Category Archives: Books

Murderbot TV series coming May 16

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Martha Wells’ award-winning sci-fi book series will soon be a streaming series, co-created by Chris and Paul Weitz and starring Alexander Skarsgård. Murderbot is described in an Apple TV+ press release as a “comedic thriller,” which matches up with the books; Skarsgård plays the title character, “a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients … Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.”

This is pretty much how I pictured Murderbot.

Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries is a science fiction series centered around a self-aware security android that has hacked its own governor module, allowing it to act independently. Rather than fulfilling its assigned duties, it prefers to binge-watch entertainment feeds and avoid human interaction. However, when its human clients face danger, Murderbot reluctantly steps in, often grappling with its own identity, autonomy, and the moral implications of its actions.

The series begins with All Systems Red (2017), where Murderbot protects a group of scientists from corporate sabotage. As the series progresses, it embarks on a journey of self-discovery, questioning what it means to be free while uncovering deep corporate conspiracies. The series blends action, humor, and existential reflection, making it a unique and engaging read. Murderbot’s dry wit and awkwardness make it a relatable and beloved protagonist in modern sci-fi. (ChatGPT)

“This IBM machine”

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“This IBM machine was the key to WOOC(P)’s reputation, for it enabled us to have files of information around which no one could correlate except with the machine set the correct way. For instance, a list of three hundred names meant nothing, a list of three hundred house numbers meant nothing, a list of three hundred street names, cities, and a pile of photos meant nothing. On the machine and suddenly – each photo had an address. On the machine again and thirty cards were rejected, and only Dalby knew whether those thirty were left-handed pistol shots, Young Conservatives, or bricklayers fluent in Mandarin. Dalby liked it, it was quick, more efficient than humans, and it made Dalby one of the most powerful men in England.”

— The Ipcress File by Len Deighton (1962)

The Bernard Sampson series

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Len Deighton’s Bernard Samson series spans the late 1970s through the late 1980s, covering the Cold War espionage world from London to Berlin, Washington, and beyond. The overarching narrative revolves around Bernard Samson, a British intelligence officer caught in a web of deception, shifting loyalties, and Cold War politics.

The series is set primarily in London and Berlin, with key events also occurring in Vienna, Washington D.C., and Mexico City.  The timeline begins in the late 1970s, at the height of Cold War tensions, and progresses through the mid-to-late 1980s.

In a 2014 interview, Deighton mentioned that the final trilogy was more of a ‘ghost’ idea, and he never progressed far in writing it. He considered retelling the entire story in one volume but couldn’t decide on the narrative perspective, pondering options like first person, third person, or even from the viewpoint of Bernard’s son. He admitted, “I’m still thinking about it.” 

Additionally, Deighton emphasized the importance of thorough planning and research in crafting his novels. He advised aspiring writers to be prepared to devote a significant amount of time to their work, writing every day, even if it’s just notes and research. He shared that he never completed a book in less than a year, with most taking longer.

Dog

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I can hear him out in the kitchen,
his lapping the night’s only music,
head bowed over the waterbowl
like an illustration in a book for boys.

He enters the room with such etiquette,
licking my bare ankle as if he understood
the Braille of the skin.

Then he makes three circles around himself,
flattening his ancient memory of tall grass
before dropping his weight with a sigh on the floor.

This is the spot where he will spend the night,
his ears listening for the syllable of his name,
his tongue hidden in his long mouth
like a strange naked hermit in a cave.

—Questions About Angels by Billy Collins

ONISM

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ONISM — the awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience

“It’s strange how little of the world you actually get to see. No matter where on Earth you happen to be standing, the horizon you see in the distance is only ever about three miles away from you, a bit less than five kilometers. Which means that at any given time, you’re barely more than an hour’s walk from a completely different world. Alas, even if you lace up your boots and take off for the hills, the circle of your horizon will follow you around like a prison searchlight.”

From The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig