Weavers, Scribes and Kings. A new History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ 

 The best way to finish my reading year. Using archaeological sources, mainly texts from cuneiform clay tablets, this book relates stories of people in Ancient Mesopotamia. Starting in 3500 BCE Mesopotamia, from the Sumerian civilisation and Akkadian dominion to the raise and fall of many Mesopotamian city states, from old and Neo Assyria, to old and Neo Babylonian empires. Each chapter deals with a place and a time frame, highlighting the main historical events, kings and gods. Chapters also include one or more stories of common people: traders, barbers, priestesses, scribes, Ashipus (physician-exorcists) whose lives we know about thanks to tablets found with their names and references to legal or business activities or sometimes incantations. The author reconstructs their lives vividly, transforming those clay tablets into real people who lived 3, 4, 5 thousand years ago. 

I loved this book because of all the history that I learned. Kings like Sargon, Ur-namma, and Hammurabi, as well as Sargon II, Sennasherib and Nebuchadnezzar. Priestesses like Enheduana and Adad-Guppi. Wars, conquers, defeats, and deportations. But on top of this knowledge, the stories told about common people gave me a new perspective, a deeper understanding of how people lived and felt in ancient Mesopotamia. Those people are more real to me now. In a way, their lives were no different than ours. 

Something else I found very helpful was the extras. In addition to the usual Index, Bibliography and Notes, I liked the Cast of Main Characters - with names, professions, dates and chapters of all people mentioned in the stories and historical accounts (there are so many, and the ancient names are so different from ours) and the Timeline with important people and events, from 3500 BCE to 330 BCE. 

Recommend.

Time is the simplest thing by Clifford D. Simak

A good read but not as good as the other two novels in this omnibus. My favourite is Way Station and then a close second A Choice of Gods. Time is the simplest thing follows an interesting premise about evolved human telepaths and with other powers but failed to grab my full attention. I liked the idea of the protagonist merging his mind with one of an alien being. But little of that is explored or developed. Unexplained are also the origins of Fishhook, an obscure organisation of paranormal humans, and their use of alien technology.

Maigret and the Saturday Caller by Georges Simenon

Simenon delivers. The writing is good and the prose is fluid. The story and the crime are original. I liked the way the Detective Chief Inspector Maigret looks for clues and analyses the situation. He is patient and observant. It seems effortless. As an extra we are given some glimses into his life at home with his wife.

The Darkening Age. The Christian destruction of the classical world by Catherine Nixey

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

This book's got some interesting insights. There are things a kind of knew, but not really. A bit slow and repetitive at points, but overall, I am happy I read it. This is the story of how Christianity conquered Rome and destroyed most traces of their culture, philosophy, and religion. Main themes are: 

• The story of Roman persecution of the Christians has been exaggerated. 
• Early Christians were obsessed with demons and evil. 
• Early Christians, obsessed with martyrdom provoked Roman authorities into torturing and executing them. 
• There's evidence that many roman authorities tried to persuade wannabe martyrs as they did not want them to die. 
• Once Christians got into power, they became even more oppressive than the Romans. Their aim was total control over the population, Christian and non-christian: 
• *Roman/Pagan writings, sculptures, paintings, and temples were systematically destroyed. 
• *Christians were monitored and fed ideas about God observing them even in the privacy of their homes. 

The book relates some fascinating stories like the one about famous Greek mathematician Hypatia, who suffered a violent death, and Damascius, one of the last Greek philosophers who was exiled twice because of his beliefs. 

 Quote: "Centuries later, an Arab traveller would visit a town on the edge of Europe and reflect on what had happened in the Roman Empire. 'During the early days of the empire of thr Rum,' he wrote- meaning the Roman and Byzantine Empire- 'the Sciences were honoured and enjoyed universal respect. From an already solid and grandiose foundation, they were raised to greater heights every day, until the Christian religion made its appearance among the Rum; this was a fatal blow to the edifice of learning, it's traces disappeared and it's pathways were effaced.' There was one final loss too. This loss is even more rarely remembered than all the others, but in its way it is almost as important. The very memory that there was any opposition at all to Christianity faded. The idea that philosophers might have fought fiercely, with all they had against Christianity was - is - passed over. The idea that many were alarmed at the spread of this violently intolerant religion fades from view. The idea that many were not delighted but instead disgusted by the sight of burning and demolished temples was - is - brushed aside. The idea that intellectuals were appalled- and scared - by the sight of books burning in tyres, is forgotten. Christianity told the generations that followed that their victory over the old world was celebrated by all, and the generations that followed believed it."

Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ 

Third book in the Culture series and so far my favourite of the three I have read (I've also read Consider Phlebas and Player of Games). 

The novel follows Cheradenine Zakalwe, a murky character, with a more than obscure past. He's the perfect soldier who can turn almost anything into a weapon. He does not belong in the Culture but works for them in the Special Circumstances (division?). The Culture have a policy of not interfering with other civilisations, but obviously, they do, in "Special Circumstances". 

The structure of the novel is nonlinear, with chapters recounting Zakalwe's latest mission in the present, intercalated with flashback chapters (chronologically in reverse) narrating the story of Zakalwe since childhood and previous missions. Initially, this structure felt confusing and made my reading harder. The story seemed to be all over the place, just like the protagonist’s mind... and then it clicked. 

This is a powerful story with layers and layers of meaning. From the protagonist’s complexity, his questionable morality, violence and vulnerability to the backdrop of the Culture, of which we get only fragments of its ideologies, society and technology. But those bits and pieces are enough to imagine the enormous scale of their power and knowledge. The ending is great, shocking and unexpected. 

Recommend.

Enuma Elish. The Babylonian Epic of Creation by Johannes Haubold, Sophu Helle, Enrique Jiménez & Selena Wisbom

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 

 I'm not very much into (old or modern) poetry, but this ancient Epic talks to me. I don't think I would have had such a good experience reading this if not for the excellent introduction (by Sophus Helle) and the excellent 13 essays by Assyriologists, Cuneiform scholars, ancient language experts and near and middle east historians. The Enuma Elish is beautiful. I imagine those ancient scholars and priests reciting the poem in front of big audiences during the famous akītu festival. The Epic is a layered narrative covering themes such as the creation of the universe, Babylonian theology and astronomy but the main theme as interpreted by experts is the justification and establishment of the supremacy of Marduk, god of Babylon. The essays cover topics such as historical and political backgrounds (Gösta Gabriel describes the poem as "not only a poetic masterpiece, but also a masterpiece of political thought"), language and linguistic analyses, ancient cuneiform sources and later works influenced or inspired by the Epic, one of which is the famous Genesis 1, from the bible. The author of this essay speculates that the Genesis 1 text might have been composed during the Babylonian exile where the Judean elite might have come across Babylonian literature. And to end a quote on the intertextuality of the Epic: "the poem draws on a wide range of different sources and weaves together motifs to create an entirely new tapestry. It's use of earlier material is skillful and not merely a matter of stitching together, but also of transforming it's sources. The threads are discernible, but they have created something very different from the original compositions." (Selena Wisnom) Recommend.

Lone Sloane. Salammbô by Philippe Druillet, based on the novel Salammbô by Gustave Flaubert

Both story and art are superb. There is not much SF in this comic book. Lone Sloane lands on a strange planet resembling the ancient Messopotamic/North African period. There are humans as well as other kinds of animals (or monsters). There, the hero takes the identity of Mathô, a warrior, who fights with an enormous army against the powers of Carthage. Mathô falls in love (or becomes obsessed) with a princess called Salammbô, and obviously loses his mind trying to find her. The story is an adaptation of Flaubert's famous work. I am not sure how faithful this Lone Sloane adventure is to the original work but I can say two things: 1) Mathô captures the personality of Lone Sloane and 2) the setting and the aesthetic are decadent and violent.

The Storytelling Animal. How stories make us human by Jonathan Gottschall.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ 

Why do we create stories, and what function do they have in our lives? 

We make up stories of all kinds. We create stories when we are awake, when we sleep, and when we daydream. Stories are everywhere. Just think how we try to explain our past: as historians and archaeologists piece together clues to create stories, which include distortions and omissions. The author argues that history might be closer to myths than a recollection of the actual past. And what about ancient myths and legends. How and why were they created? Why did our ancestors sit around fire to tell each other stories? Think about the enormous body of fictional literature that we have and the millions of people who read and love them. 

In this book Gottschall introdues the concept of the storytelling mind and presents some literary, psychological and evolutionary perspectives to explain why we evolved to love stories, why and how the brain creates stories and how they affect us. 

My personal takeaway is that evolution designed our minds to enjoy stories because stories help us to put some order in our lives and in the views of the world in which we live. With stories,we can explain why things are the way they are. It doesn't matter if they are actually true or scientific facts. What's important in stories is that they give us meaning. Gottshall follows this line of reasoning in chapter 6 to discuss religion. He says: "Religion is the ultimate expression of story's dominion over our minds." 

Another interesting perspective is that stories help us get ready for life. Stories can affect us mentally as well as physically. In that sense, they help us practice skills for human social life. A good example is children's play. 

Recommend.

The Ark before Noah. Decoding the Story of the Flood by Irving Finkel

Excellent book! Finkel is a curator at the British museum, Assyriologist, and expert in cuneiform tablets. This book explains how Mesopotamian clay tables were discovered and interpreted, revealing ancient stories such as the famous Flood Story, previously thought to be an original story from the Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. 

It turns out that the Flood Story origins are in ancient Sumeria. Initially, it was transmitted orally until the establishment of cuneiform writing in the 2nd millennium BC, when multiple copies and versions were made. As centuries passed and other cultures appeared in the area, the tablets were translated and slightly adapted from Sumerian to Akkadian in both their Assyrian and Babylonian versions. The whole history is fascinating. 

Finkel also discusses the connections between the cuneiform stories and the Hebrew bible. So, the Flood and the Ark story has its equivalent in the Genesis. The Legend of Sargon (an Akkadian king) resembles very much the story of baby Moses. And the Great Ages of Man, a list of Mesopotamian kings has its equivalent in the bible. 

After a thorough and super interesting analysis, Finkle explains that these similarities can be explained by the absorption of Babylonian beliefs and culture by the Judeans during the Babylonian exile from 597 BC. As the Judeans needed to keep their identity intact, they decided they needed their own written history. For that, they adapted some of their own writings, keeping the parts that were convenient and mixed them with adapted sections of Babylonian stories. Finkel explains that the assimilation was likely as both judeans and babylonians spoke Aramaic, and that the mentioned cuneiform stories were part of the school curriculum as demonstrated in various clay tablets. 

To end a quote: "... it can be argued that the Babylonian exile, far from being the disaster it is usually judged, was ultimately the process that forged what became modern Judaism."

 

Last and first men by Olaf Stapledon. 😕😕😔 This book was torture. It was hard to read and painful. I suffered. The introduction gave me much hope though. The main themes sounded super interesting. Is there any SF reader who has not wondered or speculated about the future of human kind, not in a few hundred years but millions of years? 

Although a human from the future narrated the story, it felt more like a 20th-century machine. Think robot speech. This book has no characters or plot. Instead, it recounts a fictional historical account that includes biological and psychological changes in humans for millions of years. Some events are interesting, but I found most, especially in the first third of the book, utterly boring. I had to read the physical book accompanied by an audio book to be able to finish. I didn't enjoy the experience, but I liked the ending. It is a kind of philosophical reflection on our existence and purpose, I guess. 

 I won't say Last and First men was worth reading just for the last 2 pages, but I think of those pages as a reward for my sacrifice.

Remedios Varo: Science Fictions

Beautiful book showcasing Varo's art and her life, from Spain and France to Mexico. Varo was mainly a surrealist, interested in themes like alchemy, esoterism, science and psychology and influenced by George Gurdjieff, a Russian mystic and philosopher. 

Most of her important works picture strange characters travelling, playing music, working or just staring at you. Varo also included strange esoteric (and other kinds) symbols. The book helps the readers to identify and understand them. There are also explanations of the techniques the artist used. The art, I think, is exquisite and thought-provoking.

The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon. An Inspector Maigret novel.

It's a nice short novel. Loved Simenon's writing and the story. Slow paced but gripping. Inspector Maigret is a mystery. Not much is revealed about him in this book. I guess one would have to read one or two more books in the series to get a better idea. I grabbed this book from my public library as I read somewhere Simenon is a classic French noir. The Hanged Man was the only book they had. I'm glad I read it. I'll grab another Inspector Maigret story next time I get a chance.

From Above. An (Info)graphic Novel by Martin Panchaud

A light mystery story drawn in a super cool graphic format, fun and easy to read. It reminded me of Wassily Kandinsky's art, just a bit. There are some beautiful panels, a couple of fun twists and loved the end. 

Recommend.

Being Happy by Epicurus

About 3 weeks ago (6 posts ago), I finished a book titled Heaven and Hell. From it, I got plenty of inspiration for further reading. I have already read The Epic of Gilgamesh which I loved. Now, I found this tiny edition by Epicurus in my local library, which is also mentioned in Heaven and Hell. In that book, which delves into concepts of the afterlife, the author discusses Epicurus' view that the soul is a physical entity and that sensation occurs only while the soul is connected to the body; at death the soul ceases to exist. 

In Being Happy, I found some interesting quotes about the soul, pleasure, and death. I confess I struggled to get through the book. I'm not sure whether that was because of the translation or some other reason, but i think I prefer encountering these ideas as interpreted by more contemporary authors. Regardless, it was worth reading this book to get an idea of Epicurus' thoughts. 

"The irreligious man is not the person who destroys the gods of the masses but the person who imposes the ideas of the masses on the gods."

Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo

It's a nice short crime novel. First published in 1965, it felt like a time machine, transporting me to a time when international telephone connections were not reliable, and detectives had to send letters and replies took days. Beck's character is not a Sherlock Holmes. He's got problems, but it's interesting to see how he studies the clues and the suspects. The murder, the investigation, and the whole story were gripping. I couldn't put the book down. 

This edition came with an introduction by Henning Mankell, who confeses his admiration for Sjowall and Wahloo. Mankell explains how the couple "broke with the hopelessly stereotyped character descriptions that were so prevalent. They showed people evolving right before the reader's eyes."

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect. A novel by Roger Williams

This novel blew my mind. It deals with themes such as Artificial Intelligence, Singularity, God, Power, Nihilism and Existentialism.

In just 168 pages, with only two main characters and an AI (plus a few minor figures), Williams dismantles the world as we know it and rebuilds it some sort of virtual reality. Much of the setup is explained carefully and feels believable, except for a crucial technological miracle—the correlation effect—which isn’t explored in much detail. I wish it had been explained further as it was this device which granted Prime Intellect unlimited power and elevated it into the level of a god. Still, the scope of ideas and the strength of the plot are outstanding. 

The book delves into the consciousness of an AI called Prime Intellect, designed to learn, evolve, and push the limits of what it can become—all while adhering to Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. It also examines the psyche of its creator, exposing his ego, intellect, and underlying motives. What fascinated me most was the exploration of the AI’s growing awareness of its responsibilities and the choices it makes, always bound by the Three Laws. The repercussions of Prime Intellect’s decisions are profound, reshaping human existence itself, though the AI believes it is acting for humanity’s own benefit. 

The novel doesn’t just focus on the AI; it also probes into the human condition in the aftermath of the singularity. While the outcome may appear utopian in theory, it is anything but. Humanity is left in a self-destructive, bleak state and lacking purpose. The story contains extremely violent and gory scenes which initially seemed unnecessary, but I guess Williams was trying to emphasise humanity’s self-destructive tendencies when devoid of purpose. 

Near the end of the story (around page 138), there’s a conversation between the two main characters that I found especially engaging. The discussion centres on the nature of Prime Intellect and its actions, unveiling the novel’s main ideas on the consequences of a singularity on human nature and on the efficacy of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. Recommend.

Postsingular by Rudy Rucker

A few years back, while reading about singularities, transhumanism, and science fiction, I came across a couple of recommendations that stuck with me: Greg Egan’s Diaspora, which I absolutely loved and rated five stars, and Rudy Rucker’s Postsingular, which I’ve just finished reading… and deeply disliked. 

Postsingular has a good start with good ideas which got me hooked for 4 chapters. Chapter 5 is a bit confusing, still good ideas, but the writing goes down-hill. In Postsingular AI takes the form of nanomachines that can quickly reproduce and multiply. They invade and control the world, transforming it into a bad copy of a Philip K. Dick novel. They are also the key to other dimensions with alien entities. Rucker puts all that together and we end up with technological jargon mixed with surreal events, mixed with flat, uninteresting cardboard characters, “jumping” from place to place and dimension to dimension. In my opinion the treatment of the Singularity in this novel loses focus as other elements take over: bad actors seeking to control nanomachines for their own ends, the presence of aliens, and the impact on a society hooked on both technology and drugs. Rather than exploring the Singularity in any real depth, the novel uses it mainly as a device to create a chaotic world. 

Do not recommend it. Read something else.

Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle

As a teen I read an Argentinian comic series about Gilgamesh, who unlike the original epic, is given the gift of immortality. Great comic! Since then the character of Gilgamesh has always stuck with me. Recently I read a couple of books: The History of Magic by Chris Gosden, in which Gilgamesh is briefly mentioned, and Heaven and Hell by Bart D. Ehrman in which the author explores the ideas of the afterlife in the epic. Both readings renovated my curiosity and motivated me to read the actual epic. After some research, I found this translation by Helle which I can totally recommend, if you are more interested in clarity rather than exact fidelity to the original text. 

This edition includes an excellent introduction and 5 essays, 40 pages of notes, and 25 pages of bibliography. All are very useful to provide historical, literary, linguistic and archaeological context as well as highlighting the emotional, human, and psychological aspects of the poem. Reading about how Assyriologists, etc. worked to translate and piece together the remains of the Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, etc. tablet remains. All the different ways in which the tablets can be translated and interpreted. How the story of Gilgamesh evolved since ancient Sumerian times, in shorter poems, until some Babylonian scholar put the poems together to produce a longer version. The version that we have now has been pieced together from several tablet fragments, from different timeframes. Not all pieces have been found, so there are gaps in the text. Also, for some portions of the poem, there are several versions of the texts, so only one has been chosen and the rest were left. Helle explains how names and linguistic styles changed across millennia as culture, religion and language evolved. It is important to recognise the job of translators who must select the best versions of the text, and then translate them in a way that captures what they believe was the sentiment of the ancient Mesopotamian. 

The following is an extract from an Old Babylonian version of the Epic, which was removed from the Standard Babylonian version to be replaced by another monologue. This touches on the theme of immortality: 

“Gilgamesh where are you going? 

You will not find the life you seek. 

When gods created humankind, 

they decreed death for the humans, 

eternal life they kept for themselves. 

So, Gilgamesh, fill your belly, 

and be happy night and day. 

Let all your days be merry, 

dance and play day and night. 

Let your clothes be clean, 

wash your head in water. 

Look at the child holding your hand, 

and let your life delight in your lap. 

This is the fate of humankind.” 

In Dying to be Read an essay by Sophus Helle. 

The Epic is emotional, heroic, tragic and philosophical. I read it with increased interest, imagining how ancient people would seat around reciting, singing or acting the story, century after century. I totally recommend the Epic, and this translation, especially if you are interested in themes like attitudes towards death and immortality: as in “eternal life and of the literary kind.”

Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife by Bart D Ehrman

This is a superb examination of how the (Christian) belief in heaven and hell was developed. Starting from the epic of Gilgamesh, the Odyssey and Iliad by Homer and the Aeneid by Virgil, Ehrman thoroughly examines the views on the afterlife embedded in those works. This involves ideas on death itself. Is it the end or do we go somewhere? Ideas on the body and the soul (Greek: breath of life), the material body and the immaterial or glorified body. The end of life, the end of time. God, gods and their role in life and death. God’s role on suffering. Evil as a cosmic force against God. Is the Kingdom of God on Earth or on Heaven? Resurrection: will it happen at the end of time or right after we die? Who will God save, is it the righteous? is it the believers? Is it only the baptised? 

I enjoyed an examination of Socrates and Plato’s thoughts on the afterlife. I particularly liked a reference by Socrates, who encourage us not to fear death. If dead is annihilation, it will be like a dreamless sleep. We shouldn’t fear it. 

If death is a migration of the soul to the realm of the dead where one can meet the greats of Socrate’s civilisation, there is no reason to fear it. Plato said the goal of life is to escape the body so the soul can live on. Souls are immortal. Pleasure is not good because it ties a person to a body. Philosophers practice death when they dedicate their lives to the immortal soul. 

In addition to Socrates and Plato, Ehrman discusses other great Greeks and Romans, like Aristophanes, Lucian of Samostata, Epicurus and Lucretius with similar or slightly different views. 

All these ideas and more are examined in chronological order, following Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian writings. Ehrman examines writings from the Jewish bible/Old Testament, the New Testament Gospels, but the parts which I enjoyed the most were the discussions of the Apocrypha like the Apocalypse of Peter, the Apocalypse of Paul and the Gospel of Thomas. I could tell why the Church Fathers rejected those as the views are so much different from what we are left in the New Testament. But, even in the New Testament so many contradictions are left. Ehrman states that earlier Gospel of Mathew proposed apocalyptic views of the afterlife (views which Jesus shared: the kingdom of God will come soon to judge everyone). As years passed the writings were gradually de-apocalypticised. In the later Gospel of John the narrative changed to the Heaven and Hell dualism. After reading this book it became clear to me how ideas from Greek mythology influence (earlier) Christian thought. Ehrman states that this was a consequence of the Hellenisation of the Mediterranean. Many Christian thinkers from that time were not Jews but former Greek pagans who brought their beliefs on the afterlife with them. Also, texts were involuntarily or voluntarily altered, and in some cases, Ehrman states that some ideas were invented or made up. Words were put in Jesus’ mouth, which sometimes opposed what we assume he thought.

The Hercules Text by Jack McDevitt

This is a Message from Space story, Carl Sagan’s Contact or Stanislaw Lem’s His Master’s Voice. In terms of ideas, I think Hercules is more similar to His Master’s than to Contact, but I also think that Sagan took some inspiration from McDevitt’s novel. 

The writing is not bad. The plot is original. It is entertaining, engaging and thrilling at moments. It delivers some surprises here and there. The characters, geniuses, scientists are not fully fleshed out but are not one-dimensional either. I empathised with two or three of them. The discovery of the message, the process of decoding (the geek side of me appreciated this bit) and dissemination (or not) of the findings encapsulate some ethical questions which I liked discovering. What I enjoyed most were the philosophical, political, and religious debates between the main characters as they grappled with the knowledge they uncover and explore how it might be used for good or ill. I particularly loved the perspective of a psychologist who was more tuned towards the human side rather than the technical one. 

One small drawback was the main character’s early interactions. As a bureaucrat overseeing the Hercules text project, he often needed everything spelled out for him, struggling to grasp the scope and technical details of the discovery. 

The next 2 small drawbacks involve spoilers… 

 I would have expected a message sent from such a vast distance to be broadcast repeatedly—looped for years or even centuries—in the hope that someone might eventually receive it. In contrast, the Hercules message was transmitted for a surprisingly brief period, at least by human standards. The characters were incredibly lucky to be in exactly the right place at the right time to detect and record it. 

Apparently, the Hercules project were the only ones able to detect the message. No one else in the planet, not even the Russians, had the capabilities. A bit hard to believe for a 21st century story. 

A good read despite the above. Recommend if you liked Contact and/or His Master’s Voice.

The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden

Gosden defines Magic as emphasising “human connections with the universe, so that people are open to the workings of the universe and the universe is responsive to us. Magic is related to, but different from, the other two great strands of history, religion and science: the former focuses on god or gods, the latter a distanced understanding of physical reality.” This book is about all kinds of human-cosmos connections throughout human history. 

When I started reading this book, I had a narrow idea of magic: a hat and a rabbit, a magic wand, curses and haunted houses. The history of magic has opened my eyes to a much bigger spectrum of what can constitute magic. From ideas about the sky and stars, unexplained natural phenomena and unseen phenomena to myths and shamans, human emotions and perceptions, death and the dead. 

One thing I really liked about the history of magic is the concept of the triple helix: magic, religion, and science. Three apparently separate worldviews, which are actually connected and which Gosden uses as a framework of enquiry. Throughout the book religious and scientific knowledge is explored looking for their magical origins and or aspects. 

Drawing on archaeological, geological and historical records, Gosden relates the history of magic starting from thousands of years ago in the palaeolithic noting the meaning of everyday objects, cave paintings and burials. Then one of my favourite chapters, Mesopotamia and Egypt, including civilisations like Sumer and Babylon. The we get chapters for China, the Eurasian Steppe, Europe, the Jewish, the Greek and the Romans, and so much more, until the present day, where we find characters like Aleister Crowly, Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle. At the end of the book there is a short section about the sentience of matter, which I found very interesting.

Much has been discovered about these people's fascination with the stars, calendars, astrology—including the zodiac and horoscopes—and their beliefs about the dead. For so many cultures the dead are actually part of our societies. So for example, carrying with you the skull of a loved dead one would make a lot of sense. Myths and gods have a very tangible influence on our daily lives too. They do not belong to the supernatural but to our world. For ancient people and some modern too, there is no separation between the material world and the other world, whatever that is. We are all connected, we are all part of the same cosmos. 

I do not think I grasped everything this book had to give. I guess there is too much detail given about some sub-topics or historical periods I do not find interesting. I had to turn my brain on and off every now and then. Regardless this is a very good book. Recommend.

Decoding the Heavens: Solving the mystery of the world’s first computer by Jo Marchant

A brilliant book for a fascinating topic: The Antikythera Mechanism. This is an ancient device (2K years old approx.) thought to model the heavens (sun, moon, planets), predict eclipses, act as a calendar, and many other possible uses. It uses an intricate gear system which is delicate and precise at the same time. 

In Decoding the Heavens Marchant narrates the story of the Mechanism’s extraction from a shipwreck and subsequent storage at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens where it captured the interest of Valerios Stais, curator and director. It then goes on to describe the main attempts to decipher its function. This takes maybe a little under two thirds of the book. In chronological order, we follow the studies of Derek de Solla Price, who believed the device was a calendar computer, Michael T. Wright, who described it as a planetarium and Tony Freeth, who believed it was an eclipse predictor. The narrations are very interesting and at moments thrilling. The stories dive into history, astronomy, mathematics and astrology, going back as far as the Babylonians who were experts in arithmetic. Freeth’s story was particularly interesting as he used advanced X-Ray and CT imaging technologies to take high resolution images of the object and of the tiny/microscopic inscriptions embedded which are now believed to be instructions. 

There is no definitive conclusion as to the function of the mechanism. The Antikythera mechanism remains are extremely decayed and with pieces, or parts, which have never been found. However, from the investigations of the 3 experts (and more), we can be confident that it is a combination of systems for astronomical positions, eclipse prediction and calendar display, as well as other uses like the timing of Greek athletic games! 

The final chapter of the book tries to identify the designer/builder of the mechanism. Marchant enumerates a few possibilities: Hipparchus, Posidonius and Hero. She goes through what is known about their work and expertise and explains how or why they “could” be the ones. 

With all this information, it is evident that so much knowledge has been lost across human history. We should question assumptions, such as clocks and complex gear systems were invented in Europe in the 13th century. Likely they were not. All that knowledge must have been hidden somewhere waiting to be rediscovered. If the Greeks were capable of building such a mechanism, with amazing and precise craftmanship, and advanced astronomical and mathematical knowledge 2K years ago, it suggests that others before them had been building similar devices for centuries, beginning with simpler mechanisms and progressing, step by step, towards advanced mechanisms like the Antikythera. If we could only find more evidence. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes me wish someone invented a time machine! 

Excellent read. Recommend. 

Generation Ship by Michael Mammay

😀😀😀😀😀 What a great read. It's not high literature. Not sure it will become an SF classic, but it is a well written, engaging story with an excellent plot, which I couldn't stop reading. Main themes are politics, ethics of colonisation, and alien life. The story is told from multiple perspectives. We follow the events from the point of view of five main characters. Each in separate chapters. I liked the way Mammay constructed each character and revealed their (political) intentions both in their own and other chapters. There's one politician devising his strategies using people like pieces in a chessboard. A scientist following science strictly, with little consideration of its social implications. This one is my favourite character. My second favourite character is a computer hacker concerned about the ship's integrity because, obviously, the ship is their home and has been for many generations. None of the characters is good or bad. They all have layers. They are all imperfect and very human. In terms of the story, I wished it was longer. I wanted to know more about what happens at the end, or perhaps I wish there was a sequel. 🤞

Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement

I have to confess I did not enjoy this novel. I am happy that I read it, though. The premise and the scientific concepts are interesting. However, the story was meh to me. The whole point of the “mission” is to recover a human vessel in Mesklin, a planet with enormous gravity. As humans and their technology are unable to do it, they must rely on the indigenous population. Some sort of insect-like beings called the Mesklinites. Challenges are found at every stage of the journey to the vessel, and the humans (via radio) and aliens join forces, knowledge, and hunger for knowledge together to overcome those challenges. I liked the idea but found this narration a bit boring, to be honest, that is, until I reached the last 3 or 5 pages, where I found a really nice ending.

Odyssey Two by Arthur C Clarke.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A really good sequel to 2001. Obviously, it takes place 9 years after the first novel. The mission now is to find out what went wrong with the Discovery and Hal. A Russian led expedition (with some American guests) is sent to recover it and investigate. The story starts with the planning of the mission, which is followed by the trip. The writing is entertaining and interesting. Some hard science here and there, some exploration of the characters (not too much, this is not a strength of the book), but what is really interesting is the crew's discussions and speculations about what they expect to find and their thoughts when they actually find something. And they find many other things than the Discovery, which are connected to a bigger truth so interesting it is worth 10 stars. The story was so exciting to read, I was sent back to 2001 (book and movie) on many occasions, remembering Dave Bowman and Hal 9000, and that final epic scene with the space monolith. In this novel, we learn a bit more about the monolith, but we don't get all the answers. We are left wanting for more, and there are 2 more books left in the saga.

Man Plus by Frederik Pohl

Earth does not have much time. Factions are killing each other. A computer predicts that our only hope would be to move to Mars. And so, a race to achieve Mars colonisation begins. 

I assume there would be thousands of aspects that would have to be planned, from transportation, computers, fuel, terraforming technologies, and so on. However, in Man Plus, we follow closely the creation of a transhuman, someone capable of surviving Mars inhospitable environment without equipment. We learn about this man’s modifications, being them a mixture of computer technology and some other kind of biotechnology. The process is painful, physically and psychologically. I think the cover art does a good job of depicting the main character. Along with the Man Plus will travel other “normal” human beings who will monitor and manage the cyborg. 

I enjoyed this novel very much. I was hooked from beginning to end. And there is a nice twist in the last chapter worth an extra star. This isn’t a perfect read, though. There were quite a few instances in which the situations were bizarre, and the characters acted in unrealistic ways, as if they were made of cardboard not bone and flesh, for example, the protagonist’s reactions to some of his body modifications were hard to digest. Regardless, I recommend this read to anyone open to suspending their disbelief. 

And I almost forgot, my main takeaways are 1. Obviously, a question about what makes us human? and 2. Another question, how come it is a better option to modify a human, plan a gigantic terraforming project on Mars than to fix the problems we have on earth, with psychopathic states trying to kill each other? - Rhetorical questions? Food for thought?

On Mars_: a new world by Sylvain Runberg and Grun

Got the book because I like the artwork and it's SF on Mars! I wasn't expecting much of the story apart from drones, robots, and fights, but I was greatly surprised as I found a bit more. Some nice characters and a fully fleshed protagonist with a past, values and ethics. The hard conditions of forced labour and colonisation of another planet. These issues are explored from political, philosophical, and religious perspectives. This was not an academic essay, but a good story that leaves you thinking afterwards.

Chasing the Sun: The New Science of Sunlight and how it shapes our bodies and minds by Linda Geddes.

Sunlight gives us life and health. It is important to keep our circadian rhythms synchronised and our body functions working properly. It is important for our mood and sleep. It helps segregate important hormones like melatonin, important for our sleep, recovery and repair. It helps to protect childhood short-sightedness, lowers blood pressure, and calms the immune system. 

A problem we have in our modern, western world is that we live indoors (some people fear the sun!) under artificial lighting which might be useful during the day (if you don’t get much sunlight during the day, like here!) but which is extremely harmful during the night. If we don’t see enough daylight, or we are exposed to too much artificial light at night, our bodies become confused and no longer work as efficiently. 

My main takeaways: 

• Regular exposure to sunlight particularly, first thing in the morning, will strengthen our daily rhythms. 
• Sunlight and darkness at night are the main mechanisms we use to synchronise our internal rhythms to the external time of day. 
• Artificial/LED lights can enable “some” (not all) of the effects of daylight indoors. 
• Light in the evening and night -> delays our clocks. We feel sleepy later. Light in the morning -> advances the clock and makes us want to sleep earlier the following evening. 
• The light we receive indoors, office lighting for example, would be the equivalent to twilight outdoors. Sunlight, even on a gloomiest winter day, is ten times brighter than artificial light. 
• Tools to deal with depression and SAD: bright light in the morning, sauna, and cold water. 
• Circadian lighting system – many different colour LEDs can be joined together to vary the shade of light they produce – adjusting colour and intensity according to outside time. 

Other interesting themes discussed: stages of sleep, shift work, jet lag, daylight-saving time and (laws about) access to sunlight in cities. Also, Photodynamic therapy and Heliotherapy.

Lone Sloane: Gail by Philippe Druillet

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Crazy, psychedelic, epic. This story is about Lone Sloane escaping from a planet prison. It was fun, but what I enjoyed the most was the art. Some panels are worth hours of contemplation.

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Compared with Consider Phlebas, which I read many years ago, this novel showcases many more aspects of the Culture than the other one. It starts in a Culture planet, with a culture protagonist and then it moves to a non culture planet far, far away. The main protagonist, a successful game player, travels to participate in an intricate game, in an alien empire, in which the winner becomes the Emperor. Loved the Culture world and Philosophy, and I actually liked the main character. The alien world is also so interesting, particularly with respect to their values and philosophy of life, some of which are horrendous and kept in secret. The process of discovery of their ideas and secrets gives this novel extra points. I confess a got a bit bored reading some (not all) of the gaming scenes. Recommend.

Ageing. The secrets to a long and healthy life. New Scientist Essential Guide No 18.

🙄🙄🙄 I would like to live a long, healthy life, and free, please. I wouldn't want to reach old age, incapacitated and dependent on pharmaceutical drugs. This is the New Scientist, obviously, and its thing is medical studies with very narrow focus, DNA, molecules, chemicals. There is very little on the big picture, I guess, how we can live better, healthy lives, apart from the obvious exercise and eat your veggies? There were a couple of things I couldn't digest very well, like the not recommending a high fat ketogenic diet to people with risk of weight gain. And I thought insulin was the problem (fats 0 IG?) 🤔. Anyways, I don't know what else to say.

The Wandering Earth by Cinxin Liu

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This is a collection of Cixin Liu short fiction ,including 5 China Galaxy award winners, are a blazing original ode to planet Earth- its pasts and its futures." I borrowed this book from my local library with the intention of reading only the first story: The Wandering Earth. I saw the movie adaptation trailer, liked it, and decided to read the original story first. I read 3 stories instead. 

The Wandering Earth, in an attempt to save humanity from a dying sun, the authorities decide to move the planet to another star. This will take generations, but the story narrates the first few years when Earth stops turning and small changes to its orbit, across months and years will let humanity travel the stars. 

Mountain, a first contact story between strange aliens who, with their spaceships gravity, build a water mountain with the ocean water. Just one brave human is capable of climbing that mountain and meeting the aliens. Their conversation about the origins of this alien species, the way they discovered the world around them, and their cosmology is amazing!!! 

Sun of China, in order to improve Earth's weather, the Chinese government implements the Sun of China, a kind of gigantic mirror in orbit that will reflect sunlight to areas of the world who need rain. The story follows a poor window cleaner who gets a job to clean the Sun of China. 

I think this story is partly a tribute to the sun. Without it we wouldn't exist. When I read about recent efforts by the UK gov to DIM the SUN I thought this is horror rather than SciFi. 

I loved the three stories. They are original and very different between them. These are perfect for hard SF fans/readers. Liu is not the best for character development, but he is a master in coming up with new concepts and developing believable stories with them. I will get back to this collection later in the year to continue reading more stories.

Supervivir. Vuelve al origen y recupera tu salud (Super-living . Return to the origin and recover your health) by Carlos Stro and Ricardo Stro

This book is well written. It discusses the many ways we humans have disconnected with nature, our planet and with our own nature. This disconnection is the cause for our modern, super-advanced society major chronic illnesses. Every item discussed here is backed-up with science-supported information. It is an eye opener and I loved it. Supervivir, I think THRIVING would be a better translation, is written by two Spaniards and I have only found a Spanish version of the book. But I really hope it gets at least an English translation. 

As there is so much in the book, I’d recommend you to read it if you understand Spanish. Below I a summary of the highlights for my English-speaking fellows. 

There are 3 types of Foods/Nourishment. From least to most important: 

1. Ordinary food. 

2. Air 

3. Impressions of the outside world – these are portions of energy: light waves, sound waves and heat rays. 

We should pay attention to our Circadian Rhythms – our bodies have a biological clock, an endogenous clock. It lasts 25 hours approximately. We use “zeitgebers” cues or influences which synchronise our clocks every day – light, temperature, food, earthing. We have to expose our skins to the sun at all times of day and year so our bodies can receive the correct information for its functioning: 

During the day we are/should be exposed to red, infrared, ultraviolet and blue lights which help our bodies to secrete cortisol, insulin, serotonin, dopamine. 

During the sunset/night we are exposed to red and infrared lights which helps us to secrete melatonin, which in time activates autophagy and apoptosis processes which are extremely important for our health. Cold also helps with melatonin. 

Our mitochondrial health is particularly important. They provide us with energy. The book explains the evolution and functioning of the mitochondria in our cells and clarifies how we need to be nourished: not by calories but electrons from the sun, good foods and the earth. 

Mitophagy (autophagy of the mitochondria) is also extremely important as it helps with the elimination of mitochondria with mutated DNA. Lack of mitophagy can cause cancer and autism. 

Dangers we face in our modern societies: Artificial light, electromagnetic networks/grids, ultra-processed foods and the food pyramid. Use of mobile phones, tablets, TV, etc. Mobiles in particular harmful are to our health as their electromagnetic waves inhibit the synthesis of melatonin, inhibit the use of fatty acids, favours the use of sugars and dehydrates the cells. 

Harmful foods: Seed oils and margarine, vegetal proteins (high in antinutrients and low in proteins), non-seasonal, non-local carbohydrates, carbohydrates grown in artificial light. The microbiome depends on the sun and connection with nature. Antibiotics, sugars, flours and sterilised environments destroy the microbiome. Solution is called “reancestralisation”, reconnect with nature. A few suggestions: expose yourself to the sun: dawn, day and dusk. Grounding, touch the earth with your bare feet. Breath clean air. Natural foods: cholesterol and animal fats are excellent, fish, seafood, meats, viscera, eggs, diary products, butter and ghee, seasonal fruits. Most importantly: eat during the day. Fasting is good. Expose yourself to the weather: hot or cold. Exercise. At home replace artificial white lights (which are in reality blue) with red/orange lights. Wear blue-light blocking glasses. 

There is much more information in the book but I hope you find my summary useful.

Goosebumps. House of Shivers. Scariest Book. Ever. by R.L. Stine

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this book after a recommendation from my son 🙂. He gave me his copy. It was a quick read. I enjoyed the story but didn't find it scary. The best part for me was to imagine how my son had reacted to the 2 or 3 twists and the ending. He had already told me about the man-bats (1 pictured in the cover) and how he enjoyed them. 😉

The Return of Captain Nemo by Benoit Peeters and François Schuiten

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Beautiful. Part of the Obscure Cities collection, this volume includes a follow-up to the 20000 Leagues under the sea, which is partly written in prose with illustrations and a few pages in the comic format. It also includes Schuiten's illustrations for Jules Verne lost novel, Paris in the Twentieth century, originally published in 1994.

The Star Diaries by Stanisław Lem

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽✊️ A mixed bag as most short story compilations are. I'd say I liked 70% of the stories, so the balance is positive. Ijon Tichy is a space traveller who flies in his rocket to far away planets for work, or leisure. Most of his adventures are fun and interesting, from a science fiction point of view, my favourite being the 2 time travel tales, and a tale about robots. The seventh voyage - Ijon Tichy passes through a time vortex and finds a version of his future self trying to wake him up. After several time vortexes Tichy finds his rocket crowded with future versions of himself. The Eleventh Voyage - Tichy is sent to a planet governed by an evil computer. This planet is inhabited by robots who hate humans. To get there, Tichy has to wear a disguise, a kind of robot costume which is a bit uncomfortable. In addition, the traveller is instructed not to sneeze or cough as that would give himself away. The Twentieth Voyage - Tichy is visited by a future version of himself who asks him to travel to the future to take a job as Teleotelechronistic Historical Engineering to lead projects to regulate the past. 👍

Akira Club. Artbook by Karsuhiro Otomo

It's been a while since I read Akira. This artbook is a nice reminder. I actually read all the captions. They enhance the enjoyment. Great art!!!

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan

👍👍👍 In defence of Science and the acquisition of knowledge using proven and falsifiable methods and reason. Science as the only (?) way to reach the truth. Beliefs, faiths, rumours, etc. are only that, beliefs, etc. producing stories that keep humanity ignorant. This book is full of arguments demolishing historical fallacies, from beliefs in fairies and demons to alien abductions. All very interesting themes. It's a pity I found the book a bit repetitive and long. I didn't enjoy it as much as Cosmos and Contact. I'm happy I read it, though, and I'll keep my copy for future reference.

Lone Sloane. Delirious by Philippe Druillet and Jacques Lob.

👍👍👍👍👍  Look at the photos and tell me they are not amazing. Druillet's art is out of this world. And the story is c r a z y .