Alastair McKinstry finished reading On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
In previous books, Holocaust historian Timothy Snyder dissected the events and values that enabled the rise of Hitler and Stalin …
Recommended.
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Climate scientist, Green party, former councillor in Galway, Ireland, Branch chair of IFUT.ie in the University of Galway
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Alastair McKinstry finished reading Goliath's Curse by Luke Kemp
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age …
Alastair McKinstry started reading Children of Ruin (Children of Time, #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Children of Ruin (Children of Time, #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Children of Ruin is a 2019 science fiction novel by author Adrian Tchaikovsky, the second in his Children of Time …
Alastair McKinstry started reading The origins of totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
The origins of totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
Arendt's classic work explores totalitarianism through an extended analysis of the Nazi and Soviet regimes. In a series of dazzling …
Alastair McKinstry commented on How to Read a Tree by Tristan Gooley
Each tree we meet is filled with signs that reveal secrets about the life of …
Reading this a chapter at a time, between walks in the woods :-)
Alastair McKinstry started reading Blueprint for revolution by Srdja Popovic
"In Blueprint for Revolution, Srdja Popovic outlines his philosophy for implementing peaceful world change and …
One to digest slowly as you go along.
Alastair McKinstry wants to read Blueprint for revolution by Srdja Popovic
Blueprint for revolution by Srdja Popovic
"In Blueprint for Revolution, Srdja Popovic outlines his philosophy for implementing peaceful world change and provides a model for activists …
Alastair McKinstry commented on Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed
2020 Reprint of the 1922 Edition. "An American journalist and revolutionary writer, John Reed became …
Pretty much the definitive eye-witness account from an outsiders perspective. If you enjoyed this, check out China Meville's history too.
Pretty much the definitive eye-witness account from an outsiders perspective. If you enjoyed this, check out China Meville's history too.
Alastair McKinstry wants to read The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global …
Alastair McKinstry finished reading The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (The Interdependency, #1)
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (The Interdependency, #1)
In the far future, humanity has left Earth to create a glorious empire. Now this interstellar network of worlds faces …
Alastair McKinstry reviewed The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (The Interdependency, #1)
In the far future, humanity has left Earth to create a glorious empire. Now this …
Wonderful
4 stars
Firstly, to agree with other reviewers the dialogue is excellent, witty, fast-paced. It keeps the story moving and its a strong story. I'm definitely getting the rest of the collection.
But the denouements and twists are beautiful, from the outcome of the mutiny in the prologue to the importance of peer review (!) revealed at the end of part two. Best laid plans falling apart because of different information is great.
The memory room is a nice device, too. As Sherlock had his Watson, Batman his Robin, I can see this century will have AI agents as the counterpart where the protagonist explains important bits of the plot. This needs to be done with care, and is.
But the overall arch is the best. The Empire is collapsing, the Emperox knows and has trusted experts explain the details, the sailors on the starships can see the "Flow" …
Firstly, to agree with other reviewers the dialogue is excellent, witty, fast-paced. It keeps the story moving and its a strong story. I'm definitely getting the rest of the collection.
But the denouements and twists are beautiful, from the outcome of the mutiny in the prologue to the importance of peer review (!) revealed at the end of part two. Best laid plans falling apart because of different information is great.
The memory room is a nice device, too. As Sherlock had his Watson, Batman his Robin, I can see this century will have AI agents as the counterpart where the protagonist explains important bits of the plot. This needs to be done with care, and is.
But the overall arch is the best. The Empire is collapsing, the Emperox knows and has trusted experts explain the details, the sailors on the starships can see the "Flow" collapsing (the plot device that allows interstellar travel), but saving humanity isn't happening because the oligarchs (guilds) don't want to know for the most part, and really don't care about saving humanity. There is a metaphor there somewhere ...
Alastair McKinstry started reading The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (The Interdependency, #1)
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (The Interdependency, #1)
In the far future, humanity has left Earth to create a glorious empire. Now this interstellar network of worlds faces …
Alastair McKinstry finished reading Thirty-Two Words for Field by Manchán Magan
Alastair McKinstry wants to read Goliath's Curse by Luke Kemp
Goliath's Curse by Luke Kemp
A vast and unprecedented survey of societal collapse—stretching from the Bronze Age to the age of silicon—that digs through the …
