Reviews and Comments

reading tofu

tofuwabohu@wyrms.de

Joined 3 years, 10 months ago

German and English reading, commenting in the book's language

He/Er

Avatar is the planet Annarres from Ursula Le Guin's "The Dispossessed", drawn by Markus Weber

Also on Mastodon at @tofuwabohu@subversive.zone and some more places.

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Olga Ravn: Die Angestellten (EBook, German language) 4 stars

Wir befinden uns im 22. Jahrhundert: Die Besatzung des Sechstausender-Raumschiffes besteht aus solchen, die geboren …

Ungewohnt

3 stars

Weiß noch nicht so recht, was ich davon halten soll. Das Format ist sehr eigen, durchaus spannend, teilweise gruselig, aber irgendwie fehlt auch was und die Aussagen finde ich teilweise nur schwer nachvollziehbar. Irgendwie gefühlt ausgedehnte Micro SF.

Delcker, Janosch: Der Gedanken-Code (2024, C.H.Beck) 4 stars

Rund um die Welt kombinieren Firmen und Forschende künstliche Intelligenz mit Erkenntnissen aus der Hirnforschung. …

Guter Abriss rund um Auswirkungen neuer Technologien auf Menschen

4 stars

Hat mir gut gefallen. Delcker beschteibt ein bisschen die Historie von der Nutzung klassischen Algorithmen zu generativer KI im Kontext Mensch und zeigt durchaus Potenziale, benennt aber stets Risiken und Missbrauchspotenziale der verschiedenen Technologien. Der Fokus liegt meistens darauf, was für Auswirkungen diese auf den konkreten bedienenden/angeschlossenen Menschen haben und was über uns herausgefunden werden kann oder wie sie auf uns Einfluss nehmen, sowohl bei schon bekannten Apps und Augmented Reality, als auch bei kommenden Themen wie Gehirnscans und Wearables die immer mehr von uns auslesen.

Technisch eher oberflächlich, interessant geschrieben und mit Beispielen und Anekdoten verknüpft, dadurch sehr gut wegzulesen.

Am Ende gibt er eine recht gut klingende Strategie zu einem gesunden persönlichen Umgang mit Anwendungen wie TikTok und allen, die da noch so kommen mögen.

reviewed Exodus by Lisa Farrell (Android)

Lisa Farrell: Exodus (Fantasy Flight Games) 4 stars

Ken “Express” Tenma was built for speed, which helps when you’re on the run from …

Cool clones

4 stars

This is the second book from the Android universe and I liked it way better than the last one (Android: Monitor). It's a thrilling chase featuring different interesting characters, with a focus on clones that try to escape the fangs of the corporation owning them.

#Netrunner

Leigh Alexander: Android: Monitor (Fantasy Flight Games) 3 stars

I mostly wanted to read this to get an idea of the Android universe after getting into the cyberpunk #Netrunner card game. For this, it's a good novel showing how the NBN megacorp operates and some general info on how people live there.

The story itself, especially around the main protagonist, was a bit thin and had some plot holes IMHO.

Some bonus points for great examples on capitalist co-optation of liberal ideas (fucking diversity otter)

reviewed Imago by Octavia E. Butler (Lilith's Brood, #3)

Octavia E. Butler: Imago (Paperback, 2021, Aspect) 4 stars

Child of two species, but part of neither, a new being must find his way. …

Good end

4 stars

The start was mostly the protagonists thoughts and felt a bit slow but it helped shape Jodahs and the more it progressed the better I liked it. Expected a bit more about Mars but didn't mind this being something else.

reviewed Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler (Lilith's Brood, #2)

Octavia E. Butler: Adulthood Rites (Hardcover, 1988, Orion Publishing Co) 5 stars

The second book in the Lilith's Brood trilogy, this story takes place years after the …

The personality of an alien

5 stars

As the first book, world- and character building are amazing. Somehow, the first book seems like nothing more than a setup for this in hindsight. Finishing this, I can't wait for the next one, to see how the plan Akin spun unfolds. Admittedly I have been a hard time following the dialogues when more than 2 Oankali were involved, but I think I can follow and understand Akin pretty well thanks to how Butler described him.

I didn't notice I'm reading a book from the eighties until I looked up from when the book is. Beside some words that are rare today and some historical mentions, the series could have been written now.

reviewed Dawn by Octavia E. Butler (Lilith's Brood, #1)

Octavia E. Butler: Dawn (1997, Warner Books) 4 stars

Lilith Iyapo has just lost her husband and son when atomic fire consumes Earth—the last …

Wild ride

5 stars

I hadn't really read the blurb and was just going by recommendations, not really knowing what to expect except for an interesting world. This wasn't wrong but I didn't expect Dawn to be this thrilling and chilling at the same time. Definitely continuing this series