Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage

technicat@bookwyrm.social reviewed The thrilling adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

There should be a movie

5 stars

I read this a while ago, but yesterday was Ada Lovelace Day so I wanted to get it on my bookwyrm list. There have been a few treatments of the Countess of Lovelace (I like the one by Walter Isaacson), but this one is the most fun and the one that depicts her not just brilliant (her mom steered her into mathematics so she wouldn't be as nutty as her father Lord Byron, or maybe she was just spiting her ex, but anyone it's the first women in STEM program I've heard of) but also a bit of a wild thing. Like maybe the Joan Jett of programming. And yes, she was the first real programmer (Babbage built the thing, but Ada saw the real potential and expressiveness of code and actually wrote programs, and anyway Babbage never really built the thing).

Soh Kam Yung reviewed The thrilling adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

An entertaining book about Babbage's Analytical Engine, as run by Ada.

4 stars

A very entertaining graphic novel about how it might have been if Ada, Countess of Lovelace and Charles Babbage had managed to bring to life the Analytical Engine. The book starts with the real-life stories of Ada and Babbage, then branches off into a 'pocket universe' where the Analytical Engine is created and run by them.

In a series of adventures, the pair hilariously show off the Engine to Queen Victoria who wants to 'RULE THE WORLD!', called to save Britain from a global financial crisis, fight off the mathematical Luddites, try to mechanize fiction writing by statistically analysing a book by Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) and even try to visualize the third dimension (remember, the characters live on a two-dimensional page).

Probably one of the most hilarious short parts of the book is when George Boole (of Boolean logic fame) is reduces to mumbling "Error, error," when asked …

A very entertaining graphic novel about how it might have been if Ada, Countess of Lovelace and Charles Babbage had managed to bring to life the Analytical Engine. The book starts with the real-life stories of Ada and Babbage, then branches off into a 'pocket universe' where the Analytical Engine is created and run by them.

In a series of adventures, the pair hilariously show off the Engine to Queen Victoria who wants to 'RULE THE WORLD!', called to save Britain from a global financial crisis, fight off the mathematical Luddites, try to mechanize fiction writing by statistically analysing a book by Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) and even try to visualize the third dimension (remember, the characters live on a two-dimensional page).

Probably one of the most hilarious short parts of the book is when George Boole (of Boolean logic fame) is reduces to mumbling "Error, error," when asked a non-boolean question (not a "Yes" or "No" answer) while being served a drink!

The book is full of footnotes by the author pointing out historical, mathematical, engineering and computing references to the situations depicted. Making the book more true to life is the effort the author went through to ensure that the words being said in the novel closely match what Ada, Babbage and other characters (like Isambard Kingdom Brunel) actually said or wrote in real life.

The book ends with a very technical appendix outlining how Babbage's Analytical Engine would have worked if it actually had been built.

A very entertaining read indeed.

Trammell Hudson reviewed Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

Fun ahistorical romp through computing history

4 stars

This is a delightful book with mostly true facts about computing and history, even if the overall premise is a pocket universe were Lovelace and babbage team up to fight crime (for an idiosyncratic definition of 'crime').

Nillevanille reviewed Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

Review of 'Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Very Good comic on a historical figure.

Arbieroo reviewed Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

Review of 'Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

What a fabulous book!

A mixture of comic strip silliness, delightful anecdote and thorough research (aided by the spiritual successors to Babbage's never realised Analytical Engine) that provides the perfect introduction to the designer of the world's first computer and the author of the world's first computer science article!

This dynamic duo have to face: visits from Royalty! Funding problems! Infestations of monkeys! And more! Meet such supporting characters as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Marian Evans (better known as George Eliot) and a Leopard! Enjoy such additional delights as: extensive footnotes that take on a life of their own! Primary sources! An explanation of how the Analytical Engine was supposed to work! And an Epilogue! And more!

Seriously, read this book to laugh while you learn and wonder how history would have gone if Babbage had just completed even one of his designs...

Steve Clark reviewed The thrilling adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

Review of 'The thrilling adventures of Lovelace and Babbage' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Review at steemit.com/comic/@steevc/a-book-of-babbage

Basically I love it.

Authors and bloggers should check out Steemit. You can really make some money there from writing.

barkingstars

rated it

April 30, 2017

Jason Cranford Teague

rated it

Oct. 2, 2016

OriginalBarbas

rated it

Aug. 5, 2022

Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage

Subjects