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newnumber6Finished: Hominids, by Robert J. Sawyer
Started: The Moon and the Sun, by Vonda McIntyre
More comments and minor spoileryish stuff after the cut tag...
Anyway, Hominids was better than I expected. Although there were still a couple elements that annoyed me, I think it's one of Sawyer's better books.
My main problem was Neandertals seemed a little too 'good', with the idea that we're pretty dumb in comparison. On some level that's okay, but I really didn't get the sense that they had their own unique flaws... the big ones mentioned (the fact that everyone is constantly monitored and things like forced sterilizations of family for crimes) aren't really played up as bad... in at least one case, it's sort of suggested that 'the reason we consider it bad is because _we_ have these hangups. Still, I suspect the next book in the series will probably touch on the other end a little more. (I also didn't really like the explanation of why the Ponter's universe breached into ours, but hey, it's the technobabble that you allow to get into the story).
One of the things I did like about it was touching on 'atheist morality'. Being an atheist myself I certainly believe morality can be derived from ways other than God (it's interesting that I'm finished this book and I just finised watching the commentary for Objects in Space, in which Joss touches a bit on the same issue), but it highlighted a couple of things I wasn't really aware of on a conscious level.
For example... I tend to apologize where I can, even in instances where I truly believe the other party has hurt me more than I hurt them. I also try to be forgiving, as much as possible (of course, I'm not a saint, in either way, I have my occasional grudges and petty refusals to apologize once in a while).
The book sort of suggests that for those who lack any belief in a creator or afterlife, it's more important to make amends because you're aware that this life is all you get, there's no eternal time after you die to make up with people. If you die with some bitter disagreement with someone, then that person might have to live the rest of their existance without being forgiven. Likewise, if someone else dies, you'd have to live with that the last thing you said to them was something hurtful and mean. And you can't salve your conscience of hurting people with the notion that they'll be super-happy in the afterlife, either.
So, interesting. I liked the book enough that I'll probably pick up the next book int he series, Humans, somewhere down the line, maybe if I find it used.
The Moon and the Sun is sort of an alternate history taking place in France of the 17th century or thereabouts. So far, anyway, what's 'alternate' is that sea monsters are real, and one has been captured by one of the main characters in the book, and brought back alive for study and for the King's amusement. So far it's not bad, but I'm not terribly into all the courtly maneuverings of royalty and such, and am far more interested in the sea monster itself... so much that I almost find myself skipping ahead so they'll just get on with it. Still, I'm not too far into it, perhaps, as sometimes happens, the rest of the story will absorb me more.
Started: The Moon and the Sun, by Vonda McIntyre
More comments and minor spoileryish stuff after the cut tag...
Anyway, Hominids was better than I expected. Although there were still a couple elements that annoyed me, I think it's one of Sawyer's better books.
My main problem was Neandertals seemed a little too 'good', with the idea that we're pretty dumb in comparison. On some level that's okay, but I really didn't get the sense that they had their own unique flaws... the big ones mentioned (the fact that everyone is constantly monitored and things like forced sterilizations of family for crimes) aren't really played up as bad... in at least one case, it's sort of suggested that 'the reason we consider it bad is because _we_ have these hangups. Still, I suspect the next book in the series will probably touch on the other end a little more. (I also didn't really like the explanation of why the Ponter's universe breached into ours, but hey, it's the technobabble that you allow to get into the story).
One of the things I did like about it was touching on 'atheist morality'. Being an atheist myself I certainly believe morality can be derived from ways other than God (it's interesting that I'm finished this book and I just finised watching the commentary for Objects in Space, in which Joss touches a bit on the same issue), but it highlighted a couple of things I wasn't really aware of on a conscious level.
For example... I tend to apologize where I can, even in instances where I truly believe the other party has hurt me more than I hurt them. I also try to be forgiving, as much as possible (of course, I'm not a saint, in either way, I have my occasional grudges and petty refusals to apologize once in a while).
The book sort of suggests that for those who lack any belief in a creator or afterlife, it's more important to make amends because you're aware that this life is all you get, there's no eternal time after you die to make up with people. If you die with some bitter disagreement with someone, then that person might have to live the rest of their existance without being forgiven. Likewise, if someone else dies, you'd have to live with that the last thing you said to them was something hurtful and mean. And you can't salve your conscience of hurting people with the notion that they'll be super-happy in the afterlife, either.
So, interesting. I liked the book enough that I'll probably pick up the next book int he series, Humans, somewhere down the line, maybe if I find it used.
The Moon and the Sun is sort of an alternate history taking place in France of the 17th century or thereabouts. So far, anyway, what's 'alternate' is that sea monsters are real, and one has been captured by one of the main characters in the book, and brought back alive for study and for the King's amusement. So far it's not bad, but I'm not terribly into all the courtly maneuverings of royalty and such, and am far more interested in the sea monster itself... so much that I almost find myself skipping ahead so they'll just get on with it. Still, I'm not too far into it, perhaps, as sometimes happens, the rest of the story will absorb me more.
