Tag: science-fiction

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Re-reading the Three-Body Problem

Way back in 2015, I read The Three-Body Problem and thought it was an alright book, if a bit dry at times. This probably goes along with me liking the idea of hard science-fiction more than I actually like reading it.

That said, the upcoming Netflix release of Three-Body Problem reminded me that I still wanted to continue reading the trilogy, especially since I’ve heard absolutely rave reviews of the second book, The Dark Forest.

The only problem?

I honestly don’t remember what happened in the first book. Something something about science, space,, first contact, invasion, quantum entanglement, etc.

So, I decided to go ahead and re-read it this past week.

Oh, man! I enjoyed it immensely. Maybe it’s just a time-and-place kind of thing.

I am definitely looking forward to this.

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Book Review: The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

For me, this book was a bit of a slog to get through. I had originally started it early last year and had read pieces of it in fits and starts. It’s been partially read for nearly 12 months now, so I decided to try and finish it in earnest.

It’s an account of the near future, as drastic side effects due to climate change become more prevalent and catastrophic (the book opens with a heat wave in India that kills millions).

The story is told through a series of eyewitness accounts that take us across the world, detailing the effects of climate change and some of the (far-fetched and even fantastical) ideas people have to cope with it.

Some of the accounts and stories told by various characters are compelling, but a number of them are dry and uninteresting.

Eventually we get into current events and a discover a sort of utopia being created around the world to combat climate change together. Side note: the negative response of various groups of citizens and even some countries to the COVID-19 pandemic makes me think this sort of thinking is truly in the realm of fiction. Cli-fi if you will.

Anyway, I really couldn’t get into it. In general, I think I like the idea of Kim Stanley Robinson books more than I like reading them.

(That said, there are still a number of his other books on my bucket list that I will inevitably read.)

★★☆☆☆