Mind Voyage live on Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks
Hello! Mind Voyages command center has been moved over to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks. Please join us for some brand new adventures or continue an old journey.
"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke
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Labels: 2017 52 Books in 52 Weeks
Moon Voyage : Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo Winners List
Sling shot back to Earth : Read at least 3 winners on the Nebula Winner's List
Venus Voyage: Philip K. Dick Quest - Read at least 2 of his books
Mercury Voyage : Robert Heinlein Quest - Read at least 2 of his books
Mars Voyage : Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo List and take a side trip through the 21st century and read at least 4 nominees.
Go into Warp Drive and visit the other planets
Jupiter Voyage : Go side tripping 90's Style
Saturn : Go Side Tripping 80's Style
Uranus : Go Side Tripping 70's Style
Neptune Voyage : Go Side Tripping through the 50's and 60's
The I'm going to Pluto because Pluto is still a planet as far as I'm concerned Voyage: Mix it up, choose the number of books you want to read from each voyage, include some new books you pick up along the way and enjoy the ride.
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Labels: 52 Books, mind voyages
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Labels: July Reviews
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"Mike was not official name; I had nicknamed him for Mycroft Holmes, in a story written by Dr. Watson before he founded IBM. This story character would just sit and think--and that's what Mike did. Mike was a fair dinkum thinkum, sharpest computer you'll ever meet." (pg 11-12)
"But on Monday, 13 may 2074 I was in computer room of Lunar Authority Complex, visiting with computer boss Mike while other machines whispered among themselves.
Some logics get nervous breakdowns. Overloaded phone system behaves like frightened child. Mike did not have upsets, acquired sense of humor instead. Low one. If he were a man, you wouldn't dare stoop over. His idea of thigh-slapper would be to dump you out of bed--or put itch powder in pressure suit.
Not being equipped for that, Mike indulged in phony answers with skewed logic, or pranks like issuing pay cheque to a janitor in Authority's Luna City office for $10,000,000,000,000,185.15--last five digits being correct amount. Just a great big overgrown lovable kid who ought to be kicked." (pg 13)
"Comrade members, like fire and fusion, government is a dangerous servant and a terrible master. You now have freedom--if you can keep it. But do remember that you can lose this freedom more quickly to yourselves than to any other tyrant. Move slowly, be hesitant, puzzle out the consequences of every word. I would not be unhappy if this convention sat for ten years before reporting--but I would be frightened if you took less than one year.
Distrust the obvious, suspect the traditional...for in the past mankind has not done well when saddling itself with governments....
I note one proposal to make this congress a two house body. Excellent--the more impediments to legislation the better. But, instead of following tradition, I suggest one house of legislators, another whose single duty is to repeal laws. let the legislators pass laws only with a two-thirds majority....while the repealers are able to cancel any law through a mere one-third majority. Preposterous? Think about it. If a bill is so poor that it cannot command two thirds of your consents, is it not likely that it would make a poor law? And if a law is disliked by as many as one third is it not likely that you would be better off without it?
But in writing your constitution let me invite attention to the wonderful virtues of the negative! Accentuate the negative! Let your document be studded with things the government is forever forbidden to do. No conscript armies..no interference however slight with freedom of press, or speech, or travel, or assembly, or of religion, or of instruction, or communication, or occupation...no involuntary taxation. Comrades, if you were to spend five years in a study of history while thinking of more and more things that your government should promise never to do and then let your constitution be nothing but those negatives, I would not fear the outcome." (page 301 - 302)
Libertarianism is the view that each person has the right to live his life in any way he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others. Libertarians defend each person's right to life, liberty, and property--rights that people have naturally, before governments are created. In the libertarian view, all human relationships should be voluntary; the only actions that should be forbidden by law are those that involve the initiation of force against those who have not themselves used force--actions like murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, and fraud.
"People with particular slants seem to latch onto one work or another that suits their opinions or biases and take it as being representative of all of Heinlein. "Starship Troopers" is regarded by some 'fascist' (particularly after the hideous distortion presented in the movie version), it isn't . "Stranger in a Strange Land" became a banner book for liberals--yet it was written at the same time as "Starship Troopers" so couple the contradictions together on that account. Libertarians adore "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" with the anarchistic type of society that works so well, yet Heinlein came along with "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" and smashed that same perfect setup to bits, showing the potential unpleasant outcome. For every political or social stance you care to choose to assign to Heinlein you can probably find something in his writing to support that opinion... and something else to contradict it"
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Labels: Ray Bradbury, SFF Masterworks, Something Wicked This Way Comes
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Labels: 2010 Hugo Nominee
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