Dave Ross

All posts tagged with science fiction

19 posts found

What We Can Know

The thematic core of the novel interrogates the limits of knowledge and memory. Through Metcalfe’s pursuit to uncover the missing poem, McEwan delves into complex discussions on historical context, interpretation, and speculation. The characters grapple with the realization that much of what they perceive as “known” is inherently colored by their experiences and biases. The question posed by the novel’s title—“What can we know?”—echoes throughout as Metcalfe attempts to reconstruct not only the events surrounding the poem but also the...

Read more →

Hail Mary

Saying too much here would definitely introduce spoilers, so I’ll limit my comments to the following bullet points: A few more characters than in The Martian Protagonist is an 8th grade science teacher who had been thrown out of university academia for writing a paper going against The Goldilocks Principle (organic life requires water) The sun is dimming for some reason, threatening life with mass starvation and multiple species extinction Nations decide to work collaboratively on a solution, with an...

Read more →

We

Zamyatin’s little-known dystopian novel We influenced Ayn Rand, George Orwell external link , and Aldous Huxley, and unlike them, he had no model. Zamyatin wrote We in 1921. The Benefactor, the one ruler, assigns numbers to citizens. Society uses pure mathematics as a religion. So the novel has the influence of the Logical Positivism of the day. The novel refers to groups and individuals as “ciphers” or “unifs.” The novel is a series of journal entries by engineer I-503. He...

Read more →

The Dispossessed

The Dispossessed is about a planet and its moon and the clashing cultures of the two. Anarres – a bleak moon isolated from other worlds, happily enjoying a peaceful but poor anarchic system. Urras —a civilization of warring nations, but immense wealth and resources. Shevek of Annares is a brilliant physicist with a determination to reunite the two planets. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart....

Read more →

Exhalation - Stories

Named one of the top ten books of 2019, Chiang’s collection tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine, these stories will change the way you think, feel, and see the world. Profound, sympathetic, and revelatory, these are works of Chiang at his finest. Chiang’s collection tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine. In “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal through time forces a fabric...

Read more →

Who Goes There?

John W. Campbell Jr. wrote Who Goes There? was published in 1938. The story revolves around a group of scientists in Antarctica. They discover an alien life form trapped in the ice and struggle to survive as the alien threatens to infiltrate and take over their bodies. The scientists, stationed at an isolated research outpost, uncover a crashed spacecraft buried beneath the ice. Within it, they find a frozen alien creature. As they thaw it out, they realize that it...

Read more →

The Three Body Problem

Chinese author Liu Cixin wrote The Three-Body Problem , which was published in 2008. It is the first book in the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” trilogy. The story weaves together elements of physics, politics, and human nature, taking readers on a journey that spans both time and space. The novel begins during the Cultural Revolution in China, where a young astrophysicist named Ye Wenjie witnesses her father’s death at the hands of Red Guards. This traumatic event sets the stage...

Read more →

A Canticle for Leibowitz

A Canticle for Leibowitz is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by American writer Walter M. Miller Jr., first published in 1959. Set in a Catholic monastery in the desert of the southwestern United States after a devastating nuclear war, the book spans thousands of years as civilization rebuilds itself. The monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz preserve the surviving remnants of man’s scientific knowledge until the world is again ready for it. (wikipedia)

Read more →

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro sets Klara and the Sun in a dystopian future when some children are genetically engineered for enhanced academic ability. On-screen tutors provide educations. Society limits socialization so parents who can afford it often buy their children androids as companions. Klara, one such android companion, is the narrator of the book. A teenage girl named Josie picks out Klara and has her mother purchase her. Josie suffers from an unspecified illness, and her mother hopes that Klara will provide...

Read more →

City on the Edge of Forever

Harlan Ellison wrote City on the Edge of Forever for Star Trek, which was never used in its original form. It took more than ten months for Gene Roddenberry to rewrite Ellison’s work. Steven W. Carabatsos and D. C. Fontana, both story editors on the show, undertook re-writes of the teleplay, and changes have also been attributed to producer Gene L. Coon. The experience led to animosity between Ellison and Roddenberry for the rest of the latter’s life, in particular...

Read more →

The Cyberiad

The Cyberiad are the stories of Trurl and Klapaucius, master inventors and engineers known as “constructors,” who have created marvels for kingdoms. Friends and rivals, they are constantly outdoing and challenging each other to reveal the next great evolution in cybernetics, and the exploits of these brilliant men are nothing short of incredible. From tales of love, in which a robotic prince must woo a robotic princess enchanted by pleasures of true flesh, to epics of battle, in which the...

Read more →

The Time Machine

The Time Machine is a classic science fiction novel by H.G. Wells and published in 1895. It tells the story of an unnamed Time Traveller who invents a machine capable of traveling through time. The novel explores themes of social class, evolution, and the possible future of humanity. The Time Traveller gathers a group of acquaintances at his home and demonstrates his invention. He then embarks on a journey into the future, specifically the year 802,701 A.D. There, he encounters...

Read more →

The Left Hand of Darkness

Published in 1969, The Left Hand of Darkness became immensely popular and established Le Guin’s status as a major author of science fiction. The novel is part of the Hainish Cycle external link , a series of novels and short stories by Le Guin set in the eponymous fictional universe, which she introduced in 1964 with ‘The Dowry of the Angyar’. The Left Hand of Darkness is part of Le Guin’s Hainish novels. City of Illusions precedes it and The...

Read more →

Kindred

Kindred by Octavia Butler begins with Dana, a young Black American, and her white husband, Kevin, moving into their new home. Suddenly, Dana is yanked back in time to a Maryland plantation in the early 19th century. She finds herself in the presence of Rufus Weylin, a white plantation owner’s son, who is in danger of drowning. Dana quickly realizes that she has been brought back in time whenever Rufus’s life is at risk. Her survival is tied to his....

Read more →

The Martian

Andy Weir wrote the sci-fi novel The Martian in 2011. It is a gripping and realistic tale of survival set on Mars. Watney’s crew strands him on Mars after they believe he is dead, killed in a giant dust storm. With limited supplies and no means of communication with Earth, Watney must rely on his ingenuity. He turns to his scientific knowledge and resourcefulness to survive in the harsh Martian environment. Watney faces numerous challenges, including finding ways to grow...

Read more →

China Mountain Zhang

China Mountain Zhang is a science fiction novel written by Maureen McHugh and published in 1992. Set in a future where China has become the dominant global superpower. The world is one where social and technological advancements have shaped a new society. The novel follows the life of Zhang Zhong Shan, a young man living in New York City. Chinese culture now influences most aspects of life. Zhang is a construction worker with a Chinese heritage who struggles with his...

Read more →

Eye in the Sky

Philip K. Dick published the sci-fi novel Eye in the Sky in 1957. The story follows a group of individuals who find themselves trapped in a bizarre and ever-shifting alternate reality created by a malfunctioning particle accelerator. The novel begins with the main characters, Jack Hamilton and Marsha, visiting a new tourist attraction - an experimental particle accelerator. The particle accelerator goes awry and transports the group into a series of parallel worlds. Specific beliefs and prejudices govern each of...

Read more →

The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles is a collection of interrelated science fiction short stories written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1950. The book presents a series of loosely connected narratives that depict humanity’s colonization and exploration of Mars, as well as the complex interactions between humans and the native Martians. The stories in The Martian Chronicles span a wide range of themes and periods, creating a tapestry of Martian history. Bradbury explores topics such as the allure of space exploration, the...

Read more →

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Philip K. Dick wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in 1968. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where most of Earth’s animal species have become extinct, the novel . Humans have emigrated to other planets. The remaining inhabitants on Earth strive to own and care for live animals as a status symbol. The central protagonist is Rick Deckard. Deckard is a bounty hunter who retires rogue androids, known as replicants. The replicants have escaped from off-world colonies and returned to...

Read more →