The Bird's Nest by Shirley Jackson.

I chose this novel more or less randomly from my Library App. I have read The Haunting of Hill House and The Lotery by Jackson but I have never heard of The Bird's Nest. I checked it out out of curiosity.

 This is a gripping, dark, psychological tale of a woman with multiple personality disorder. I loved Jackson's narrative and the multiple (unreliable) pov, including some of the woman's personalities, the doctor's and the woman's aunt. Totally immersive, the novel submerges the reader into the protagonist's head, her descent into madness, internal battles, contradicting stories, and her 4 personalities, each more broken than the other. 

I don't know how accurate Jackson's depiction of mental illness is in this novel, but to me the protagonist struggle seemed real. Perhaps the doctor's approach wasn't as believable but it was the 1950s and he was a peculiar character too. The protagonist's aunt was the character who made me doubt most of the time. Loved her ambiguity.

The Vampire by John William Polidori.

Quick read. 16 pages in this beautiful #canterburyclassics anthology. A dark, atmospheric gothic tale. A thirsty monster, a female target and a hero (?) who sinks into madness. Beautiful.

Diaspora by Greg Egan.

Many centuries in the future a cosmic cataclysm threatens earth. A colision between two neutron stars will destroy every organic live in the galaxy. Humanity has divided into 3. The fleshers, some of whom have improved their bodies with genetic and technological enhancements. The rest have digitised their minds and are living either in robots or in polises in supercomputers. After the gamma-ray flash the posthumans set on a journey to understand the logic of the collision and why they couldn't predict it in time. 

This was a complex read. Starting from chapter one depicting the birth of a digital human (a posthuman), to the explanation of cosmic phenomena, to the peculiarities of digital life, cloning, immortality, multidimensional space and the scope of the story which takes place across thousands of years. 

A Concept driven novel, as opposed to character or plot driven. Thought provoking, mind blowing ideas.

New Scientist. Essential Guide N°2. Artificial Intelligence. The Past, Present and Future of Machines that think. Edited by Richard Webb.

Concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, statistical analysis and pattern recognition. Advances in science, medicine, transport and others. My favourite chapter, AI and society, ethical, moral, social, legal, etc, impact on society, now and in the future. Excellent read.

De Profundis and Other Prison Writings by Oscar Wilde.

De Profundis is a letter to Alfred Douglas, Wilde's lover, and The Others are letters to friends and authorities, before during and after imprisonment. There is also a Poem titled The Ballad of Reading Gaol.  

These writings provide insights into Wilde's psychological and emotional state during his catastrophic descend into bankruptcy, divorce, loss of social status and public humiliation when he was sent to prison. After almost 2 years of imprisonment Wilde decides to write to his lover, not a love letter but an account of their relationship, I guess, to set the record straight. In De Profundis Wilde lists, in impressive detail, episodes of reckless and abusive behaviour by Douglas, rows and reconciliations. The writer explains how he tried to end their relationship in several occasions but always failed. The letter also explains how Douglas and family are to blame for his imprisonment. However Wilde also blamed himself for not following his instincts. Towards the end the tone of the letter is more of resignation and acceptance perhaps revealing Wilde's spiritual growth. He acknowledges excesses in his past life and shows a resolution to live a better life in the future. 

In addition to the above, I have to confess that reading these letters was a pleasure as Wilde's writing is so Beautiful! . This edition comes with an introduction by Colm Tóibín which I recommend reading before the letter as it provides the reader with historical context.