Category Archives: science fiction

How This Is All About Science Fiction

Posted on Friday 10 October 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

This blog isn’t about conservatives and the religious; it’s about people believing things that aren’t true, about tribalism and hypocrisy, and how human nature reduces everything into binaries. With numerous examples; And about how Trump didn’t win the Nobel Peace … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, science fiction | Comments Off on How This Is All About Science Fiction

Margaret Atwood: THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Posted on Thursday 4 September 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(Houghton Mifflin, Feb. 1986, hardcover, 311pp) This is the US first edition hardcover, which I bought when it came out (it’s the first printing too), though the book was published in Canada the year before, in 1985. It’s 40 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Morality, Religion, science fiction | Comments Off on Margaret Atwood: THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Eugene Burdick & Harvey Wheeler: FAIL-SAFE

Posted on Wednesday 20 August 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(First published 1962. Edition show here: HarperCollins/Ecco, trade paperback, 1999, 286pp.) Here’s another book that begs categorization; is it really science fiction? I’ve grouped this book with two previously discussed, Pat Frank’s ALAS, BABYLON and Nevil Shute’s ON THE BEACH, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, science fiction | Comments Off on Eugene Burdick & Harvey Wheeler: FAIL-SAFE

Nevil Shute: ON THE BEACH

Posted on Monday 11 August 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(First published 1957. Edition here: Vintage International, trade paperback, February 2010, 312pp) And here’s the next in a group of apocalyptic novels I read in June, following Butler’s PARABLE OF THE SOWER and Frank’s ALAS, BABYLON (review review here.) This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, science fiction | Comments Off on Nevil Shute: ON THE BEACH

Pat Frank: ALAS, BABYLON

Posted on Monday 21 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(First published 1959. Edition here: HarperCollins/Perennial Classics, 1999, 323pp, including author biography and publication history by Hal Hager) Next up in the group of apocalyptic novels I read in June, following Butler’s PARABLE OF THE SOWER, is this. It isn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, science fiction | Comments Off on Pat Frank: ALAS, BABYLON

Stories Mislead You About the Reality of the World

Posted on Sunday 20 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Crime on TV v crime in reality; Conspiracy theories on TV v conspiracy theories in reality; If stories mislead about reality, then what is science fiction about? – – –   I’ve mentioned before that my understanding is that there … Continue reading →

Posted in science fiction | Comments Off on Stories Mislead You About the Reality of the World

History and Change

Posted on Tuesday 15 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump keeps a trophy for himself; Paul Krugman on why the Trump administration is killing science; How MAGA needs stories in which they are the heroes; Why Trump fans aren’t forgiving Trump about Epstein; Heather Cox Richardson about Trump’s “mandate” … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, History, Human Nature, Politics, science fiction | Comments Off on History and Change

Robert A. Heinlein: THE DOOR INTO SUMMER

Posted on Tuesday 8 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(First published 1957. Edition here: Orion/Gollancz/SF Masterworks 2003, 178pp, with an introduction by Stephen Baxter) I’m no expert on Robert A. Heinlein — I still haven’t read Farah Mendlesohn’s book about him — but I have read *almost* all his … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Heinlein, science fiction | Comments Off on Robert A. Heinlein: THE DOOR INTO SUMMER

So Many People to Hate!

Posted on Friday 4 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

ICE now has a budget bigger than all but 15 countries’ military budgets; Why has funding for ICE has ballooned, compared to previous presidents?; Trump says he wants to deport bad people born in the US, too; Trump wants to … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Human Nature, Morality, Politics, science fiction | Comments Off on So Many People to Hate!

Octavia E. Butler, PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Posted on Tuesday 1 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(Four Walls Eight Windows, October 1993, 299pp) In June I focused on reading classic science fiction novels, partly to see how many I could get through in one month, considering other obligations (answer: 6 and a bit), and partly to … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Reviews, science fiction | Comments Off on Octavia E. Butler, PARABLE OF THE SOWER