Book Reviews Photo by Aideal Hwa / Unsplash If reading Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg’s Robot (Penguin Classics, 2021), translated by Tomasz Mirkowicz, makes you think about Stanislaw Lem’s work, you’re not alone. Indeed, both Robot and Lem’s His Master’s Voice (published in Polish just a few years apart) take up the fascinating but insoluble problem of whether or not we’re alone in the universe. One might even call Robot surrealist science fiction and liken it to Kafka’s work, or even Lem’s Memoirs Found in a Bathtub, since the main character spends most of his time wandering around the halls of an underground shelter, unsure of his own identity and his place in the community that has formed following an apocalyptic event on the surface. His identity confusion derives from his “birth” on an assembly line under a kind of bell jar. Given instructions by a mysterious Mechanism to study the people living in the shelter, the protagonist proceeds as if he is a living machine given a modicum of free will (as explained by the Mechanism). Much of the novel focuses on the protagonist figuring out why those around him are living underground and why many of them believe that he is a physicist named Poreyra. Encountering strange “statues” that weigh several tons in one of the shelter’s rooms, he eventually moves through a mirror there into a replica of the stricken city, where time moves at a fraction of the speed experienced in the shelter.... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2021-11-10 20:14:00 UTC ]
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It’s a tale as old as time: a Brazilian writer sets her Kindle aside for a few weeks to work on her own novel, and when she goes back to get a little reading done, finds that the device has been infested with a horde of tiny white ants. “My virtual library had become a […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-04 13:07:23 UTC ]
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This is a boom time for books about animal intelligence. It feels like every day I see a review of a book called something like Furry Mensa—the Remarkable Brains of All Those Little Guys Running Around Out There. No book in this genre is ever going to be truly bad, because animal intelligence is... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-29 08:51:54 UTC ]
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A new historical fiction series for young readers highlights “the importance of standing up for what you know is right.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-01 04:20:49 UTC ]
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It seems like everyone (ahem) has a summer reading list for you this week—even Bill Gates. As you probably know, Gates loves to read—and he also loves to write about books on his blog, GatesNotes, where today he published a list of his recommendations for the season. But don’t expect any beach... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-06 17:00:32 UTC ]
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The NFL's rumored streaming service could debut in JulyDyson, the company that’s recently branched out into hair curlers, air-purifying headphones and not cars, has revealed it has an entire division secretly developing robot prototypes for household chores.The company didn't detail any of the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-26 11:15:21 UTC ]
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What happens when animation geeks get the greenlight to produce whatever they want? You get Netflix's Love, Death and Robots, an anthology series that's meant to remind viewers that cartoons aren't just for kids. You'd think that would be a foregone conclusion in 2022, decades after anime has... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-21 13:00:32 UTC ]
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He brought an earthy realism (and a new adversary or two) to the superhero characters he drew. He also championed the rights of his fellow comic book creators. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-05-05 00:42:24 UTC ]
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From creating iconic superheroes and groundbreaking storylines to fighting for creator rights, Neal Adams was a legendary comic book artist. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-05-02 13:00:02 UTC ]
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After a few years of virtual ceremonies, the 42nd Los Angeles Times Book Prizes was held in person Friday at USC, kicking off the Festival of Books. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-04-23 04:25:08 UTC ]
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An unspoken tradition hints that going to the source is good for the story you want to write. The trouble often is that we have no idea what that source may be. Sometimes we think it is sheer research and we spend time in libraries. Often, we think it’s where the action of the proposed […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-02-22 09:52:32 UTC ]
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Angry Robot Books has scooped an "exciting and thought-provoking" dystopian thriller by Mary Baader Kaley. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-20 05:10:46 UTC ]
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Record sales show that even the ability to carry thousands of books in one portable electronic device is not enoughIn 2009, when Amazon’s Kindle ebook was launched in the UK, it seemed impossible to imagine that a dozen years later booksellers would be reporting a record year of sales of... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-15 17:00:27 UTC ]
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Science fiction is full of computer programmes and androids who fall afoul of the plots of some of Shakespeare’s most brutal tragedies. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2022-01-14 13:00:02 UTC ]
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Bonnier Books UK’s new list Heligo Books is seeking to broaden the market for business and smart thinking books by reaching new audiences with strong branding, says its editorial director Rik Ubhi. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-17 03:27:21 UTC ]
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bell hooks was a legend. She was also human, and we should celebrate her complexity. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-16 17:44:05 UTC ]
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Lit Lists The past year and a half of being stuck inside and working from home has led many of us to turn to our pets as consistent conversational companions. For some, we have even adopted the peculiar social practices of our furry friends. If you are... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2021-12-09 15:24:00 UTC ]
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Angry Robot Books has scooped a "fierce, fast and fun" science fiction book by Ever Dundas. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-08 04:24:23 UTC ]
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I’m not sure The Black Prince is my favorite book of all time, but it might be the most indelible, the most neuron-rewiring. The post A Year in Reading: Adam O’Fallon Price appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2021-12-04 11:00:03 UTC ]
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Angry Robot Books has landed "a magical" Afro-futuristic novel from author Denise Crittendon, as its first signing through the Black Voices Matter Open submission period for Black authors without agent representation. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-22 06:42:20 UTC ]
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Ongoing global supply issues and a paper shortage have conspired to create the "perfect storm" for the book industry as publishers, booksellers and authors are all finding it difficult to keep up with reader demand. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2021-11-17 09:00:00 UTC ]
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