Tag: Science fiction

X-Men: Days of Future Past, and multiple instances of a mind

This weekend, I watched X-Men: Days of Future Past, which I enjoyed.  This post discusses some aspects of that movie, most notably the ending, so if you haven't seen it yet and don't want to be spoiled, you might consider skipping it until later. In the movie, mankind is in a devastating war with the mutants, … Continue reading X-Men: Days of Future Past, and multiple instances of a mind →

HBO will make a Foundation TV series

IO9 has the details.  Apparently Jonathan Nolan, of 'Interstellar' fame, is involved. I'm not sure how I feel about this.  The Foundation series, by Isaac Asimov, is classic golden age science fiction.  It's one of those works that has influenced lots of other science fiction, with many common tropes originating from it.  Galactic empires?  Foundation. … Continue reading HBO will make a Foundation TV series →

The mind / body dualism of ‘Edge of Tomorrow’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI This weekend, I watched the movie, 'Edge of Tomorrow', also known as 'Live. Die. Repeat.'  It's the latest in a common motif in science fiction and fantasy, the time loop story, where the hero repeats the same events over and over until they find a way to break out.  It's a concept that's been … Continue reading The mind / body dualism of ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ →

The Paraphrase Challenge: How to understand what your opponent is saying

Earlier today, John Zande clued me into an awesome science fiction novella by David Brin called 'Stones of Significance', which I highly recommend to anyone interested in AI, post-singularity fiction, and the nature of reality. By coincidence, the author, David Brin, tweeted this video earlier which, given the epic online fights that have happened recently, … Continue reading The Paraphrase Challenge: How to understand what your opponent is saying →

I have to say it. I hated the Doctor Who episode: ‘Kill the Moon’

  SPOILER WARNING: If have haven't seen the latest Doctor Who episode and don't want to be spoiled, you may want to hold off reading this entry until you have seen it.  Indeed, you might find this post confusing until you have seen it. There has been some reactions to the episode, from Charlie Ann … Continue reading I have to say it. I hated the Doctor Who episode: ‘Kill the Moon’ →

Doctor Who: ‘Deep Breath’ – I like the new Doctor

The new Doctor Who season started Saturday and I just got around to watching the season opener.  I think Peter Capaldi is going to make an excellent Doctor.  I'm pretty pleased to see the show return to an older Doctor.  Since it was restarted in 2005, the Doctors have been getting younger and younger, but anyone … Continue reading Doctor Who: ‘Deep Breath’ – I like the new Doctor →

Poseidon’s Children: a review of the first two books

I've recently read the first two books in Alastair Reynolds's new series, 'Poseidon's Children': 'Blue Remembered Earth' and 'On the Steel Breeze'.  I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of Reynolds's work, and these books fit his usual style: hard(ish) science fiction, a rich and interesting universe, and characters in interesting situations and dilemmas. The … Continue reading Poseidon’s Children: a review of the first two books →