This website is a place for my personal opinions, short reviews of books that I’ve read recently and the computer games I’ve played.
Posts
-
Newton for Flerfs (Part 1)
As mentioned in a previous post I get trapped by Facebook reading flerf/anti-flerf posts. However, I like to come at the discussion from a mathematical point of view.
A common flerf post is that if the earth is really spinning at 1000 miles per hour why are we not thrown off the side if it. This is often accompanied by pictures of kids roundabouts or fair ground rides, with people enjoying the g-force generated from these.
As fortune would have it calculating how much g-force you will experience on a spinning object has been covered by science (hundreds of... continue
-
Time Speeding Up
It is often noted that as we go through life it feels like time is speeding up. I thoroughly believe that this is because time is speeding up! There is evidently a global government conspiracy to reduce the length of days (as perceived by us) with the goal of making people believe that they are living longer (life expectancy isn’t really going up it’s just that the days go by faster and therefore years are shorter).
You may ask how such a thing could be achieved without clock time going out of sync with days and nights… Well the global... continue
-
The Memoirs
Memoirs from George Orwell. A book about what it is like being destitute first in Paris and then in London. I don’t think that memoirs are really my thing, however it was well written and interesting.
I think it provides a very interesting reference point to what poverty was like 100 years ago, I wonder if there is a modern equivalent which people will be able to look back on in 100 years time.
-
Lessons In Chemistry
Thoroughly enjoyed. Poignant and funny. Felt that the realism of the book was let down a little by a few too many coincidences.
-
Predator's Gold
Much like the first in the series Mortal Engines, I probably read it a bit too soon after the first so it felt a bit to similar. I did not feel that it had the same level of peril as the original book contained.
-
Scientist
On an entomology away trip to the natural history museum I was chatting to my son about how bugs need the right proteins to survive at the temperatures they live in as they do not manage their own temperature. The professor who was giving the tour asked if I was a scientist. My reply was
not really, but I do have a PhD in computer science, but I don't think that counts.I think degree names work like country names… For instance, take the D.R.C. (the Democratic Republic of Congo) the fact that it had to include
continue -
The Worlds End
Conspiracy theories seem very popular these days. That or they always were but social media is actively making them more visible. Anyway, I like the idea of making shit up and claiming that it is fact. Seems much easier than having to provide pesky things like evidence. So Here goes:
My brain (or maybe even some higher being/power) has provided me with the exact year the world will end, along with undeniable evidence that this is indeed correct (I’m a bit worried the evidence stops this from being a real conspiracy theory though). Anyway, I’ll start with the evidence:
- ...
continue
-
Animal Farm
A really quick easy read. Whilst, when people say that society is becoming Orwellian I think they are invariably talking about 1984, I think this could be referenced as well. Particularly as the animals seem to have very short term memories. I think this is very applicable to Trump and Boris; it’s incredible to me the levels of cognitive dissonance required for people to continue to believe Boris for so long.
I think the most impressive take away from the end of the book is the prophetic line about pigs and farmers both playing the ace of spades predicting the... continue
-
Persuasion
Really enjoyed this one. It was fast paced, I always wanted to know how things would turn out. It did have a bit of a ‘will they, won’t they’ thing going on, maybe this was less unorginal in the 19th century!
-
Mansfield Park
This book follows the character Fanny who is taken on by her rich cousins and bought up as a proper lady.
The book spends far too much time moralising (all from Fanny’s point of view). I spent the entire book hoping that Fanny was going to be wrong (about almost Anthony).
I thought that Penelope Fetherington’s character in Bridgerton was likely based at least in part on Fanny who seemed to be a wallflower into the world of the rich.
I read the play talked about a lot in the book ‘Lover’s Vows’ and was left even more perplexed by... continue
-
Kids Media
I think that kids media gets a bad rep. I think that much of it is full of joy and something innocent lost in a lot of media aimed more at adults.
I think that the adult bias against kids media comes from two places. The first is a snooty-ness and lack of joy in adults. They have lost the ability to be silly, or maybe its just that as they grew up silliness itself was discouraged by all the serious adults around. I think this is a real pity. By the way if you’re interesting in an incredibly silly... continue
-
1984
Thought this was a brilliant book although a little grueling to read. I previously read it many years ago; reading it for the second time was harder. Deserves its place as a cultural reference. Due to it being referenced so much it is a book I would recommend anyone to read.
-
The Talos Principle
This is one of my favourite games of all time. It is a puzzle game with great puzzles and story line. There is a reasonable focus on philosophy as part of the story line. If this doesn’t interest you you aren’t required to read all of the information (although I think the game is better if you do. Finally, I loved the number of Easter eggs hidden in the game.
-
Heretics of Dune
This is one of my favourite of the Dune series. The focus of the book stops being the Atreides family and pivots to the Bene Gesserit. We also lose the theme of being trapped by fate that dominate the previous books. Instead the Bene Gesserit have to deal with a bastardised version of themselves from the scattering. The book also explores the interesting notion that by copying something so precisely there may eventually be no difference.
-
Why the Earth is Round
I’ve been trapped by Facebook… It has worked out that I find the idea of flearthers angering, and that I will be fascinated to read their ‘proofs’ and feel irate/amused that anyone could not see the problems in their arguments. It’s similar to how GB News and the Telegraph has my dad incredibly angry about the imaginary hoards of tofu-munching wokerati lead by the BBC forcing our children to watch gay porn, or some such.
Anyway, the one thing I don’t see, from the brave people trying to debunk the flearthers’ non-sense, is the reason why I think everyone should... continue
-
Religious Education
It was a few years ago I discovered at a parents evening that the scientific explanation of how the universe started was taught in my child’s religious education (R.E) school classes. My child was 10 at the time, and this was 5 years ago (so hopefully things have changed).
As you may have gathered I was appalled that the evidence based explanation of how we came to be here, which best matches the observable facts, was taught along side creation myths. There is ample evidence to demonstrate that these myths cannot be treated literally (that or whichever deity you believe... continue
-
God Emperor of Dune
Continued to enjoy this series of books. Although I feel that the themes are getting a bit repetitive We jump several thousand years into the future and discover how the seemingly immortal Leto II has been subjugating the universe whilst following his golden path. The punchline of the book is that he has been breaking the prescience that has allowed a ruler like him to emerge. Freeing mankind from this form of tyranny.
-
Mortal Engines
Fast paced and exciting. A book set in a far off dystopian future where entire cities have have been mounted onto vehicles. Whilst it was enjoyable I felt that the development of the more incidental characters suffered due to the pace of the book, reducing my concern for the outcome of these characters.
-
Ocean at the End of the Lane
Thoroughly enjoyable and full of imagination. The book is not aimed at young children, but probably fine after an infant school age. Contains aspects of both peril and loss, which adds an additional level of depth and enjoyment to the book.
The book has been adapted into a play which I would thoroughly recommend.
-
Woke
Please stop! If you have found yourself uttering the word ‘woke’ or any of its derivatives just don’t. If you are using it in a self referential way, “I’m woke and you are not”, you just sound patronising and won’t help convince anyone of anything.
However, by far the bigger use of it is ‘anti-woke-ism’, if you are using it in this sense you are railing against an almost non-existent problem. The media you are consuming is telling you that there is a large woke-brigade going round somehow upsetting you with their opinions or lifestyle (I’ve no idea why this... continue
-
Alan Wake
Really enjoyed this largely story line driven game. The game was short and enjoyable. Which was great given I was looking for something that wasn’t going to take up huge amounts of my time. Certain items key to fully following the the story line were only available on the hardest difficulty. I regret initially not playing the game on this difficulty as it isn’t a lot harder and has resulted in me doing a second run through (good job it’s short and enjoyable). The only other drawback is that the game play is a little repetitive.
-
Control
I think that this is the most graphically spectacular game I’ve ever played. Unusually I’ve had a second run through of the game and have thoroughly enjoyed it a again. On this second run through I have stopped before the end to play through Alan Wake as one of the expansions heavily references Alan Wake and I wanted to understand all the context behind this.
The game has interesting machanics and a great story line.
-
Brave New World
An interesting read looking at eugenics and how a society may be organised to maximise contentness. This was described as ‘happiness’ in the book but that didn’t quite seem the right word to me.
The book introduces a character with more contemporary views into the future society and we find out what he thinks of it.
Was unimpressed with the women in the book. This may have been an intentional point, it is entirely feasible that a future society like this would be incredibly sexist. If it was the point it wasn’t made forcefully enough, so I was left assuming... continue
-
Sense and Sensibility
Enjoyable but no Pride and Prejudice. The story of the two (older) sisters in the family mirrors each other. I suspect the outcome of the book is determined by the author’s judgement of the behaviour of the characters. To some extent we are being given a lesson in morality. Unfortunately, opinions have changed greatly since the book was written.
It has been a while since I read this (sometime last year) so maybe my opinion of the book is being slightly skewed by my more recent reading of Mansfield Park.
-
Empathy
Empathy is not easy! I used to think that it is, but I was wrong. I believed that it was as simple as following the old adage of imagining yourself in someone else’s shoes. However, it is clear that in many situations, this is not nearly powerful enough a tool. The problem is that, I am not like the other person. I expect that in many ways anyone who is reading this is unlike most other people (or at least I suspect that you’re unlike me).
I guess maybe an example would help to illustrate the point. I do not... continue
-
Not British
I don’t care what your personal views on transgender rights are… Any British person who made an anti-trans comment, only to find out they were talking to the mother of a murdered trans teenager, would be mortified. As a British person, to have accidentally made such a faux pas would have left me waking up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat for weeks and add several years of additional self loathing.
Even being related to a person who put their foot in their mouth to this level is problematic for me. I still haven’t gotten over... continue
-
Burmese Days
I’ve read several of Orwell’s earlier works (reviews of these will follow) and in these works he writes about things he knows, in which he has had some experience. The result of this is that both events and locations in his books seem realistic.
Burmese Days is set at the end of the British Raj. It is a social commentary on the interactions between the British and the indigenous people. Highlighting the racism and contempt the British had for the local population. The protagonist acts to some degree as the conscience, but is still very flawed.
For me the hardest... continue
-
Children of Dune
Continues in a similar vein to Dune Messiah. This time it follows the family of Paul Atriedes (his sister and his two children). The most interesting aspect I found in the book is Paul’s sister… In the first novel she is immediately labeled an abomination by the Bene Gesserit. In this novel we find the reasons for this, as she is gradually overwhelmed by the lives of her ancestors.
Again, Frank Herbert’s style of writing helps to keep me engaged in the novel.
-
Dune Messiah
I enjoy Frank Herbert’s writing and this is true for this book too. The themes are interesting; Paul Atreides becomes trapped inside the future he’s chosen. The idea of genetic memory is expanded past the Bene Gesserit and, I suppose, there is a question about how much of a person is contained within the initial form of a person.
Fortunately, considerably shorter and faster moving than the original Dune novel!
-
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Interminable… (did not finish). The mystery of the book is not enough to keep me interested through the never ending lists of creatures and wonders the protagonist (Professor Pierre Aronnax) can see through the view ports.
Conseil, Pierre’s companion, does not seem like a real person.
Do not recommend.
-
I Love Women...
I love women, I really do, big or small, young or old, I love them all! I have as long as I can remember, and hope I always will…
However, I’m not sure that when I’m accused of being a sexist this will be a great defense. The problem is that all the things that I universally love about women appear to be physical attributes. If they weren’t then I may as well just have said that I love people… and I don’t! At best when given the benefit of the doubt most people I only vaguely like. This vague... continue
-
God of War (2018)
Very immersive story line driven game. Thoroughly enjoyed and and very much hoping the sequel will come to PC. Particularly loved the way the game filled the slower exploration areas. There were parts of the story line that nodded to the legacy games, but these were generally well explained in this game (you do not need to play the legacy games to really enjoy this one, I hadn’t).
Thoroughly recommend.
-
Pride and Prejudice
A very easy read, witty and enjoyable. Absolutely deserves its place as a classic.
Unfortunately, the 90s BBC television adaptation was so complete that it leaves few surprises in terms of story or witticisms for the reader.
-
Coronation
Well my irony meter just broke. A man who has just walked into a church needing 4 children to be with him to carry his clothes apparently ‘comes not to be served but to serve’. I guess it’s good to start with a joke.
Well, the highlight was that the commentator kept saying ‘fucking Charles’ or at least that’s what I heard. I guess it may be more likely he was saying ‘For king Charles’. Oh well.
subscribe via RSS