6 posts tagged “science fiction”
I just listened to this track I made ~7 years ago, and I still find it really good. I've not been overly productive in the years since then, although I'm trying to get some stuff done (visit olaglig.info for a bunch of relatively fresh tracks). If you want to purchase some ambient music, be sure to visit the label Databloem – this track was released on that label's first CD, a compilation called Collection 1: Opening. Since this is the only track by me that has been commercially released, it's also the only one to have been commerically reviewed:
'Encounter' by the Civilized Electrons starts extremely quietly, soft tones being allowed to just hang in the air. In the third minute in comes the most beautiful dreamy melody which goes through a number of mutations in both structure as well as the sound chosen. It just gets better and better. A four note loop works its way into your consciousness, it had probably been there slowly intensifying for some time before I actually noticed it. Gradually it becomes more like a pulse or soft throb. The repeated melody has something of a hypnotic quality but is never boring. An additional lead line is added in the tenth minute eventually replacing its predecessor, another slow delicate melody complimenting it wonderfully lower in the mix. Its all so delicate. A wonderful track to finish a very impressive album. (Synth Music Direct)
The Civilized Electrons (from Sweden): "Encounter (in an Unexplored Nebula)" is a calming dose of ambience that defends its unhurried structure with placid outbursts of gurgling particles. (Sonic Curiosity)
Sweden's The Civilized Electrons offer the undulating fogbanks and starsheen which is an "Encounter (in an Unexplored Nebula)"; gauzey resonance fluctuates as brighter synthtones flex through them (again in a "classic" synthmusic mode with lots of apparent sequencer journeys and faux instrumetal swells). (AmbiEntrance)
Last but not least is "Encounter (In an Unexplored Nebula)," by The Civilized Electrons from Sweden. This is excellent pure space music, and will have you drifting pleasurably off into the ether to finish things off. (Exposé Magazine)
In the past few weeks, I've read a couple of good books, and one not so good. Let's start with the good:
Julian Baggini's Atheism: A Very Short Introduction was an excellently worded argument for atheism. Atheism doesn't really need an argument, but the obvious is well written and worth reading, both for atheists, people who haven't thought about it (agnostics) and those who trust faith as a source of knowledge. I quote:
"Atheism is the throwing off of childish illusions and acceptance that we have to make our own way in the world. We have no divine parents who always protect us and who are unquestionably good. The world is instead a big and scary place, but also one where there are opportunities to go out and create lives for ourselves."
"Religion will recede not by atheists shouting condemnation, but by the quiet voice of reason slowly making itself heard."
I couldn't have said it better myself (naturally, since I'm neither an author nor a scholar). I chose to quote two rather provocative parts – it's really quite a positive and reconciliatory little book, which should cause annoyance only in the minds of those who feel threatened by reason (i.e. creationists and such lunatics).
Another good book was Pratchett's Hogfather. The Auditors purchase the service of the Assasins to inhume the Hogfather, and Death is forced to take care of the Hogfather's work during Hogswatch (HO. HO. HO). Death's granddaughter Susan is called upon, indirectly, to find the cause of the Hogfather's disappearance and, as Death puts it, make sure that the sun comes up in the morning. Much at stake, and much very good action all around. One of the better Discworld novels. Too bad I could only get the TV series edition, but my Discworld collection was a tad fragmented already.
Apparently, Hogfather has spawned a TV series in the UK, which should be interesting. I'll have to see it. If you've seen it, tell me what you think!
I finished yet another Pratchett last night, namely Jingo. I'm starting to see a pattern here – it's apparent that Pratchett is getting better and better at what he does. Jingo is another good Discworld novel, in which a war between Klatch and Ankh-Morpork is about to start. Centered around one of my favorite characters, Sam Vimes (him and Death are the two most intriguing characters, IMHO), there's a lot of good things going on here, including a rare display of Vetinary as a spy. I'm not trying to do thorough reviews here, which you might've noticed, so I'm quite happy to simply say that it was good.
Last, and least, Bruce Sterling's Zenith Angle. This was a book I had high hopes for, but it turned out to be a loosely connected patriotic mess about American cyber-warfare. The technological aspects were not convincing to a technofreak like myself, and the story outside of the geekery was weak. Can't recommend it to anyone. There's better Sterling to read, like Heavy Weather.
What books did you love as a child?
Submitted by hearts.
Winnie the Pooh and Neuromancer springs to mind. My mother read Winnie the Pooh to me when I was a child, and when I was maybe 15, I read Neuromancer for the first time (the first science fiction I read in English). Obiously, Neuromancer was more my type of literature, as I've re-read it a number of times. The photo on the right is the paperback version I bought back in the early 90s. It's possibly the first book I ever bought, and definitely the one that got me hooked on science fiction.
At ~2:45 am (GMT+1) this morning, Christer Fuglesang became the first Swede to leave Earth's atmosphere. I watched the live broadcast from Kennedy Space Center, and I must say that it was pretty cool. Being a non-nationalist individualist, my main feeling was that of happiness for Mr. Fuglesang. He has struggled to reach space for many years, and his name has been used by sports commentators as an expression for people who spend all their time on the bench. Being a science fiction geek, my secondary feeling was simple astonishment over the reality of space travel. For 50 years, we've been doing something that was unthinkable (except for science fiction authors) only 100 years ago. Pretty cool.
One thing that bugs me, though, is all the people who feel that they had to comment everything that happened during the launch. On Swedish television, the programs they had put together to cover the event consisted of a bunch of amateur reporters saying pointless things and asking stupid question to invited experts. Being Swedish experts, these people didn't impress either. They might be good at what they do, but they sure don't sound like it. TV4 did better than SVT2, by simply broadcasting the official NASA coverage (I think). There, a calm American focused on what was happening and threw in some interesting facts along the way ("the shuttle has now used over 100 billion gallons of liquid concrete and is travelling at a speed of over 50 miles per hour", stuff like that).
Another thing that bugged be was a short discussion about life in outer space on the first channel. An expert, who was pretty sure that there is life elsewhere in the universe (which is nothing new – the alternative, that life exists only on Earth, is a far more bizarre idea), seemed to consider only carbon-based life. Life "as we know it" – I hope she's aware that we don't know much, and that it is narrow-minded to assume that the only kind of life possible is that which has evolved on Earth (resulting in the deadly virus Homo sapien). But that's a topic that could (and does) fill volumes, so I'll shut up now.
Finished Icehenge last night. It's an old Robinson novel from 1984. The story unfolds through three different journals, the first written by a miner and eyewitness to one of the central events, the second by an archaeologist who researches the events told of in the first journal, the third by a historian who disputes the theories published by the archaeologist. When people in live for more than 500 years, with no increase in memory capacity, and the government is a semi-totalitarian regime, the past, on both the individual and universal levels, can easily be distorted. Icehenge illustrates this by creating a constant sense of reality (and KSR is good at realism), which forces you to re-evaluate what seemed real in the last chapter. A good book, and a must-read for any Kim Stanley Robinson fan.
Next up is Pratchett's Interesting Times. Rincewind and Cohen the Barbarian seem to be two of the main characters.
- Kim Stanley Robinson's Icehenge
- Bruce Sterling's The Zenith Angle
- Pratchett's Interesting Times, Maskerade and Feet of Clay
Picked Icehenge as my next read. Kim Stanley Robinson is one of six authors where I've decided to read every novel published. The others are (in no specific order) William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Philip K. Dick, Terry Pratchett and Bruce Sterling. The status of this project is as follows (percentages based on gut feeling):
- Kim Stanley Robinson: 80%
- William Gibson: 100%
- Neal Stephenson: 95%
- Philip K. Dick: 65%
- Terry Pratchett: 50% of the Discworld novels
- Bruce Sterling: 50%
