Views from Crestmont Drive

Link and Comments: A Better Way to Think About Conspiracies

Posted on Tuesday 2 March 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Ross Douthat suggests a tool kit for discriminating among conspiracy theories, which have always been among us.

Posted in Psychology, Religion | Comments Off

Infrastructure Notes, March 2021

Posted on Monday 1 March 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

My ongoing project is to reread (or read the first time in some cases), the essential novels and short story collections by the essential science fiction writers of the past 70 or 80 years. I’ve been focusing on the 1950’s authors, to begin with, and have taken that as my theme for my reviews on Black Gate. And for four or five years now, I’ve been revisiting the books of the grand three or four: Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, and Bradbury. And, for their major books, I’m far along with A, C, and B, though with others to reread from the prolific Heinlein. So I’m beginning to fold in later writers, from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and beyond.

I’m tracking my reviews and posts on my Science Fiction Bibliography page (though it’s not up to date). And today, having folded in Gregory Benford as an author to revisit the major books of his career, I’ve added on that page a selected list of his books.

Posted in Website Issues | Comments Off

Links and Comments: Psychology; Texas; QAnon; Lying

Posted on Saturday 27 February 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

The psychology of Capitol rioters; Texas and Republicans; Climate change migration; QAnon as religion; The right to lie on the internet; The Big Lie and voter suppression.

Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off

Link and Comments: From McCarthyism to the Assault on the Capitol, via 1951 SF movies

Posted on Saturday 27 February 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: What UFOs and Joe McCarthy Have to Do With the Assault on the Capitol.

Who knew?

Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Movies, Politics, Skiffy Flix | Comments Off

Nonfiction Notes: Michael Shermer’s HOW WE BELIEVE

Posted on Friday 26 February 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Michael Shermer, How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science. Freeman, 2000

When I was writing up a post here about Shermer’s first book, Why People Believe Weird Things (post here), I realized Shermer in that book addressed many weird things that people believe in, but didn’t touch religion. (Many people of course have faith in the religion of their community and family, and yet naively wonder why adherents to *other* religions believe *those* weird things.) Then, looking at the list of his books in chronological order, I saw that it was because his second book, discussed here, is devoted entirely to religion. (And his fourth book, The Science of Good & Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule from 2004, forms the third of a trilogy about beliefs.)

Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Religion, Science | Comments Off

Links and Comments 19 Feb 2021

Posted on Friday 19 February 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Voter suppression; extremist behavior; “people are asking”; lack of predators; just world theory; covid revisionism; QAnon and Book of Revelations; radical women politicians; lousy tippers.

Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off

Notes and Quotes: Ray Bradbury on Good, Evil, and Knowledge

Posted on Friday 19 February 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Bradbury, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1962)

When I read or reread some two dozen Ray Bradbury books three years ago, in January and February 2018, I skipped this 1962 novel (despite it being one of only two genuine novels written to that date, or perhaps the only one, since the other of the two was an expansion of an earlier novella), because I was reading Bradbury for his fantastical takes on science fiction themes, and this novel is about as pure fantasy as you can get. But I finally picked it up a couple weeks ago and read it through. (Using the 1999 Avon hardcover edition shown here.)

It’s the ultimate evil circus story. It contains Bradbury’s most effusive, poetic language. And I found the thematic core of the novel, discussed over just five pages about two thirds of the way through, fascinating and compelling enough to type out several paragraphs to post here.

Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Ray Bradbury | Comments Off