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François

FrankAuLux@outside.ofa.dog

Joined 1 year, 6 months ago

Retired linguist/law/IT. Avid reader in all languages (see polyglot.city/@FrankauLux/), both paper and ebooks. Mostly fictions these days.

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François's books

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Success! François has read 101 of 52 books.

finished reading The Burning world by J. G. Ballard

The Burning world (1964, Berkley) No rating

In contrast to Ballard's earlier novel The Drowned World, The Burning World describes a world …

"The drowned world" is a book I have read several times, in several languages. Just like "The Martian chronicles", it symbolizes for me the "fin de siècle", end of an era, feeling that, being old, I can't help feeling sometimes. So when I discovered that Ballard had written a trilogy of "world", I had to read the others. "The Burning world", as far as I am concerned, is a variation on a theme. Much of the mood is very similar to the drowned world; it almost seems like an episode in a series. Not bad at all, but afaic, it doesn't rise to "The Drowned world".

Angel of Vengeance (2024, Grand Central Publishing) No rating

Constance Greene confronts Manhattan’s most dangerous serial killer, Enoch Leng, bartering for her sister's life …

Well, that's a chapter closed. Not too sure about this one - it does wrap up, but not entirely satisfied for some reason. Feels a bit like cheap trick. Maybe I just read too many of those in too short a time and they become kind of predictable. Makes for an entertain reading all the same.

Accelerando (2005, Ace Books) 2 stars

The Singularity. It is the era of the posthuman. Artificial intelligences have surpassed the limits …

Gibson is the first thing that springs to mind. The first part of the book is breathtaking - loads of things to take in as the new world unfolds around you. After it slows down, and winds up to a logical conclusion. Very nice - a bit heavy at times. The book has received many sci-fi awards and is available for free amongst other places here www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando-intro.html . Definitely a good read, even if I didn't enjoy the third part as much as the first 2.

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (2016) 5 stars

This playful, entertaining, and mind-bending introduction to modern physics briskly explains Einstein’s general relativity, quantum …

Brilliant is the word.

5 stars

Most excellent. If you are mildly interrested in sciences, this is a must. The assumed starting level is zero and it will take you by the hand up a gentle slope. If you are a scientist, it may be a bit simple, but you might learn things outside your field as in brushes around physics, cosmology, and even philosophy. Definitely recommended.

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (2016) 5 stars

This playful, entertaining, and mind-bending introduction to modern physics briskly explains Einstein’s general relativity, quantum …

Most excellent. If you are mildly interrested in sciences, this is a must. The assumed starting level is zero and it will take you by the hand up a gentle slope. If you are a scientist, it may be a bit simple, but you might learn things outside your field as in brushes around physics, cosmology, and even philosophy. Definitely recommended.

Bloodless (Paperback, 2022, Grand Central Publishing) No rating

On the evening of November 24, 1971, D. B. Cooper hijacked Flight 305—Portland to Seattle—with …

Well, I thought the previous one was pretty crazy, but this one manages to top it up. In a way I like it because it gets funnier - the banter between the 2 agents is quite amusing.