Path Dependence
AI has a path dependence problem.
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reviews
Book Review: Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway
Titanium Noir is a noir novel first, set in an interesting world second. World-building and story take a backseat to tone and genre conventions, which is
Read essayReview: If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
by Elizier Yudkowsky and Nate Soares (2025)
Read essayPlayground by Richard Powers
I read most of "Playground" in a rattly old plane as it shook and juddered over the Atlantic and then the vast emptiness of Russia before landing in New
Read essayThe Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor
In times of rapid change, fiction serves as a reflective lens, casting light on current anxieties and offering insights beyond simple commentary. "The
Read essayBook Review: “Artificial Intelligence – A Guide for Thinking Humans” by Melanie Mitchell
Melanie Mitchell's book "Artificial Intelligence - A Guide for Thinking Humans" is a primer on AI, its history, its applications, and where the author sees it
Read essayLess Certainty, More Enquiry
Maria Konnikova is a journalist, writer, and professional poker player. I came across her an interview with her on the excellent Knowledge Project podcast.
Read essayReview: Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
I read a lot of science fiction. I find reading science fiction diverting, stimulating and usually a lot of fun. I finish most books in three to five days
Read essayReview: Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
Review based on a copy sent to me by NetGalley
Read essayReview: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
"Oryx and Crake" is a beautifully written book set in a dystopian future where genetic engineering has gone wrong.
Read essayReview: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King starts off with a horrendous crime. A man drives a large Mercedes into a group of people waiting to go into a jobs fair. It is an
Read essayReview: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
I read “The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet” (TLW) in one sitting on a long flight. At the time, it felt like a particularly enjoyable story arc from Star
Read essayReview: The Water Knife by Paulo Bacigalupi
The Water Knife is a lives up to its title: it's a sharp, mean and violent story set in a grim near future US on the verge of civil war over water. The story
Read essayReview: Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds
Review based on a copy received from NetGalley and Tachyon Publications
Read essayReview: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven is a book that cannot be categorised easily. Is it science fiction? Is is literary fiction? Is it post-apocalyptic fiction? It is all of the
Read essayReview: Poseidon’s Wake by Alastair Reynolds
Poseidon's Wake is the third volume in the Poseidon's Children series by Alastair Reynolds. The events of this book are set a few centuries in the future from
Read essayReview: Daemon by Daniel Suarez
TLDR - Daemon starts off as a promising techno-thriller with a somewhat plausible premise but ends up being a run of the mill action roller coaster with
Read essayReview: Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein
Read essayReview: Vishnu’s Crowded Temple by Maria Misra
Vishnu's Crowded Temple is an intriguing take on the history of modern India. As the title indicates, the book focuses on the politics of late British Raj in
Read essayReview: The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
My rating : 3.5/5
Read essayReview: Existence by David Brin
(2 and a half stars out of five)
Read essayReview: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
4 Stars
Read essayReview: Great North Road by Peter Hamilton
3.5 StarsGreat North Road is a rather long, but very enjoyable book. The book is set in the twenty second century. There are two main plot strands. The first
Read essayReview: A.I. Apocalypse by William Hertling
A.I. Apocalypse is Mr. Hertling's second book and a direct sequel to "Avogadro Corp".
Read essayReview: The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief is delightful yet difficult science fiction. It is Mr. Rajaniemi's debut novel and it is set in a world that is quite unlike
Read essayReview: Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears by William Hertling
I read William Hertling's Avogadro Corp in a single sitting. It is a short, enjoyable but flawed book. It has much to offer for those who are interested in
Read essayReview: Leviathan Wakes by James Corey
I picked up Leviathan Wakes on the recommendation and reviews on Good Reads. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel Caliban's War.
Read essayReview: Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds
"Blue Remembered Earth" is the first of a new series, Poseidon's Children, by Alastair Reynolds. Unlike his previous work in the Revelation Space series, this
Read essayReview: Complexity: A Guided Tour by Melanie Mitchell
How does an ant colony organize itself? How does the immune system work? What is the similarity between the world wide web and your brain?
Read essayReview: A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
"A Deepness in the Sky" is a Big Book. The plot unfolds via the point of view of multiple characters, both human and the "Spider" aliens. The story centers
Read essayReview: The Fear Index by Robert Harris
Review of Robert Harris's "The Fear Index"
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