BlindsightPeter Watts
Ok, so, full disclosure: Blindsight has proven that coleslaw is more intelligent than I am. This novel is certainly not for the faint of heart; it discusses the nature of consciousness, delves into bio and genetic engineering, and ponders the essence of human (and alien) life.
Sometimes, I didn't know quite what was happening in the novel, and yet (oddly enough) that didn't hinder my reading. While I might not have understood all the finer points, I *think* understood the greater points. For the most part.
Here's my pitiful attempt at a summary: Somewhere in our solar system (near Jupiter? Saturn? the Oort? ef it -- doesn't really matter), we find evidence of an alien presence. So we send a group of individuals to investigate. And, because making it that far is kinda hard, we like shrink-wrap them or something. At any rate, they're really wrinkly when they come out. Oh, and they're all modified in some way -- ah, our dependence on technology. It'll be the end of us. Or will it?
So, anyway, journey journey journey - and voila! Aliens. Can we communicate with these beings? Are the scramblers even sentient? Is sentience the same thing as consciousness? (I'm still not sure.) And what the ef are they even building? (I'm still not sure.) And what's going on back at earth? (I'm still not sure. Actually, I don't know if we're meant to be sure. So THAT's good.)
At right: my mental image of Watts' "scramblers." Minus the happy smile, of course.
In Blindsight, Watts gives readers an ambitious novel that discusses a variety of topics. While many have to do with the future, one point remains all-too-relevant: that of technology slowly encroaching upon all aspects of life, finally controlling (and even suffocating) us. Will we ever break the chains?? (Not any time soon, according to Watts. Although we probably should.)
In a nutshell: Difficult, ambitious, thought-provoking -- and unlike anything I've read before, Blindsight presents a future in which technology has come to control us.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
FTCBS: This is another present from Santa. HOWEVER, you can read it online, seemingly in its entirety, here.
Sometimes, I didn't know quite what was happening in the novel, and yet (oddly enough) that didn't hinder my reading. While I might not have understood all the finer points, I *think* understood the greater points. For the most part.
Here's my pitiful attempt at a summary: Somewhere in our solar system (near Jupiter? Saturn? the Oort? ef it -- doesn't really matter), we find evidence of an alien presence. So we send a group of individuals to investigate. And, because making it that far is kinda hard, we like shrink-wrap them or something. At any rate, they're really wrinkly when they come out. Oh, and they're all modified in some way -- ah, our dependence on technology. It'll be the end of us. Or will it?
So, anyway, journey journey journey - and voila! Aliens. Can we communicate with these beings? Are the scramblers even sentient? Is sentience the same thing as consciousness? (I'm still not sure.) And what the ef are they even building? (I'm still not sure.) And what's going on back at earth? (I'm still not sure. Actually, I don't know if we're meant to be sure. So THAT's good.)At right: my mental image of Watts' "scramblers." Minus the happy smile, of course.
In Blindsight, Watts gives readers an ambitious novel that discusses a variety of topics. While many have to do with the future, one point remains all-too-relevant: that of technology slowly encroaching upon all aspects of life, finally controlling (and even suffocating) us. Will we ever break the chains?? (Not any time soon, according to Watts. Although we probably should.)
In a nutshell: Difficult, ambitious, thought-provoking -- and unlike anything I've read before, Blindsight presents a future in which technology has come to control us.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
FTCBS: This is another present from Santa. HOWEVER, you can read it online, seemingly in its entirety, here.
1 comment:
hmm, maybe a bit satirical with technology controlling us? lol. i'm not much into sci-fi--the host was a stretch for me and that's not even 'real' sci-fi. impressed that you made it through...but i'm not sure that the bibbed octopus is quite what the author was getting at. :)
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