norb started reading System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)
Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.
Following the events in …
Love me some Murderbot! I expect this to be a quick, fun read - like the others before it.
Reviews and Comments
just a guy who reads sometimes
This link opens in a pop-up window
norb reviewed A City on Mars by Zach Weinersmith
Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away - …
Space: Not the Destiation You Think It Is
4 stars
A City on Mars (EBook, 2023, Penguin Press) 5 stars
I really enjoyed the breadth (and depth) of the analysis the Weinersmith's make in this book. The science-y bits were great, but the law related pieces were the most interesting in my opinion.
I think their point about how space exploration geeks just completely skip over law was really insightful. The fact that we already have international law that most likely applies to the moon, and the different reasons why powerful countries agree to international law or not, was interesting.
After reading this book, I came away significantly less enthusiastic about a settlement on Mars (or the Moon) however I still, like the authors, think it is a good use of time and money if done the right way.
norb reviewed Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott J. Shapiro
Fancy Bear Goes Phishing is an entertaining account of the philosophy and technology of hacking—and …
Insightful Book That Helps Put the Humanity into Cybersecurity
4 stars
Cybersecurity is my job, so I came into this book with some amount of knowledge of the subject, but I still found it a fascinating read.
At first, I was slightly annoyed that Shapiro was making up new words (downcode, upcode, metacode) to describe things we already have word for in the industry, but as I read the book I started to see why he's using these words.
Shapiro does a great job of using the ideas of downcode (what you might consider regular computer code), upcode (generally the ethics or rules that the computer user has), and metacode (the rules that exist "above" the user, such as laws). By defining these three ideas, Shapiro makes the case that cybersecurity is not a technology problem at all, but rather a human problem.
This idea is something that I've tried to instill in others at my day job, but it is …
Cybersecurity is my job, so I came into this book with some amount of knowledge of the subject, but I still found it a fascinating read.
At first, I was slightly annoyed that Shapiro was making up new words (downcode, upcode, metacode) to describe things we already have word for in the industry, but as I read the book I started to see why he's using these words.
Shapiro does a great job of using the ideas of downcode (what you might consider regular computer code), upcode (generally the ethics or rules that the computer user has), and metacode (the rules that exist "above" the user, such as laws). By defining these three ideas, Shapiro makes the case that cybersecurity is not a technology problem at all, but rather a human problem.
This idea is something that I've tried to instill in others at my day job, but it is something that is hard for people to understand, even those that work in the IT/cybersecurity industry. Many technical people think you can solve all problems via technical means. This is what Shaprio calls "solutionism" near the end of this book (if I remember correctly, the word "solutionism" is actually coined by someone else).
I found myself comparing this book to another one I read recently, A City on Mars by Zach and Kelly Weinersmith. Both of these books take what is ostensibly a "technical problem" and then start to apply the human element to it, with the end result being about the same. Technology cannot and will not solve all of our problems. We really have to do it in the messy human world.
norb rated Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: 4 stars
Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott J. Shapiro
Fancy Bear Goes Phishing is an entertaining account of the philosophy and technology of hacking—and why we all need to …
norb reviewed Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames (The Band, #1)
"Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best -- the meanest, …
Kings of the Wyld - A Fun Ride
4 stars
I enjoyed this book. The pacing and overall tone reminded me of John Scalzi or Joe Abercrombie. The plot is predictable in places, but that doesn't really hurt the story. There are a number of moments where just the right thing happens at just the right time, and the story does get a little into the "nothing real bad will happen and if it does it will be ok later" territory, but for the most part that didn't bother me.
If you are looking for a deep thinking, obtuse plot where nothing is spelled out for you, this book is not that. If you're looking for a fun read with interesting takes on fantasy tropes, with more or less likable characters, this might be more your speed.
All in all it was an enjoyable read and I will check out the sequel at some point.
norb rated Kings of the Wyld: 4 stars
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames (The Band, #1)
"Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best -- the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of …
norb reviewed Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Tackling some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine, these …
Wonderful Collection of Short-ish Stories
4 stars
I've not read anything else by Ted Chiang, and after getting this I noticed he also wrote the story that Arrival was based on (which I have seen and enjoyed) so I was looking forward to this.
The stories collected here all share a common humanity, while they are still kind of sci-fi based (and one isn't even written from the point of view of a human).
These stories definately made me think, but especially The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate (I am a sucker for time travel stories, and this one works better than a lot of them because of the way the premise is set up), The Lifecycle of Software Objects (the story notes at the end really shed some light on the author's intent with this one), The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling (a wonderful exploration of memory and how it effects us), and Anxiety …
I've not read anything else by Ted Chiang, and after getting this I noticed he also wrote the story that Arrival was based on (which I have seen and enjoyed) so I was looking forward to this.
The stories collected here all share a common humanity, while they are still kind of sci-fi based (and one isn't even written from the point of view of a human).
These stories definately made me think, but especially The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate (I am a sucker for time travel stories, and this one works better than a lot of them because of the way the premise is set up), The Lifecycle of Software Objects (the story notes at the end really shed some light on the author's intent with this one), The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling (a wonderful exploration of memory and how it effects us), and Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom (a bit of a con-man story with some sci-fi trappings - really interesting premise).
I will definitely need to check out his other collection and go from there!
norb rated A City on Mars: 5 stars
A City on Mars by Zach Weinersmith, Kelly Weinersmith
Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away - no climate change, no war, …
norb started reading A City on Mars by Zach Weinersmith
Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away - …
Looking forward to them ruining the idea of imminent space colonization in a fun and informative way!
norb reviewed The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
An acclaimed legend in the field of fantasy and science fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold returns …
Great Finish to the "Triology"
4 stars
Loved the additional details and background to the world first shown to us in The Curse of Chalion. This one seemed less metaphysical than the other two, but still had some interesting ideas in the land where gods are real and everyone knows it.
The ending came up rather quickly after the first few hundred pages, but it was good and enjoyable.
norb started reading The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
An acclaimed legend in the field of fantasy and science fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold returns …
Ready to jump into the third and final book in this series. The first two really surprised me, so I'm hoping this one does the same (although I am a little sad this book doesn't just pick up with Ista where the last one left off).
norb rated Paladin of souls: 4 stars
Paladin of souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
E-Book Extras: ONE: The Keys to Chalion: A Dictionary of People, Places, and Things; TWO: Chalion MiscellanyIt's been three years …
norb finished reading Paladin of souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
E-Book Extras: ONE: The Keys to Chalion: A Dictionary of People, Places, and Things; TWO: …
Loved this book. The way that Royina Ista was expanded upon from the first novel was rather interesting. I also enjoyed the further expansion and explanations of how this world works. Very interesting ideas about gods and people and how they can work together.
norb started reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The adventures and pranks of a mischievous boy growing up in a Mississippi River town …
One of those books that a lot of people read in school that I never did. Remedying that now.
norb rated The Curse of Chalion: 5 stars
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Curse of Chalion is a 2001 fantasy novel by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold. In 2002 it won the …