Tim Poston's Blog
August 12, 2016
Amazing algorithms
The Living Labyrinth is science fiction: what is known as 'hard' science fiction, meaning that although the "startling and original premise" (Stephen Baxter) has no basis in current physics, its consequences -- ecological, strategic, sexual, etc. -- are worked out with as much scientific rigour as we can muster, and the reader is also invited to think them through, and even contribute. That is a minority taste, but Ian and I like to read books like that, and it has been a joy to write. We hoped that other hard-SF fans will like it enough that the sequel gets published, but expected it to stay firmly in the SF 'ghetto', not making waves outside.
Imagine then my surprise when a loyal family member bought the Kindle edition, and Amazon's Recommended for You Based on "The Living Labyrinth" suggestions were Fahrenheit 451 (1953: one of the rare SF books known outside the ghetto -- and not 'hard'), The Sun Also Rises (1926), and The Grapes of Wrath (1939).
Should we expect major literary awards, movie versions, etc.? Or should we just conclude that the 'Artificial Intelligence' driving Amazon's recommendations has a long way to go before it reaches the IQ of a drunken hamster?
Probably the latter.
Sigh.
Imagine then my surprise when a loyal family member bought the Kindle edition, and Amazon's Recommended for You Based on "The Living Labyrinth" suggestions were Fahrenheit 451 (1953: one of the rare SF books known outside the ghetto -- and not 'hard'), The Sun Also Rises (1926), and The Grapes of Wrath (1939).
Should we expect major literary awards, movie versions, etc.? Or should we just conclude that the 'Artificial Intelligence' driving Amazon's recommendations has a long way to go before it reaches the IQ of a drunken hamster?
Probably the latter.
Sigh.
July 30, 2016
Finally...
The Living Labyrinth
"Classic science fiction: a startling and original premise, a character-driven plot exploring that premise with great imagination and ingenuity... Recalls Niven at his best — with better science."
—Stephen Baxter
My last post said "will be out quite soon, as ReAnimus is a nimble publisher." It is a nimble publisher, but the book was delayed by a minor stroke and the building of a dedicated web site, with background on future history, weird ecology, animated spacetime diagrams, and so on. The site's full of 'spoilers': if you can't read St Mark because St Matthew gave away the ending (the hero rises again) you should avoid it, at least until you've read the book. But if and when you have, and in particular if you feel inspired to create fanfic, fan art, fangineering or fanscience, the site is the place to go.
"Classic science fiction: a startling and original premise, a character-driven plot exploring that premise with great imagination and ingenuity... Recalls Niven at his best — with better science."
—Stephen Baxter
My last post said "will be out quite soon, as ReAnimus is a nimble publisher." It is a nimble publisher, but the book was delayed by a minor stroke and the building of a dedicated web site, with background on future history, weird ecology, animated spacetime diagrams, and so on. The site's full of 'spoilers': if you can't read St Mark because St Matthew gave away the ending (the hero rises again) you should avoid it, at least until you've read the book. But if and when you have, and in particular if you feel inspired to create fanfic, fan art, fangineering or fanscience, the site is the place to go.
June 20, 2015
Want to help? (graphics)
The book in my previous post — contract now signed! — will be out quite soon, as ReAnimus is a nimble publisher. It has hand-drawn maps of the peculiar planet where the story mainly happens, but these would gain a lot from computer graphics, which on the book's web site can be interactive.
If you already know a fractal landscape generating software tool (no time to start from learning it), would you like to join this project?
If you already know a fractal landscape generating software tool (no time to start from learning it), would you like to join this project?
June 11, 2015
Novel accepted
ReAnimus Press has just decided to publish the SF novel I've written with
Ian Stewart: draft titles have been The Vegetable Connection, Living Labyrinth, etc., so it's not certain how it will finally be named, let alone a publication date. But give it time, it will be out there.
Touch wood.
Ian Stewart: draft titles have been The Vegetable Connection, Living Labyrinth, etc., so it's not certain how it will finally be named, let alone a publication date. But give it time, it will be out there.
Touch wood.
