Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Commitment to America and Zombie Economics

Posted on 27 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Washington Post, Eugene Robinson, 26 Sep 2022: The only agenda that unifies the Republican Party is revenge

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Which Books to Read, Dumb Politicians, Politics as a Joke

Posted on 26 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

How do I choose which books to buy, or read? A case example. Also: about dumb politicians, and about politics as a joke. A few times here I’ve discussed my methods and thought processes to identify which books to read, … Continue reading →

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Maureen F. McHugh, “The Cost to Be Wise”

Posted on 25 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

This week’s Sunday novella is “The Cost to be Wise” by Maureen F. McHugh. It was first published in the anthology Starlight 1, published in 1996. Subsequently it’s been published, aside from these Dozois anthologies, in the author’s collection Mothers … Continue reading →

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The Consilience of Science Fiction

Posted on 24 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Let’s do something different today. What is this blog about, and what am I trying to support, or promote? It’s about the idea that science fiction is a key way of thinking about the world, maybe the best way.

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Math, Existential Security, and Lots of Links

Posted on 23 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Abstract matters NYT, Alec Wilkinson guest essay, 18 Sep 2022: Math Is the Great Secret This is by the man who wrote a book, published earlier this year, A Divine Language: Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of … Continue reading →

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Prognostic Myopia: More about Justin Gregg

Posted on 22 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Picking up from where I left off yesterday. My basic summary of this book is: humans are not “stupid”; the issue is that human intelligence has both good and bad consequences, and apparently we can’t have the good without the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Evolution, Morality | Leave a comment

Justin Gregg: IF NIETZSCHE WERE A NARWHAL (2022)

Posted on 21 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a recent nonfiction book with a provocative thesis and some interesting points which nevertheless I give a mixed review of. Perhaps helpful to consider scoring the book along several independent parameters, like on some of those cooking shows, e.g. … Continue reading →

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Why You Should Read Books

Posted on 20 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Busy day today, including dialogue about the future of Locus Magazine, so here it is 5:23pm and I have time only for a very brief post. Jerry Coyne: Why you should read books

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Fifteen Months Out

Posted on 19 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The drenching storm anticipated for Sunday was mostly a bust. Intermittent showers, even a squall or two, but mostly dry. We got only a quarter inch in our neighborhood. No rain today at all. (The storm had been predicted to … Continue reading →

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Ursula K. Le Guin, “Forgiveness Day”

Posted on 18 September 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

This week’s novella being covered by the Facebook Group that I post about every Sunday is “Forgiveness Day” by Ursula K. Le Guin. It was first published in the November 1994 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction, and less than a … Continue reading →

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