User Profile

tredford01

tredford01@bookwyrm.social

Joined 2 years, 9 months ago

Mainly read sci-fi, but from time to time try to venture into other genres. Guilty pleasure is spy novels, honest pleasure is Discworld. @tredford01@retro.pizza

This link opens in a pop-up window

Elliot Ackerman, Admiral  Stavridis USN: 2034 (2021, Penguin Press)

On March 12, 2034, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is on the bridge of her …

This was a strange book and a bit beyond my normal reading habits. I originally came across it when it was excerpted in Wired last year.

The main themes of how quiet conflicts can escalate quickly are compelling, though also quite depressing. Seen in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some parts of the book feel a little dated, but I think the book still makes interesting points about the dangers of escalation.

Annalee Newitz (duplicate): The Terraformers (Hardcover, Tor Books)

From science fiction visionary Annalee Newitz comes The Terraformers, a sweeping, uplifting, and illuminating exploration …

I love the way this book explores our place in nature, the active work involved in ensuring ecological balance, and more difficult themes of slavery, anarchy, and corporate control. Some sections of the plot, particularly around the middle, felt slightly mechanical or almost forced, but, as with all good sci-fi, the book is run through with ideas and examples that provoke comparisons to how we live today. I would love to see this world become a series to pick apart the questions it raises in more detail.