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mindscapes: Ten Science Ficton and Speculative Fiction Short Stories
This audiobook is a compilation of 10 science fiction and speculative fiction short stories by the author from his two previous short story collections, Book of Dreams and Book of Dreams, 2nd Edition, as well as two new stories from 2013. Its scope extends from the innermost dimensions of the mind to the outer reaches of the universe, focusing from diverse perspectives on some common themes as to the meaning of life, the superlative strength and wrenching weakness of the human spirit, the power of love and the exquisite pain and ecstasy that flesh is heir to in its perpetual struggle between the duality of human nature that reflected both the divine and the profane.
In very broad outline, the 10 stories involve the following themes: If necessity is the mother of invention, could humanity use present technology to find a way to propagate its seed when faced with the certainty of an extinction-level event in less than two years' time? What really caused the catastrophic failure after the first full-scale test of the Large Hadron Collider? Motivated, ingenious terrorists are about to try their own field experiment to replicate the classified results of the test on a large scale using two suitcase nukes and a modified jetliner in an attack that, if successful, will eradicate all life on earth, destroy our corner of the universe and, in time, give birth to a new addition to the multiverse. If we could communicate with the other sentient, intelligent species with whom we share our planet, what vital lessons might we learn from them and they from us? In a not too distant future in which all human beings on Earth are connected and integrated into a single neural net, what price might be exacted for one wishing to opt out?
In very broad outline, the 10 stories involve the following themes: If necessity is the mother of invention, could humanity use present technology to find a way to propagate its seed when faced with the certainty of an extinction-level event in less than two years' time? What really caused the catastrophic failure after the first full-scale test of the Large Hadron Collider? Motivated, ingenious terrorists are about to try their own field experiment to replicate the classified results of the test on a large scale using two suitcase nukes and a modified jetliner in an attack that, if successful, will eradicate all life on earth, destroy our corner of the universe and, in time, give birth to a new addition to the multiverse. If we could communicate with the other sentient, intelligent species with whom we share our planet, what vital lessons might we learn from them and they from us? In a not too distant future in which all human beings on Earth are connected and integrated into a single neural net, what price might be exacted for one wishing to opt out?
Audiobook
First published December 20, 2013
182 people want to read
About the author
Victor D. López
49 books11 followersVictor D. López is the Cypres Family Distinguished Professor in Legal Studies in Business at Hofstra University's Frank G. Zarb School of Business. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from St. John's University School of Law and is a member of the New York State Bar. His professional affiliations include membership in the New York State Bar Association, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB), the North East Academy of Legal Studies in Business (NEALSB), and he serves as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. He is a past president of the North East Academy of Legal Studies in Business (2011-2012) and has served as the organization's vice-president (2009-2010) and program chair of the 2011 NEALSB Academic Conference.
Professor López published several textbooks in the areas of business law and the legal environment of business that have been used in colleges and universities throughout the U.S. since 1993. His past publishers include Irwin/Mirror Press, McGraw-Hill and Prentice Hall, and in 2010-2011 he published two revised and expanded business law/legal environment textbooks with his new publisher, Textbooks Media, that are available in inexpensive print and electronic versions. The third edition of his Business Law and the Legal Environment of Business was published in July 2017. A Primer on Immigration Law and Compliance was published December 2019, and Business Law: An introduction 3rd Edition will be published in the first quarter of 2020 by Textbook Media Press ( see https://www.textbookmedia.com/Product...).
He regularly presents articles at academic conferences and publishes scholarly articles in refereed journals and law reviews in a range of subjects that include immigration law, bankruptcy law, unauthorized practice of law, state and federal efforts to regulate the high cost of college textbooks, and ethics among others. (For a list of current publications you can visit http://victordlopez.com/index.html.)
Since 1990, he has served as a Professor of Business for 12 years at SUNY Delhi and more recently as the dean of the business division at Broome Community College for four years immediately prior to joining the Hofstra University faculty. He has also served as a professor and dean at other higher education institutions since 1987.
Professor López has published law-related textbooks for Irwin/Mirror Press, McGraw Hill, Prentice Hall and Textbook Media Publishing. Since 2011 he has also published short story collections, a book of poetry and a general reference book on intellectual property in paperback and eBook versions through CreateSpace, Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon) and Smashwords.
Web page: Http://victordlopez.com
Professor López published several textbooks in the areas of business law and the legal environment of business that have been used in colleges and universities throughout the U.S. since 1993. His past publishers include Irwin/Mirror Press, McGraw-Hill and Prentice Hall, and in 2010-2011 he published two revised and expanded business law/legal environment textbooks with his new publisher, Textbooks Media, that are available in inexpensive print and electronic versions. The third edition of his Business Law and the Legal Environment of Business was published in July 2017. A Primer on Immigration Law and Compliance was published December 2019, and Business Law: An introduction 3rd Edition will be published in the first quarter of 2020 by Textbook Media Press ( see https://www.textbookmedia.com/Product...).
He regularly presents articles at academic conferences and publishes scholarly articles in refereed journals and law reviews in a range of subjects that include immigration law, bankruptcy law, unauthorized practice of law, state and federal efforts to regulate the high cost of college textbooks, and ethics among others. (For a list of current publications you can visit http://victordlopez.com/index.html.)
Since 1990, he has served as a Professor of Business for 12 years at SUNY Delhi and more recently as the dean of the business division at Broome Community College for four years immediately prior to joining the Hofstra University faculty. He has also served as a professor and dean at other higher education institutions since 1987.
Professor López has published law-related textbooks for Irwin/Mirror Press, McGraw Hill, Prentice Hall and Textbook Media Publishing. Since 2011 he has also published short story collections, a book of poetry and a general reference book on intellectual property in paperback and eBook versions through CreateSpace, Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon) and Smashwords.
Web page: Http://victordlopez.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 21, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The stories resonate with the "human condition" and are well written. "To Sleep, Perchance to Dream" was my favorite, really makes one think. I got this book from Goodreads First Reads and was thrilled to recieve a small personal note from the author, one of my favorite First Reads ever!
September 10, 2019
This audiobook contains several short stories of about 45 minutes to an hour-long in reading time. The story length was perfect for my morning walk, although a little depressing. Victor D. Lopez’s focus in these stories appears to deal with a Catholic’s struggle over life after death and the future of our species. The first two stories were the most depressing as they ended in the conclusion that there is nothing after death; we just cease to exist.
Futuristically, Lopez feels that man will ultimately screw things up thus dooming humanity in the process. This bumbling will be achieved by either unleashing forces we don’t understand, by pursuing knowledge or abilities whose environmental costs we don’t appreciate, or by a world-destroying asteroid. It quickly became obvious that Lopez, a highly talented business law professor, is not optimistic about humanity’s future.
The book is well written with none of the grammatical errors found in many self-published books, but it deals with some uncomfortable subject matter. We all have hope for the future; without it, humans are unhappy and without hope. I did read this book to the end, but it was because I liked the writing. The author’s deductions about the subject matter, however, was disheartening.
Futuristically, Lopez feels that man will ultimately screw things up thus dooming humanity in the process. This bumbling will be achieved by either unleashing forces we don’t understand, by pursuing knowledge or abilities whose environmental costs we don’t appreciate, or by a world-destroying asteroid. It quickly became obvious that Lopez, a highly talented business law professor, is not optimistic about humanity’s future.
The book is well written with none of the grammatical errors found in many self-published books, but it deals with some uncomfortable subject matter. We all have hope for the future; without it, humans are unhappy and without hope. I did read this book to the end, but it was because I liked the writing. The author’s deductions about the subject matter, however, was disheartening.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews