Indie SFF author, video game developer, community scientist, animal caretaker, home cook, naturalist, curious creature
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A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
It's always alarming to read speculation on what might happen if we radically fail to do anything to stop climate change.
It's always alarming to read speculation on what might happen if we radically fail to do anything to stop climate change.
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
Kemp makes the interesting note that quality of life did not start improving with modern capitalism; it decreased for about 200 years. It only started to increase again in connection with collective struggle and protests by unions and civilians. Collective action redirected capitalism's new wealth towards a collective good. In other words, it was politics that was responsible for increased quality of life, not capitalism (or technological change, which had been happening for millennia).
Kemp makes the interesting note that quality of life did not start improving with modern capitalism; it decreased for about 200 years. It only started to increase again in connection with collective struggle and protests by unions and civilians. Collective action redirected capitalism's new wealth towards a collective good. In other words, it was politics that was responsible for increased quality of life, not capitalism (or technological change, which had been happening for millennia).
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
My tentative summary of the book's argument so far:
The more a society's decision-making is led by status-seekers, the more unstable and prone to collapse it becomes, because status-seeking is inherently at odds with both the larger interests of a whole society, and a stable, realistic assessments of material conditions.
Status-seekers also inherently change a society to suit themselves, which creates a feedback loop of increasing instability that eventful allows or causes collapse in most societies.
My tentative summary of the book's argument so far:
The more a society's decision-making is led by status-seekers, the more unstable and prone to collapse it becomes, because status-seeking is inherently at odds with both the larger interests of a whole society, and a stable, realistic assessments of material conditions.
Status-seekers also inherently change a society to suit themselves, which creates a feedback loop of increasing instability that eventful allows or causes collapse in most societies.
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
Continues to present very interesting and concerning patterns relating to wealth inequality, power inequality, and social collapse.
The way technological change failed to create appreciable increases in quality of life for most of history (and is arguably still failing on many fronts) is a particularly telling example.
@DalinarKholin Thank you so much! I'm always happy to hear that these books have helped people. They were certainly a part of me wrestling with gender and other identity issues as well, so I'm glad they've resonated. I hope you're doing well.
@DalinarKholin Thank you so much! I'm always happy to hear that these books have helped people. They were certainly a part of me wrestling with gender and other identity issues as well, so I'm glad they've resonated. I hope you're doing well.
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
Kemp lays out four relevant forms of power: resource access, decision-making, violence, and information. It is notable and alarming that in our society, three of the four now seem to primarily rest in the hands of the corporate elite, rather than democratic governments.
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
Interesting so far!
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
He hasn't mentioned coyotes, but every time the author writes about fission-fusion dynamics I imagine us all as coyotes.
Anyway, interesting theories of early human social dynamics here.
He hasn't mentioned coyotes, but every time the author writes about fission-fusion dynamics I imagine us all as coyotes.
Anyway, interesting theories of early human social dynamics here.
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age of silicon—that digs through the …
Gnomon is a 2017 science fiction novel by British author Nick Harkaway. The book deals …
Pitched to me as a more cohesive, cyberpunk Cloud Atlas
A librarian with a knack for solving murders realizes there is something decidedly supernatural afoot …
I was very excited to pick this book up after reading the author's two previous works, and ended up feeling a little disappointed. It's not bad book at all - it's quite charming and very well-written. But it lacks the slightly weird, quirky feel of her previous books, and its sense of humour is more subdued and polite. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but it just may not leave quite as lasting an impression.
I was very excited to pick this book up after reading the author's two previous works, and ended up feeling a little disappointed. It's not bad book at all - it's quite charming and very well-written. But it lacks the slightly weird, quirky feel of her previous books, and its sense of humour is more subdued and polite. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but it just may not leave quite as lasting an impression.
She might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with …
Overall I really enjoyed this book while I was reading it. The writing is pretty strong, and the author is great at humanizing her characters, even side characters, to a degree that makes me want to study her writing. And the way the gods were integrated into the story was very fun.
On the other hand, I found the animal-themed orders into which society is divided rather tiresome and at times silly (The bears are ascetics? Has the author met a bear?), and the fact that the plot is set against the backdrop of a formalized game-like competition for the throne that has apparently been running this empire for a thousand plus years felt more distracting than helpful.
A librarian with a knack for solving murders realizes there is something decidedly supernatural afoot …
It's interesting seeing how the demon manipulates Sherry directly too.
It's interesting seeing how the demon manipulates Sherry directly too.
The steel city of Radovan is consumed by fire between. Stranded in its harbor is …
Enjoyed the first book!
From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence …
Read an interesting review of this on reddit.
