Paperback, 296 pages
Italiano language
Published Oct. 9, 2008 by Stampalternativa.
Se gli uomini avessero costruito una torre fino al cielo? Se un farmaco incrementasse l'intelligenza? Se i fondamenti della matematica fossero arbitrari e inconsistenti? Se l'esposizione a una scrittura aliena modificasse la nostra percezione del tempo? Se una scienza del dare nomi chiamasse alla vita la materia inanimata? Se la ricerca scientifica fosse monopolio di una casta di mutanti? Se angeli di salvezza e distruzione apparissero quotidianamente per le strade? Se ci fosse modo di rimanere indifferenti alla bellezza fisica?
This is one of those science fiction books that really manage to blow your mind with the possibilities that the writer proposes. As a short story collection, you're always left out wanting more of the stories. But they are as long as they have to be.
This is my favorite format of science fiction : short but thought provoking stories. Surprisingly, the story that gave the name to this book is far from being the best in my opinion. If you want mind-bending novels that are both fun and at the same time disturbing, this book is a must-read.
Tower of Babylon: Tale about the construction of the Tower of Babylon. A bit boring.
Understand: Interesting tale about intelligence enhancement.
Division by Zero: What happen when everything that you believe in turns out to be false?
Story of you life: The better so far. I love how the process to understand the aliens is described.
Seventy two letters: A boring tale about the kabbalah made science.
The evolution of human science: what happen when superhumans make human science irrelevant.
Hell is the absence of god: Funny story about angels seen as natural catastrophes.
Liking what you see - a documentary: I like when science fiction show ideas that makes me uncomfortable.
Went slowly through this book, but it was a really nice read. The one part that I don't like about Chiang's writing is that the stories always seem to end abruptly, and don't really follow through.
