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Blindsight
Dec. 14th, 2006 12:02 amBoingboing pointed out that Peter Watts has put another novel on the web. I liked his previous two, and enjoyed his presentation on the biology of vampires.
I've just finished reading Blindsight. It's a first contact novel, but ultimately the aliens are secondary to the interplay between the humans, and to the book's take on evolution and consciousness (which, unlike the result of Strictly Come Dancing the other week, I won't spoil for you). Readers who bought Watts's books also liked Greg Egan, as Amazon might say (they probably liked![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
autopope too), so it helps if you don't mind the exposition and are conversant with your Searle, Penrose and Dawkins (or at least, not worried by having to look stuff up). At least one reviewer I've seen totally failed to understand what was going on, it seems: it's the SF writing Singularity again.
The book is bleak, hard science fiction, full of ideas, and leaves you with that slightly altered-state aftertaste you get from the best science fiction. Plus, you know, vampires in space. I liked it.
I've just finished reading Blindsight. It's a first contact novel, but ultimately the aliens are secondary to the interplay between the humans, and to the book's take on evolution and consciousness (which, unlike the result of Strictly Come Dancing the other week, I won't spoil for you). Readers who bought Watts's books also liked Greg Egan, as Amazon might say (they probably liked
autopope too), so it helps if you don't mind the exposition and are conversant with your Searle, Penrose and Dawkins (or at least, not worried by having to look stuff up). At least one reviewer I've seen totally failed to understand what was going on, it seems: it's the SF writing Singularity again. The book is bleak, hard science fiction, full of ideas, and leaves you with that slightly altered-state aftertaste you get from the best science fiction. Plus, you know, vampires in space. I liked it.
