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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Did not expect that.
The lack of descriptions of Anax's looks should have made me suspicious earlier. I was at first inclined to think that the 'shocking turn of events' will be related to the aftermath of Adam Ford's actions (at first I really thought the robot stuff was unnecessary - after all, what happened to Adam and what is the current political regime?!) and maybe in the lines of 'thinking the wrong way' (1984 etc). In a way, of course, it was (and it did not disappoint), but not what I expected.
The disputes between Adam and Art on the topic of mind and differences between the two of them were, I think, dragged out for too long, and made me uneasy, as I wanted for Adam to find the ultimate argument why he is superior to Art, and wondered why Anax did not comment on that more closely.
Overall, a book that does not quite fit into the YA category (which is how I found it), and is a great read if you want to ponder on the issues of philosophy in science, particularly artificial intelligence.
The lack of descriptions of Anax's looks should have made me suspicious earlier. I was at first inclined to think that the 'shocking turn of events' will be related to the aftermath of Adam Ford's actions (at first I really thought the robot stuff was unnecessary - after all, what happened to Adam and what is the current political regime?!) and maybe in the lines of 'thinking the wrong way' (1984 etc). In a way, of course, it was (and it did not disappoint), but not what I expected.
The disputes between Adam and Art on the topic of mind and differences between the two of them were, I think, dragged out for too long, and made me uneasy, as I wanted for Adam to find the ultimate argument why he is superior to Art, and wondered why Anax did not comment on that more closely.
Overall, a book that does not quite fit into the YA category (which is how I found it), and is a great read if you want to ponder on the issues of philosophy in science, particularly artificial intelligence.
Oh boy...for a book that I read in one afternoon, I am feeling very meh about the whole thing. There are some interesting points the book makes you think about, but overall I feel it fell way short of its point and the lack of character development , real relationships, and interaction leaves me feeling it is an empty story. I am sorry I wasted $10 on this book and can't figure out why so many people just loved this book.
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Terminé este libro a las 2:00 am y eso dice mucho de lo adictivo que es, sobretodo el último capítulo.
No quiero revelar mucho así que sólo resumiré un poco la trama:
Anaximandro en una joven que vive en la República, una sociedad utópica/distópica (esto da para debate) que sigue los preceptos del clasisismo (sí, se llama la República por la República de Platón). Después de ciertos conflictos y una peste involucrada, esta sociedad se separó del resto del mundo en unas islas custodiadas por una malla en medio del mar. La idea detrás de volver a lo clásico es que "el cambio implica deterioro", por tanto, era necesario desechar todos los cambios. Con respecto a la distribución de la sociedad me recordó mucho a Un Mundo Feliz, que tenía estatus dependiendo de las labores de cada persona dentro de la sociedad. En este caso, se dividen en Filósofos, Técnicos, Soldados y Obreros.
Anaximandro está en sus años de formación, por lo que intenta entrar a la Academia, donde se encuentran los filósofos. En el libro vamos a acompañar a Aniximandro a un examen que dura 5 horas, donde ella tendrá que demostrar conocimiento sobre un tema en el que es experta. El tema escogido por ella es la vida de Adán Forde, una figura importante en la historia de la República.
Al comenzar este libro no estaba segura de con qué me iba a encontrar y me terminó gustando mucho. Tiene todo un rollo filosófico sobre qué es ser humano, si es que de verdad somos mejores que las máquinas o si somos incluso tan diferentes. Vale la pena una lectura y hasta una relectura.
No quiero revelar mucho así que sólo resumiré un poco la trama:
Anaximandro en una joven que vive en la República, una sociedad utópica/distópica (esto da para debate) que sigue los preceptos del clasisismo (sí, se llama la República por la República de Platón). Después de ciertos conflictos y una peste involucrada, esta sociedad se separó del resto del mundo en unas islas custodiadas por una malla en medio del mar. La idea detrás de volver a lo clásico es que "el cambio implica deterioro", por tanto, era necesario desechar todos los cambios. Con respecto a la distribución de la sociedad me recordó mucho a Un Mundo Feliz, que tenía estatus dependiendo de las labores de cada persona dentro de la sociedad. En este caso, se dividen en Filósofos, Técnicos, Soldados y Obreros.
Anaximandro está en sus años de formación, por lo que intenta entrar a la Academia, donde se encuentran los filósofos. En el libro vamos a acompañar a Aniximandro a un examen que dura 5 horas, donde ella tendrá que demostrar conocimiento sobre un tema en el que es experta. El tema escogido por ella es la vida de Adán Forde, una figura importante en la historia de la República.
Al comenzar este libro no estaba segura de con qué me iba a encontrar y me terminó gustando mucho. Tiene todo un rollo filosófico sobre qué es ser humano, si es que de verdad somos mejores que las máquinas o si somos incluso tan diferentes. Vale la pena una lectura y hasta una relectura.
One of the most pleasant reading surprises I've stumbled upon. I can't remember what spurred me to borrow this book, and I'm afraid to say it may, at least in part, have been the cover art, which is - I know, I've heard many a time - not the way to judge a book! But once I had it, I kept putting it further down the to-read pile: I'm not a big fan of science fiction, and the spine had this jarring space-ship-themed SciFi identifying sticker from the library. (Geesh, how shallow does this review sound so far?) I occasionally enjoy a little dystopian fiction, but it's not something I'm particularly drawn to.
I finally cracked this little novel on a day off from work and a few hours later finished it, without having put it down longer than necessary to attend to pressing needs. It was gripping, and gave a nice little mental work-out while wrestling with what seems like a simple question - what makes us different than a computer?
The best thing I had going for me reading this book was having almost no expectations at all. If I'd read more about it, more reviews, more author info, etc., it wouldn't have been the same. So I'm trying not to say too much, except that it is worth the quick reading time (it's a YA novel in the author's home country of New Zealand, yet Adult in the U.S. I'm not sure what this says about either society, and I could definitely recommend this easily to teens here, though the issue may be more on the other side - how many adults in the U.S., who would get just as much enjoyment and philosophical wrestling out of the novel, would pass it by were it labeled as YA?).
My favorite quote from the author (not from the book, but about the book)? "...my computer routinely beats me at chess, while my cat struggles to use a cat door. Whatever we believe sets the animal apart from the machine, with each passing year it becomes harder to believe that processing power is the defining factor. And that's the apparently harmless thought at the heart of Genesis."
I finally cracked this little novel on a day off from work and a few hours later finished it, without having put it down longer than necessary to attend to pressing needs. It was gripping, and gave a nice little mental work-out while wrestling with what seems like a simple question - what makes us different than a computer?
The best thing I had going for me reading this book was having almost no expectations at all. If I'd read more about it, more reviews, more author info, etc., it wouldn't have been the same. So I'm trying not to say too much, except that it is worth the quick reading time (it's a YA novel in the author's home country of New Zealand, yet Adult in the U.S. I'm not sure what this says about either society, and I could definitely recommend this easily to teens here, though the issue may be more on the other side - how many adults in the U.S., who would get just as much enjoyment and philosophical wrestling out of the novel, would pass it by were it labeled as YA?).
My favorite quote from the author (not from the book, but about the book)? "...my computer routinely beats me at chess, while my cat struggles to use a cat door. Whatever we believe sets the animal apart from the machine, with each passing year it becomes harder to believe that processing power is the defining factor. And that's the apparently harmless thought at the heart of Genesis."
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Philosophical Sci-fi
This was a smart read with some beautiful prose. The story was layered with many great ideas that will linger for a long time. An insanely elaborate world is evoked of which we only see a tiny part and the story manages to be both philosophical and action packed.
This was a smart read with some beautiful prose. The story was layered with many great ideas that will linger for a long time. An insanely elaborate world is evoked of which we only see a tiny part and the story manages to be both philosophical and action packed.
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
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WHAT, WHAT, WHAT? You have GOT to be kidding me. I slogged though all of that pseudo Plato crap for THAT ending?
Man, write a story about the Great Sea Wall and zombies or something coming in, not this garbage.
Man, write a story about the Great Sea Wall and zombies or something coming in, not this garbage.