Hey,

So I finished up two books and now I talk about them.

First up: The Golden Age by John C. Wright. We've got a Transhuman sci-fi novel about a guy named Phaethon, a scientist and engineer who discovers that he has done something terrible and he (along with the rest of polite society) has edited it out of their memories. But, just like that Star Trek TNG episode, nothing the human mind loves more than a good mystery so off he goes to unravel the conundrum.

The book stops mid-way through and doesn't actually resolve anything and so loses a full letter grade for that. The other thing is that the book has a lot of interesting stuff, but it comes across like a very erudite Objectivist screed -- but that might be the correct space to play in when it comes to transhuman fiction. Allow me to elaborate -- the world postulates an existence where your memory and personality, the very fundamental essence of "you" can be edited and modified to self-destructive extremes. This is coupled with vastly intelligent AI, a sort of social currency, and a rabid desire to allow sentient beings to exercise their free will to the highest possible degree. There's also a very strong theme around the right of an individual to be an individual and to be true to your own nature (provided you don't hurt anyone else and all the contracts are observed).

But the book trumpets the determined individualism of its protagonist even as it routinely describes AIs using simulations to predict a person's future actions. It describes a world where your "individuality" can be modified six ways to Sunday and what does having a "true nature" mean in such a context? The book ends (well...stops dead mid-plot really) with our hero pretty much pitting his individuality against the whole of society. It makes for dramatic reading and he pretty much has to be right or else the book is going to finish up with a thud. I seriously doubt we'll see much in the way of the hero having to compromise or regret any of his past actions. I'm not enthused enough to pick it the next book.

The other book (well play) that I read was The Lion in Winter by James Goldman. Man, this is a good play. I'd love to do a staged reading of this one. Loosely based on the events surrounding the succession of Henry II of England, the play focus on Henry, his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, their three sons, his mistress and the King of France, all trying to get a piece of the succession pie.

I have no idea if this play was mentioned in the recommended reading list for RPGs like Amber, Nobilis, Houses of the Blooded, or Vampire, but it certainly should be. Royalty behaving badly in all the best ways. Everyone wants six impossible things before breakfast and is unwilling to compromise on any of it unless it's to buy time to get a seventh impossible thing. The dialog is sharp and funny but you can also feel the emotional jabs everyone gets in on one another. It's a fast-moving play where every scene is another verbal duel and you're watching a set of masters at work.

So yeah, certainly a play to check out when you have the chance.

later
Tom

A Golden Review in Winter

Hey,

So I finished up two books and now I talk about them.

First up: The Golden Age by John C. Wright. We've got a Transhuman sci-fi novel about a guy named Phaethon, a scientist and engineer who discovers that he has done something terrible and he (along with the rest of polite society) has edited it out of their memories. But, just like that Star Trek TNG episode, nothing the human mind loves more than a good mystery so off he goes to unravel the conundrum.

The book stops mid-way through and doesn't actually resolve anything and so loses a full letter grade for that. The other thing is that the book has a lot of interesting stuff, but it comes across like a very erudite Objectivist screed -- but that might be the correct space to play in when it comes to transhuman fiction. Allow me to elaborate -- the world postulates an existence where your memory and personality, the very fundamental essence of "you" can be edited and modified to self-destructive extremes. This is coupled with vastly intelligent AI, a sort of social currency, and a rabid desire to allow sentient beings to exercise their free will to the highest possible degree. There's also a very strong theme around the right of an individual to be an individual and to be true to your own nature (provided you don't hurt anyone else and all the contracts are observed).

But the book trumpets the determined individualism of its protagonist even as it routinely describes AIs using simulations to predict a person's future actions. It describes a world where your "individuality" can be modified six ways to Sunday and what does having a "true nature" mean in such a context? The book ends (well...stops dead mid-plot really) with our hero pretty much pitting his individuality against the whole of society. It makes for dramatic reading and he pretty much has to be right or else the book is going to finish up with a thud. I seriously doubt we'll see much in the way of the hero having to compromise or regret any of his past actions. I'm not enthused enough to pick it the next book.

The other book (well play) that I read was The Lion in Winter by James Goldman. Man, this is a good play. I'd love to do a staged reading of this one. Loosely based on the events surrounding the succession of Henry II of England, the play focus on Henry, his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, their three sons, his mistress and the King of France, all trying to get a piece of the succession pie.

I have no idea if this play was mentioned in the recommended reading list for RPGs like Amber, Nobilis, Houses of the Blooded, or Vampire, but it certainly should be. Royalty behaving badly in all the best ways. Everyone wants six impossible things before breakfast and is unwilling to compromise on any of it unless it's to buy time to get a seventh impossible thing. The dialog is sharp and funny but you can also feel the emotional jabs everyone gets in on one another. It's a fast-moving play where every scene is another verbal duel and you're watching a set of masters at work.

So yeah, certainly a play to check out when you have the chance.

later
Tom