Category Archives: science fiction

Dacher Keltner, AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life

Posted on 7 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is a book about the subjective experience of awe, and how being aware of everyday examples of awe can make your life more meaningful and fulfilling; yet how (in my take) it’s about the emotion, triggered by both the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Psychology, Science, science fiction | Leave a comment

Feelings vs. Data, Political Items, and Awe

Posted on 28 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today Paul Krugman counters feelings with facts, this time about the economy; also, items about DeSantis, red state murders, Truth Social ads. And a new book about awe.

Posted in Economics, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on Feelings vs. Data, Political Items, and Awe

Robert Lanza and Nancy Kress, OBSERVER

Posted on 22 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

(The Story Plant, January 2023, 380pp) This is a hard science fiction thriller that impressed me in many ways, though I’m not a regular reader of thrillers per se and perhaps am not in a position to judge the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, science fiction | Comments Off on Robert Lanza and Nancy Kress, OBSERVER

Cosmic Websites; Recent Headlines

Posted on 13 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Let’s begin with an item from December, on a website called Topia: A World of Good, promoted on Facebook today by David Brin since it reproduces a list Brin compiled on his own blog some time ago. 21 COSMIC WEBSITES … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Cosmology, Politics, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on Cosmic Websites; Recent Headlines

Longtermism (and Science Fiction), part 2

Posted on 14 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

More about “longermism,” Effective Altruism, how they relate to science fiction, and whether or not books can be reduced to six-paragraph summaries.

Posted in longtermism, Philosophy, science fiction | Comments Off on Longtermism (and Science Fiction), part 2

Remembering Greg Bear

Posted on 21 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

This isn’t the best photo of Greg Bear, but it’s the one I took, back at the 1984 Worldcon, in LA, the very first Worldcon I attended. I can’t tell what book he was holding, or waving — it’s his … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history, science fiction | Comments Off on Remembering Greg Bear

Whither Science Fiction 2022?

Posted on 18 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

It’s been obvious for a couple decades that fantasy is outselling science fiction, and dominates the books critics speak of when compile lists of the “best science fiction and fantasy” of the year. Today’s post is about how that is … Continue reading →

Posted in science fiction | 1 Comment

SF Links: Stories and Crashed Spaceships

Posted on 15 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Two notable items today from the Tor.com website. About stories; about crashed spaceships (loosely).

Posted in Narrative, science fiction | Comments Off on SF Links: Stories and Crashed Spaceships

Ari Wallach, LONGPATH: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs

Posted on 5 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

This is a modest little book with great ambitions to change the way people think. And more power to it if it does. But for anyone who reads science fiction, for example, or is familiar with big issues and long-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Evolution, science fiction | Comments Off on Ari Wallach, LONGPATH: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs

One More Round of Links, with no Comments

Posted on 31 October 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Let’s just compile them with minimal comment. Some are worth returning to. Here’s everything I haven’t already posted since the 1st of October.

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Politics, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on One More Round of Links, with no Comments