I recently found a copy of Blindsight for $2.00 at my local library book sale in as new condition. It’s on my TBR soon after I finish reading some Robert E Howard Conan stories and Glen Cook, Black Company omnibus editions. Thanks for sharing. Respectfully from Springfield, Oregon USA.
Great video: By the end I was noticing all the interconnections and themes and you brought it back to the philosophical zombies of hindsight (which I have not yet read & didn't see coming) and although I couldn't share the cherry on top, I loved it!
As I said, I think Ken MacLeod actually uses Philosophical Zombies more effectively than Watts- but then I prefer Ken's use of SF to tackle politics, whereas Watts is appealing to the old 'First Contact' trope a lot- admittedly to interesting ends- but I think KM puts his fiction to more relevant use looking at the world we're still living in currently.
Love your new Logo . . .very slick. I have the Paperback version of the HC you have. Admittedly I paused after Blindsight and have yet to start Echopraxia (sp?). I loved it. Should I worry if I identify most with the narrator? So many things come together beautifully.
OMG, I just about fell down when the "Channel Tittle" flashed up. I **LOVE** you doubling down on "It Must Be Said." I'll go refill my coffee and camp out. .
@@chocolatemonk No dude, the one on the screen in red, light blue and purple text during the intro. The pan lozenge one on the pc interface page header was already addressed in a community post, hence "Doubling Down."
@@waltera13 there is a UK livery . . .search The Revolving Boy by Gertrude Friedberg PB Pan Science Fiction (UK) or Isaac Asimov - Nine Tomorrows (Pan, 1966) UK edition at least that is what I saw. I love the Pan lozenge as well
Great video Steve. I've heard so much about "Blindsight" that I feel I have to read it. I did see a copy of "Echopraxia" in a local Oxfam, but I passed. Never mind. I'll buy the omnibus version. The Letham sounds great too. I do like recognizing the links between SF and mainstream/postmodern lit. I'm just finished re-reading Brian McHale's "Postmodern Fiction" which has a brilliant chapter on the links between SF and postmodernism. I think I used this when I studied Pynchon at uni. Adam Roberts is on my TBR list too.
'Blindsight' is one of those books people rave about- and while it is goo- I have to say emotionally it left me cold, though a lot of Hard SF does this. Postmodern Hard SF has a tendency to be about Posthumanism and this makes the characters quite hard to relate to, unless they are handled with the skill of a mainstream novelist- Gibson can pull this off, but very few others can in my view. Books like 'Blindsight' are very much intellectual exercises based around where tech will take us and as they seem to confirm and agree that tech will take us further from what makes us human, they can make for pretty bleak reading in my opinion.
I read Blindsight and Echopraxia last year. I think both are phenomenal. I think about their ramifications quite frequently. Also I was happy to hear your praise for Lem’s His Master’s Voice and Fiasco. I’ve read a lot of his works and give Fiasco the edge over Solaris.
Here in SF I often run across 2nd hand Lethem or free Library Lethem. I did not realize how much I'd *missed* though! I may have to back fill for money (shame, I was used to pulling 'em off the trees.)
Thanks for turning me onto Dino Buzzati. I’ve recently read both The Singularity and The Stronghold. I felt the same as you with respect to The Singularity. I enjoyed it and would recommend it but it didn’t pack the punch I was expecting. The Stronghold is far superior. I absolutely loved it. Now that I’m an old man it really resonated with me. I will definitely seek out his other works.
Blindsight is good stuff, but for my money Echopraxia is much better book. My favorite Watts. The Thing Itself was the best novel that I read in 2022. The Lethem story in question is Light and the Sufferer. It's indeed in The Wall of the Sky... collection. For me, it is the second best story there, after brilliantly creepy Happy Man. I don't if you read it, but his Girl in Landscape is so bad it's hard to belive he actually wrote the damn thing. Great video.
Thanks for that. Yes, "Happy Man" is really something. As I said, I prefer 'Echopraxia' too. I read 'The Thing Itself' in 2018 when it was first published- I've been a Roberts fan for quite some time and I regard it as the best SF novel of the last decade, probably. Thanks for mentoning "Light and the Sufferer2 as I haven't got to it yet in my reading of 'The Wall of the Sky...' and I'm looking forward to reading it again, it really stuck in my head.
I'd say if 'Blindsight' didn't blow you away, leave it aside. Read something more immediately relateable to our contemporary condition instead, like Gibson's Blue Ant trilogy.
I think it's been mentioned once before. I haven't done any transatlantic interviews (yet), though I am doing something with Richard at Vintage SF quite soon, so who knows? Generally though, I tend to only interview British writers I'm very keen on and/or already know quite well, having usually invited/hosted them in the past to guest at Bookshop events (the exception was Michael Moorcock being interviewed in Paris, the first time we'd met in person in 30 years after three memorable events we'd done together in the late 80s/early 90s). But never say never, I guess...
Not sure who Rogan is. As you'll have gathered I'm using 'Blindsight' as a jumping off point to talk about other books that cover related issues in different ways.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal really enjoyed Blindsight from my fellow Canadian, Watts. Great video jumping off into the other books, very intrigued by Stronghold and dismayed at the potential translation issues with Singularity. Joe Rogan mentioned Blindsight this week on a small podcast he runs in the United States, the contrast and depth of reviews (while both positive) would be apparent and hilarious to anyone that heard. Cheers
Recently read "The thing itself" based on this channel recommendation and it was a great read. I also started reading "Blindsight" (and stopped), but the writing style was kind of irritating for me, plus the hard science side of the book feels like too much buzzwords being thrown around without any real structure behind. Maybe I will try once more.
'Blindsight' is typical of Postmodern Hard SF in that respect and it is one of the things that prevents it from being as fine as it could have been- there's a tendency since the early 90s with writers like Greg Egan, Watts, Neal Stephenson (sometimes), Charles Stross (sometimes), Hannu Rajaniemi and the like to blind the reader with science. Yes, this is science fiction that has its place, but as Brian W Aldiss pointed out "Science Fiction is no more for scientists than Ghost Stories are for ghosts," and it sometimes feels that the piledriving weight of science talk is smoke and mirrors or maybe even Emperor's New Clothes. Now you can argue that the author has to 'explain' his science if he's extrapolating from current tech- and I think Watts is good at this on the biology- but when a book has scientific appendicies and supporting websites discussing the science, we're in danger of losing the literary virtues, I feel.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Thank you for such an in-depth reply. My problem is compounded by being a scientist (physicist), so sometimes I can fill in the blanks and make it kind of work for me (e.g., this relatively works for Egan's books that I've read). But when I cannot do this, it makes it hard for the book to succeed with me especially if it is really heavily relying on physics. On the other hand passing this test does not mean that I overlook its literary qualities. So I am really grateful for your channel since it introduced many great older authors I was completely unaware of --- Bob Shaw, Christopher Priest, Barrington J. Bayley, James Blish etc.
I listened to Blindsight on audiobook and it was a big miss. I suspect this is a case where the medium really mattered. I should try it in print and see how it goes.
Yes. agreed. 'Fiasco' is a forerunner of 'Blindsight' to me and no doubt at some point, one of the bigger SF channels will 'discover' it and get lots of plaudits for uncovering this "obscure" book. As if a Penguin Modern Classic can be obscure, right?
Hi Steve I read blindsight a couple of years ago and much like everyone else it’s seems I loved it, I picked up echopraxia recently and will read it shortly . Just finishing land of the headless and have enjoyed that so much I’ve ordered the thing itself and life during wartime which was mentioned recently I think ,after reading green eyes I’m looking forward to .Off topic I read Frankenstein last week which was a wonderful first time read and exceeded my expectations . Any insights on Kafka and Dostoyevsky as I’m going to start the trial , the castle and crime and punishment soon . Something to ruminate on for future episodes maybe?All the best mate🫡
Sounds like you're on a roll. 'Frankenstein' is very much ON topic here, mentioned it many times, check out my 'Mary Shelley Was Never Cancelled: 'Frankenstein', Romanticism and Cyberpunk' video. 'The Roberts and Shepard books are contemporary classics. I read all of Kafka in my twenties and enjoyed everything, re-read 'The Trial' a few years back, simply peerless important work. Dostoevsky I've not read for a long time- again a 20s thing for me- but did most of his oeuvre then except 'The Idiot' which I've held back for my old age so I have a "fresh Fyodor" to discover. 'Crime & Punishment' is an excellent place to start and I loved "Notes From The Underground" and his gulag reminiscences 'Memoirs from the House of the Dead' in particular. Dostoevksy is the "gateway drug" into Existentialist literature and will lead you to Hamsun, Hesse, Camus and Sartre.
I can't nor wouldn't argue with any of what Steve said, and I agree on BOTH points he makes about Crime and Punishment. *I* would say - and you don't have to listen to this stranger, but I'd hit Kafka's short stories first; A LOT of people find "The Trial" either really difficult, or really nullifying. In many ways his short stories are more influential, so consuming a bunch of them will gift you more resonating points in more contemporary lit. Also, because they vary so widely in setting and topic I think they will offer greater insight into Kafka's POV & mental landscape which will aid you in assailing The Trial. Or let you know that you don't like him before putting the time in. But hey, you didn't ask me, so "Do as thou wilt" will be the whole of the comment. ;)
@@outlawbookselleroriginal like yourself I’ve held back certain works so I have some real classics to look forward to Frankenstein being one . I recently started reading Poe also brilliant having turned 57 a couple of months ago I figured it’s time to get to the good stuff . Your channel is an inspiration many thanks as always Steve
@@salty-walt thanks for the insight Walt . I do have metamorphosis and other stories on order as a matter of fact . Perhaps a better starting point? Although I’m no stranger to impenetrable text I do like a challenge . Cheers🫡
@@themojocorpse1290 I'd rather enjoyed the Country Doctor, and the (especially ) The Hunger Artist, of course, in the generations since I read them they have now become standard go-to and not obscure choices, so I'm sure you'll find them. 😉
I recently found a copy of Blindsight for $2.00 at my local library book sale in as new condition. It’s on my TBR soon after I finish reading some Robert E Howard Conan stories and Glen Cook, Black Company omnibus editions. Thanks for sharing. Respectfully from Springfield, Oregon USA.
Great video: By the end I was noticing all the interconnections and themes and you brought it back to the philosophical zombies of hindsight (which I have not yet read & didn't see coming) and although I couldn't share the cherry on top, I loved it!
As I said, I think Ken MacLeod actually uses Philosophical Zombies more effectively than Watts- but then I prefer Ken's use of SF to tackle politics, whereas Watts is appealing to the old 'First Contact' trope a lot- admittedly to interesting ends- but I think KM puts his fiction to more relevant use looking at the world we're still living in currently.
Love your new Logo . . .very slick. I have the Paperback version of the HC you have. Admittedly I paused after Blindsight and have yet to start Echopraxia (sp?). I loved it. Should I worry if I identify most with the narrator? So many things come together beautifully.
I wouldn't worry, mate.
OMG, I just about fell down when the "Channel Tittle" flashed up. I **LOVE** you doubling down on "It Must Be Said."
I'll go refill my coffee and camp out. .
Done in Pan Science Fiction 60s livery
@@chocolatemonk No dude, the one on the screen in red, light blue and purple text during the intro.
The pan lozenge one on the pc interface page header was already addressed in a community post, hence "Doubling Down."
@@waltera13 there is a UK livery . . .search The Revolving Boy by Gertrude Friedberg PB Pan Science Fiction (UK) or Isaac Asimov - Nine Tomorrows (Pan, 1966) UK edition at least that is what I saw. I love the Pan lozenge as well
@@chocolatemonk Ahh, OK, I see it now!
@@chocolatemonk In that case have you seen the new channel header? Fan generated Pure Pan LOzenge!
Great video Steve. I've heard so much about "Blindsight" that I feel I have to read it. I did see a copy of "Echopraxia" in a local Oxfam, but I passed. Never mind. I'll buy the omnibus version. The Letham sounds great too. I do like recognizing the links between SF and mainstream/postmodern lit. I'm just finished re-reading Brian McHale's "Postmodern Fiction" which has a brilliant chapter on the links between SF and postmodernism. I think I used this when I studied Pynchon at uni. Adam Roberts is on my TBR list too.
'Blindsight' is one of those books people rave about- and while it is goo- I have to say emotionally it left me cold, though a lot of Hard SF does this. Postmodern Hard SF has a tendency to be about Posthumanism and this makes the characters quite hard to relate to, unless they are handled with the skill of a mainstream novelist- Gibson can pull this off, but very few others can in my view. Books like 'Blindsight' are very much intellectual exercises based around where tech will take us and as they seem to confirm and agree that tech will take us further from what makes us human, they can make for pretty bleak reading in my opinion.
I read Blindsight and Echopraxia last year. I think both are phenomenal. I think about their ramifications quite frequently.
Also I was happy to hear your praise for Lem’s His Master’s Voice and Fiasco. I’ve read a lot of his works and give Fiasco the edge over Solaris.
Here in SF I often run across 2nd hand Lethem or free Library Lethem. I did not realize how much I'd *missed* though! I may have to back fill for money (shame, I was used to pulling 'em off the trees.)
You have to pick and choose. I'll review one of his later SF books here before too long.
Perfect! Just read this recently, gonna watch after work Dad!
I'm assuming you mean 'Blindsight'?
@@outlawbookselleroriginal yes Blindsights!
I so happy to see you using those graphics I made for you, it puts a smile on my face! It must be said.
Thanks SO MUCH Chris- now I know it's you, I'll credit you in future videos that use them- did you find my email address yet? MANY THANKS!!!
@@outlawbookselleroriginal I did, I sent you an email
Thanks for turning me onto Dino Buzzati. I’ve recently read both The Singularity and The Stronghold. I felt the same as you with respect to The Singularity. I enjoyed it and would recommend it but it didn’t pack the punch I was expecting.
The Stronghold is far superior. I absolutely loved it. Now that I’m an old man it really resonated with me. I will definitely seek out his other works.
Yes, 'Th Stronghold' is superb. It would have resonated with me equally as a youngster, I thought, hence its impact on me, which has been immense.
Blindsight is good stuff, but for my money Echopraxia is much better book. My favorite Watts. The Thing Itself was the best novel that I read in 2022. The Lethem story in question is Light and the Sufferer. It's indeed in The Wall of the Sky... collection. For me, it is the second best story there, after brilliantly creepy Happy Man. I don't if you read it, but his Girl in Landscape is so bad it's hard to belive he actually wrote the damn thing.
Great video.
Thanks for that. Yes, "Happy Man" is really something. As I said, I prefer 'Echopraxia' too. I read 'The Thing Itself' in 2018 when it was first published- I've been a Roberts fan for quite some time and I regard it as the best SF novel of the last decade, probably. Thanks for mentoning "Light and the Sufferer2 as I haven't got to it yet in my reading of 'The Wall of the Sky...' and I'm looking forward to reading it again, it really stuck in my head.
I preferred Echopraxia too. I also think it would make a better film adaptation.
just finished the book today! perfect timing of the vid
Which book? I'm assuming you mean 'Blindsight'?
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Yes Blindsight!
Great vid 👍. You must read your new Gribb😊in book now!
I read the Gribbin a few weeks back, very good.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal You need to share
Would love to see a video about echopraxia, as i'm still on the edge on wether i should read it or not
I'd say if 'Blindsight' didn't blow you away, leave it aside. Read something more immediately relateable to our contemporary condition instead, like Gibson's Blue Ant trilogy.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Thanks for the recommendation!
Any one mention possibly interviewing Peter Watts ?
I think it's been mentioned once before. I haven't done any transatlantic interviews (yet), though I am doing something with Richard at Vintage SF quite soon, so who knows? Generally though, I tend to only interview British writers I'm very keen on and/or already know quite well, having usually invited/hosted them in the past to guest at Bookshop events (the exception was Michael Moorcock being interviewed in Paris, the first time we'd met in person in 30 years after three memorable events we'd done together in the late 80s/early 90s). But never say never, I guess...
Rogan and OB both talking Blindsight this week, slightly different reviews but hopefully both welcome! haha
Not sure who Rogan is. As you'll have gathered I'm using 'Blindsight' as a jumping off point to talk about other books that cover related issues in different ways.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal really enjoyed Blindsight from my fellow Canadian, Watts. Great video jumping off into the other books, very intrigued by Stronghold and dismayed at the potential translation issues with Singularity. Joe Rogan mentioned Blindsight this week on a small podcast he runs in the United States, the contrast and depth of reviews (while both positive) would be apparent and hilarious to anyone that heard. Cheers
Recently read "The thing itself" based on this channel recommendation and it was a great read. I also started reading "Blindsight" (and stopped), but the writing style was kind of irritating for me, plus the hard science side of the book feels like too much buzzwords being thrown around without any real structure behind. Maybe I will try once more.
'Blindsight' is typical of Postmodern Hard SF in that respect and it is one of the things that prevents it from being as fine as it could have been- there's a tendency since the early 90s with writers like Greg Egan, Watts, Neal Stephenson (sometimes), Charles Stross (sometimes), Hannu Rajaniemi and the like to blind the reader with science. Yes, this is science fiction that has its place, but as Brian W Aldiss pointed out "Science Fiction is no more for scientists than Ghost Stories are for ghosts," and it sometimes feels that the piledriving weight of science talk is smoke and mirrors or maybe even Emperor's New Clothes. Now you can argue that the author has to 'explain' his science if he's extrapolating from current tech- and I think Watts is good at this on the biology- but when a book has scientific appendicies and supporting websites discussing the science, we're in danger of losing the literary virtues, I feel.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Thank you for such an in-depth reply. My problem is compounded by being a scientist (physicist), so sometimes I can fill in the blanks and make it kind of work for me (e.g., this relatively works for Egan's books that I've read). But when I cannot do this, it makes it hard for the book to succeed with me especially if it is really heavily relying on physics. On the other hand passing this test does not mean that I overlook its literary qualities. So I am really grateful for your channel since it introduced many great older authors I was completely unaware of --- Bob Shaw, Christopher Priest, Barrington J. Bayley, James Blish etc.
I listened to Blindsight on audiobook and it was a big miss. I suspect this is a case where the medium really mattered. I should try it in print and see how it goes.
Yes. agreed. 'Fiasco' is a forerunner of 'Blindsight' to me and no doubt at some point, one of the bigger SF channels will 'discover' it and get lots of plaudits for uncovering this "obscure" book. As if a Penguin Modern Classic can be obscure, right?
Hi Steve I read blindsight a couple of years ago and much like everyone else it’s seems I loved it, I picked up echopraxia recently and will read it shortly . Just finishing land of the headless and have enjoyed that so much I’ve ordered the thing itself and life during wartime which was mentioned recently I think ,after reading green eyes I’m looking forward to .Off topic I read Frankenstein last week which was a wonderful first time read and exceeded my expectations . Any insights on Kafka and Dostoyevsky as I’m going to start the trial , the castle and crime and punishment soon . Something to ruminate on for future episodes maybe?All the best mate🫡
Sounds like you're on a roll. 'Frankenstein' is very much ON topic here, mentioned it many times, check out my 'Mary Shelley Was Never Cancelled: 'Frankenstein', Romanticism and Cyberpunk' video. 'The Roberts and Shepard books are contemporary classics. I read all of Kafka in my twenties and enjoyed everything, re-read 'The Trial' a few years back, simply peerless important work. Dostoevsky I've not read for a long time- again a 20s thing for me- but did most of his oeuvre then except 'The Idiot' which I've held back for my old age so I have a "fresh Fyodor" to discover. 'Crime & Punishment' is an excellent place to start and I loved "Notes From The Underground" and his gulag reminiscences 'Memoirs from the House of the Dead' in particular. Dostoevksy is the "gateway drug" into Existentialist literature and will lead you to Hamsun, Hesse, Camus and Sartre.
I can't nor wouldn't argue with any of what Steve said, and I agree on BOTH points he makes about Crime and Punishment. *I* would say - and you don't have to listen to this stranger, but I'd hit Kafka's short stories first; A LOT of people find "The Trial" either really difficult, or really nullifying. In many ways his short stories are more influential, so consuming a bunch of them will gift you more resonating points in more contemporary lit. Also, because they vary so widely in setting and topic I think they will offer greater insight into Kafka's POV & mental landscape which will aid you in assailing The Trial. Or let you know that you don't like him before putting the time in.
But hey, you didn't ask me, so "Do as thou wilt" will be the whole of the comment. ;)
@@outlawbookselleroriginal like yourself I’ve held back certain works so I have some real classics to look forward to Frankenstein being one . I recently started reading Poe also brilliant having turned 57 a couple of months ago I figured it’s time to get to the good stuff . Your channel is an inspiration many thanks as always Steve
@@salty-walt thanks for the insight Walt . I do have metamorphosis and other stories on order as a matter of fact . Perhaps a better starting point? Although I’m no stranger to impenetrable text I do like a challenge . Cheers🫡
@@themojocorpse1290 I'd rather enjoyed the Country Doctor, and the (especially ) The Hunger Artist, of course, in the generations since I read them they have now become standard go-to and not obscure choices, so I'm sure you'll find them. 😉