Reviews and Comments

Finished the final story in the first Metatropolis anthology, "To Hie from Far Cilenia" by Karl Schroeder. I loved this story the most last time I read it and it was just as good this time around. Blending cyber punk and steam punk in augmented reality worlds and economies, this story tells a fascinating stories of many "other worlds are possible!". I have daydreamed about running a reading group of this text as a starting point for a discussion of prefigurative politics and subcultures. I think it has so many fun and interesting world building plots that could help facilitate an exciting discussion of the topic.

On day I will compile the texts and draft questions then draw together friends to discuss it, but until then. I recommend at least reading this text cause it is set in such an interesting world.

Just finished the newest book in the murderbot series and it was awesome. Picking up where the last book left off it explores relationships with "lost" human colonies, and working to translate the cultural and social consequences of being reconnected to the corporate rim world's and the corporations and capitalism space feudal logics that entails. Really like this one alot, recommend it for anyone already in the series but hasn't picked it up yet.

Finished the second last story: "Utere Nihil Non Extra Quiritationem Suis: Novella" by John Scalzi

This world has city states and autonomous regions, and then it has the wilds, outside of these self-sustaining spots. This is the only story looking at life inside these cities, which have a wealthy, better off vibe. Pretty cute in some respects, looks at working life, weird biotech and the best part is the relationship between the main character and his friend, a biohacked pig he named lunch.

Just finished another story, "The Red in the Sky Is Our Blood: Novelette by Elizabeth Bear" this one was good. A little speculative look at underground scene of permaculturalists who function more like a clandestine org with antagonisms and guns. One that feels more action vibes and definitely feels like there is more meat on the other side of the story that may never be told.

Really interesting exploration of time, memory, and consciousness. Felt like it broke my brain a bit. But in the end it reminded me that I don't like the concept of AI, but if AI ever made it to the point of consciousness, I'd want to defend it's right to exist. I wouldn't want it to forced into labor and tasks other consciousness has deemed undesirable. I would want it to be a conscious worker with autonomy

The second story in this collection is Stochasti-city: Novella by Tobias S. Buckell. Totally different vibe, late/post-capitalism Detroit, following a down and out vet in a city where mercenaries have replaced police, corporations wield considerable power and the equivalent of critical mass bike activism turned into asymmetrical warfare.

Every time I read it I think, this is like a fantasy of struggle written by someone who has done the research but lacks the social connections to green/left/anarchist organizing to create a story that feels like the logical leap from our current context into struggle as things get worse and further polarized (read:class). Really fun all the same, you can get caught up imagining the world's behind the characters and communities you meet and leaves me wanting to know more about this world. Probably the story that was most influence or more parallels Robert Evans toe dipping into fiction.

I really liked this collection so have come back to it. Just finished the first story, "cascadia" about a post-fractured and collapsed global capitalism PNW and a community deep in the woods which is some kind of anarcho-communist/green-anarchist cyber punk community. It was very good for world building in the collection, but there is two other pieces in the book that had my imagination going wild and I am really excited to get to those.

All the stories in this book look at different anarchist communities in this world but is written by non-anarchists sci-fi authors (as far as I can tell). Great series.

Really a fantastic book. Spanning world of octopus, smart bacteria and delving deeply into communication and translations between galactic beings. Can't wait to start the next book.