1 to 5 of 5
Review Date: 6/1/2015
Caverns of Socrates is a mix of the author's excitement on delving into the different philosophies of reality, the mind, and the brain: whether the individual nature of a human is based on the biological makeup of the body, or whether the body houses something more - the soul, which makes us the persons we are.
This is mixed in with a "normal fantasy" tale of a group of fantasy game players who are asked to test the ultimate virtual reality game that is created by the first artificial intelligence created reality. The players don't "play" their characters, rather, they BECOME them, until the game is over...
All that could go wrong does, as is the case in ALL artificial intelligence novels. (Why do the AI's that we create always turn on us in fiction? Is this a innate hatred we have for ourselves, expressed in fiction?...I digress...)
I found the book good, but a little overwhelming. The author attempts to immerse you in the virtual world by using words in the writing that you wouldn't understand without context. Add this to the advanced philosophic conversations, the advanced technical details of running an AI, it was a little annoying and overwhelming. Just my opinion.
On the positive side, despite the things I didn't like, I couldn't leave the novel unread. It was a good story that I would have liked to be a little easier to read. The subject of artificial intelligence, and the technical aspects of bringing it to life and the philosophic discussion was a little much to take on, but I think if you like either one or both, you should try the book. I read it to the end...though I thought I wouldn't at the beginning!
This is mixed in with a "normal fantasy" tale of a group of fantasy game players who are asked to test the ultimate virtual reality game that is created by the first artificial intelligence created reality. The players don't "play" their characters, rather, they BECOME them, until the game is over...
All that could go wrong does, as is the case in ALL artificial intelligence novels. (Why do the AI's that we create always turn on us in fiction? Is this a innate hatred we have for ourselves, expressed in fiction?...I digress...)
I found the book good, but a little overwhelming. The author attempts to immerse you in the virtual world by using words in the writing that you wouldn't understand without context. Add this to the advanced philosophic conversations, the advanced technical details of running an AI, it was a little annoying and overwhelming. Just my opinion.
On the positive side, despite the things I didn't like, I couldn't leave the novel unread. It was a good story that I would have liked to be a little easier to read. The subject of artificial intelligence, and the technical aspects of bringing it to life and the philosophic discussion was a little much to take on, but I think if you like either one or both, you should try the book. I read it to the end...though I thought I wouldn't at the beginning!
Review Date: 6/1/2015
The Ladies of Hanover Square reads as a type of historical romance novel. It is about three generations of women, all connected to the same families in one way or another.
It is about a beautiful, sweet, and kept woman who is used to using her cunning and beauty to get what she wants. It is about another woman who shows morality, honor, and strong passions kept in check by her dignity. It is also about another woman who grows up with a responsible parent of poor background, and a rich, uncaring parent with no thought of anyone but herself. It is about a family who is regarded as the center of rich and famous society who can do no wrong, yet has harbored some of the most evil and depraved men in their familial history, marked by eyes that change color and take on a different hue that depicts their animalistic and evil tendencies.
This story had some aspects I could have done without. It had some mildly vulgar scenarios; while none were too descriptive, it will offend some whose reading tastes are more refined and clean.
The author aimed to delve into many different types of characters: One of honor, one of opportunity, one whose heritage is evil but desires purity, and many in between. I enjoyed aspects of reading it, but could have done without explicit scenes, though they weren't long and very descriptive. If you like historical fiction, with a tinge or two of intrigue and the taboo, you may like this novel.
It is about a beautiful, sweet, and kept woman who is used to using her cunning and beauty to get what she wants. It is about another woman who shows morality, honor, and strong passions kept in check by her dignity. It is also about another woman who grows up with a responsible parent of poor background, and a rich, uncaring parent with no thought of anyone but herself. It is about a family who is regarded as the center of rich and famous society who can do no wrong, yet has harbored some of the most evil and depraved men in their familial history, marked by eyes that change color and take on a different hue that depicts their animalistic and evil tendencies.
This story had some aspects I could have done without. It had some mildly vulgar scenarios; while none were too descriptive, it will offend some whose reading tastes are more refined and clean.
The author aimed to delve into many different types of characters: One of honor, one of opportunity, one whose heritage is evil but desires purity, and many in between. I enjoyed aspects of reading it, but could have done without explicit scenes, though they weren't long and very descriptive. If you like historical fiction, with a tinge or two of intrigue and the taboo, you may like this novel.
Review Date: 7/14/2015
Helpful Score: 2
This book was very descriptive, lots of vivid imagery described in narrative and was a well written fairy tale.
There is not much of it in the book, but I wanted to read an adult fairy tale with no explicit scenes and there were some in this book. It lost a star for that, and I could have done with more discussion between characters rather than so much narrative.
There is not much of it in the book, but I wanted to read an adult fairy tale with no explicit scenes and there were some in this book. It lost a star for that, and I could have done with more discussion between characters rather than so much narrative.
Review Date: 6/2/2015
My favorite, the second of the four books in the Pellinor series.
Maerad is a bard, who in addition to the powers bards have, has several other skills; ones that she herself is unfamiliar with and are not as easily labeled for "good." With people good and evil chasing her because she is part of a prophecy connected to the Treesong, which once revealed could deliver the world from evil and dark forces, she and her mentor Cadvan search for help while running from those who seek her.
While her relationship with Cadvan is the closest one she has, besides her brother, it is hindered by the seeming darkness of some of Maerad's skills, and how they affect what she does and thinks. You feel the tension in their relationship, knowing that they care deeply for about another, and yet cannot come to a compromise - so much is at stake.
When the one she seeks, the Winterking, ends up being the one seeking her, she finds her passions could possibly betray her, caught in a deep attraction to an ancient being who is drawn to her as well. Their relationship would lead to destruction and would effectively thwart her plan and the plans of the forces of good to overtake the evil seeping into the world in great strides.
Maerad becomes a woman, no longer an apprentice in this adventure - eventually going out on her own, making her own decisions for better or worse, and fully taking on the responsibility of those decisions and the part she plays in the fate of preventing evil from overtaking the world.
She truly does find out that her journey to fulfill her part of an ancient prophecy is ultimately a revelation that she is like no one else, a mixture of many gifts, skills, powers, and historical connections that have never before been combined - strange creatures and power that have been at opposite ends of the spectrum and even avoid each other, are tied together in her existence.
Truly an amazing novel and in my opinion, shines out above the rest, though I did enjoy finishing the series.
Maerad is a bard, who in addition to the powers bards have, has several other skills; ones that she herself is unfamiliar with and are not as easily labeled for "good." With people good and evil chasing her because she is part of a prophecy connected to the Treesong, which once revealed could deliver the world from evil and dark forces, she and her mentor Cadvan search for help while running from those who seek her.
While her relationship with Cadvan is the closest one she has, besides her brother, it is hindered by the seeming darkness of some of Maerad's skills, and how they affect what she does and thinks. You feel the tension in their relationship, knowing that they care deeply for about another, and yet cannot come to a compromise - so much is at stake.
When the one she seeks, the Winterking, ends up being the one seeking her, she finds her passions could possibly betray her, caught in a deep attraction to an ancient being who is drawn to her as well. Their relationship would lead to destruction and would effectively thwart her plan and the plans of the forces of good to overtake the evil seeping into the world in great strides.
Maerad becomes a woman, no longer an apprentice in this adventure - eventually going out on her own, making her own decisions for better or worse, and fully taking on the responsibility of those decisions and the part she plays in the fate of preventing evil from overtaking the world.
She truly does find out that her journey to fulfill her part of an ancient prophecy is ultimately a revelation that she is like no one else, a mixture of many gifts, skills, powers, and historical connections that have never before been combined - strange creatures and power that have been at opposite ends of the spectrum and even avoid each other, are tied together in her existence.
Truly an amazing novel and in my opinion, shines out above the rest, though I did enjoy finishing the series.
Review Date: 7/14/2015
There are some classic Asimov stories in this book not included in other anthologies, but I would suggest looking up what stories are in here to make sure you don't have them already. That's happened to me because I've been attempting to collect all Asimov's short stories.
If you're relatively new to Asimov (which must be a very small category of readers) this is a good taste of his short stories, and you can start here without worrying about order of books or anything His robot stories are concise, creative, and intellectual without being boring. A rare thing, and one of the first writers who was sympathetic to robots around humans. Please try it!
If you're relatively new to Asimov (which must be a very small category of readers) this is a good taste of his short stories, and you can start here without worrying about order of books or anything His robot stories are concise, creative, and intellectual without being boring. A rare thing, and one of the first writers who was sympathetic to robots around humans. Please try it!
1 to 5 of 5
