The Dish #1

So what's currently hot, aside from me that is. Anyway let's skip over that part, here we have some of my latest reads, and I must tell you that they are wonderful. Not that you won't find that out for yourself.

“Too much change is as destructive as too little. Only at the edge of chaos can complex systems flourish.” 

Really unexpected, but this turned out to be a more philosophical and horribly existential read than a dinosaur packed blood fountain. Don't get me wrong, because it also is, and we have Crichton to thank. 

It reminded me of my first Crichton experience, Congo, a tasteful, tasteful concoction of a hearty plate of gore mixed with an unrelenting sense of futility and urgency. Although here and there, one can see a semblance, if not a pattern, but it really doesn't matter since Crichton went and delivered. 

Like a fresh breeze, The Lost World related a unique view on extinction and the groundwork of life in its entirety. No, it's not a faith-inducing work, well not necessarily. Rather it speaks of interdependence and adaptation of communally aware species shadowed with human sentiment. But what do I know, read it yourself. 

I mean, read it now. Well after reading the rest of the post.

  “By the same token, if you use your mind and ponder well what I am telling you, you will realize that in not being everywhere, that is, in all those fascinating places, you are nearly nowhere at all.”

I did not read the whole book though, well not yet, but the one story I picked from another Lem masterpiece did not disappoint. Automatthew's Friend was truly remarkable. A short story of decent length, bordering from a Poe to a Lovecraft, it tells of an automaton (read: robot) who has an almost microscopic computer-robot friend, Alfred, that he has with him all the time. It's actually inside his metallic ear cavities. And it talks, is smart, can only be heard by Automatthew or whomever happens to have it lodged in their ear.

Less of the sci-fi babble, I am telling you, I have never read a story so depicting human emotion and posture. Finding himself in a very unbecoming situation, Automatthew was overcome with a fluctuating view of reality that is more than enhanced as well as insinuated by Alfred. I can't even begin to talk about how Lem talked about realities and existence. Just this, the what is real for one is not exactly what exists for another.

 Have this in not more than 15 or so pages and with a temperamental robot, what a great deal. But in all seriousness, I implore you to join me in every waking moment in being preoccupied from all events because of this little bugger.

  

As of the moment I'm reading Waiting For Godot, a play by Samuel Beckett. Among other things.

I'm shy and I don't like sappy things, yes this is my first post. Shut up.