Analog Science fiction and fact/ May 2010

“Quark Soup” by Bond Elam (Probability Zero column). The science community accepting the existence of an Intelligent Designer. Too many human observations causing collapse of the probability wave; reboot.

Slam/ Nick Hornby

ISBN: 014138297X

Sam the 15-year old. A story of two UK teens falling in love, teen pregnancy. Sam tries to cope by referring to his skateboarding hero’s book (who himself was a teen-father). He can’t cope and runs away. But returns to face reality.

I thought this was a genuine and intimate look. That it’s not about deliberate irresponsibility of teens but human instinct.

It’s not a YP book though it’s a book teens should read. It’s not preachy nor does it moralise. What works is the telling of a story of Sam. And of his learning of the very real and undeniable consequences of teen pregnancies.

I’ve yet to poll a girl or woman reading this. As a guy, I thought the novel brilliantly draws the male reader very quickly to the side of Sam. In that, by page 20 I was already rooting for Sam to get into the good graces of Alicia (a girl he’d just met and whom he was interested but the girl was playing hard-to-get).

Lines like this would strike a chord in most male readers: “Sometimes you know you’ve got a chance with a girl because she wants to fight with you. If the world wasn’t so messed up, it wouldn’t be like that. If the world was normal, a girl being nice to you would be a good sign, but in the real world, it isn’t.” (P29.)

Year’s best graphic novels, comics & manga: From Blankets to Demo to Blacksad/ edited by Byron Preiss & Howard Zimmerman

ISBN: 0312343264

This is like those sampler plates they serve at restaurants.

Features excerpts from published comics, graphic novels, manga, self-published work, and small and independent presses.

Unwind/ Neal shusterman

ISBN: 9781416912040

Parents* who have angsty teens may think that the author has painted a dream world. Where the law allows parents to send their teenaged children, ages between 13 to 18, to “unwind” them. Meaning, to send them for body-parts recycling, with some implicit process that does not really “kill” the teen but only they exist in different bodies. Sounds really handy, eh?

[* maybe just for that little while, before rationality overcomes anger, heh]

The main protagonists: Conner, Risa, Levi; unwind-AWOLs.

Conner is clearly the troubled rebellious teen, whose parents have decided they are not able to handle him further. Risa is an orphan being weeded out of the state-run home, to make room for other presumably younger and higher potential kids. Levi started out as a reluctant escapee, for he has been indoctrinated since young and has accepted his role as a ‘tithe’ in the name of his religion.

Their adventure begins, as does their coming of age, when they meet each other and make their way through a unwind-AWOLs underground movement. They end up in a refuge for runaway Unwinds. But a problem develops; a hostile takeover was being plotted.

Read the rest on your own. There’s a convincing resolution to the story.

As an adult reading this, there are several doubtful elements in the concept. But this book isn’t meant for adults but for YP readers. And the idea, while seemingly farfetched to be put into practice, does have precedence in human history, I sure. Infanticide, murder (though killings beyond toddler ages may be impossible but who is to say it has not happened). But a society that kills their youths is just committing suicide.

P153. Holding back is another form of power.

Aside: interesting concept of ‘Storking’, which would make a good classroom debate session, as a way to explore human behaviours and societal values.

P161 – 167. Explores the fundamental issues/ differences between Pro-life and Pro-abortion camps.

P288-294. Process of being unwound.

Marsbound/ Joe Haldeman

ISBN: 9780441017393

Carmen Dula, with her younger brother and both her parents, are part of the group selected to travel to Mars and stay there for six years.

The novel starts off describing their two-week trip up the space elevator, then the six-month journey to Mars. They land on Mars and there are chores. For some reason, the chief administrator there doesn’t like her.

Up to this point, the novel was proceeding crispily but rather “down-to-Mars” and mundane.

Then comes the tipping point: after an unjust accusation, Carmen leaves the habitat on her own. She injures herself and meets some Martians.

Interestingly the novel could have turned into some cliche. But it didn’t.

Things get really intriguing from then on.

To say more will be to spoil the meat of the story. I’ll end by saying the Martians seems to have been there since eternity, and there’s Something out there!

The novel just whizzes along. The writing is crisp and the pace just flows.

Depression 2.0: Creative strategies for tough economic times/ Cletus Nelso

ISBN: 9781934170069

Published in 2009 (midst of the Global Financial Crisis).

The book aims to offer “practical and common sense strategies for surviving on less in an age of diminishing expectations” (p4.)

Focused on the U.S. And written for the North American reader.

Advocates being aware of what’s happening (rather than placing blind faith in govt etc.)

Contains interviews of authors/ people on money, the economy, experiences of living in the country Vs city.

Some might find that they are already praticising the tips in the book, on saving money and keeping household expenses low, keeping oneself healthy, cultivating a positive outlook in life.

I see this book as mental preparation, with practical general tips. One can only be prepared for the future if one plans one’s reactions based on different scenarios.

P19. Primary symptoms of Depression 2.0: mismanaged currency, govt overspending, speculative excess in real estate and financial markets, a “slow motion energy crisis”.

Initial chapter sets the context by giving background of the financial crisis (collapse of banks/ home loan market in U.S. Due to unregulated loans), unfettered govt spending and strain on Social Security and Medicare (outflows more than inflows), reliance on oil.

Chapter 2 on “contemplating unemployment”. Tips on practicing frugality and living within means (by way of simple math of income Vs expenses; not incurring debt; using the public library), investing in health and mind. Even reviewing one’s food storage and cache.
P36. Recession-proof jobs: Protection services, Caring for the sick, Network & Comms Analyst, Military, Govt.
P38. Advises that Web 2.0. can be used for furthering one’s job search.

Chapter 3, on saving money by cutting down household expenses like energy, fuel, tips on saving gas for car.

Chapter 4, on thinking about bankruptcy. Info, procedure, implications (applies to U.S. law)

Chapter 5, on how one can make our home more “resilient”, e.g. water storage (doesn’t 100% really apply to urbanised Singapore), purification, sanitation, dealing with blackouts, home security, street strategies (p90. Tips on street safety, dealing with robberies).

Chapter 6, on “Retreat Options”; leaving the city, pros and cons of country life,

Chapter 7, Home energy Solutions. Assessing home energy needs (consumerreports.org), energy sources like home generators, battery power, solar, off-grid cooking.

Chapter 8, “When you have no shelter”. Homelessness must-haves (starts with finding a way to store one’s valuables and other possessions), finding shelter, what to pack (for sleeping, hygiene, food, safety, general supplies P148), tips on surviving on the streets (suggests avoiding congregating with other homeless, stereotypes by others, safety considerations, the need to maintain hygiene, public facilities, places of shelter, living in a car, squatting*)
* freegan.info, squattercity.blogspot.com, squat.net

Chapter 9, surviving a currency crisis. Talks about going back to barter trade, digital marketplace (craigslist.com, swaptree.com, webswap.com, swapthing.com).

Chapter 10, “investments for an uncertain future”. On deflation, inflation, stagflation. Explores options for investing in cash (talks about available U.S.-based schemes to protect capital value). On gold (how to buy, store, options for ownership), silver, bonds (risks in inflationary and deflationary cases), real estate (talks about pros and cons), stocks (“desperation breed desperate acts”; advises against entrusting money to brokers without doing research*).

In general:
Keep cash in times of deflation; gold/ silver in inflationary pressures,

* 321gold.com
aspo-usa.com
dailyreckoning.com
Europac.net (“dr. Doom” Peter Schiff)
globalguerillas.typepad.com

The island of lost souls/ Martyn Bedford

ISBN: 9780747585855

“There it was again, though. The plaintive boom of the gong. A lament for the sunlight slowly leaching from the day.” p315.

Seems like an anti-war novel, but that’s not really the core of the story. Set somewhere in the contemporary near-future (not a Scifi novel though).

Main protagonist, Finn, decides to escape the military draft. Partly spooked by the suicide of his brother (who was injured from the war). Ends up being connected to a Mr Skins, who helps him reach an island occupied by a small community who have chosen to isolate themselves from the ‘mainland’. But Mr Skins doesn’t help Finn out of kindness, for there’s a condition (which is slowly revealed along the way). Finn falls in love with an islander, Bryher, who has some emotional baggage of her own.

The plot thickens when some soldiers land on the island and ultimately Finn’s presence puts the small community at risk. The novel’s climax is on whether Finn is able to escape both the military and Mr Skins.