The Ship who Sang by Anne Mccaffrey

👍👍👍 An OK book for me. I loved the premise. A human brain attached to a spaceship. Initially it did sound a bit strange to me. However as I read the first chapter, the idea made me feel unsettled at times as the brain came from a new born but malformed baby. It also felt claustrophobic thinking of a brain trapped inside a titanium case inside an enormous spaceship. Incapable of walking or scratching it's nose but capable of moving at high speeds and observe things through several sensors across it's "body". 

This book includes 6 stories which work as episodes or adventures. The first story follows the birth and rebirth of Helva, the protagonist, and it was my favourite of the collection. The remaining stories revolve around a series of missions, with Helva travelling to different planets, transporting passengers, and eventually finding a human partner to accompany her on her journeys. I felt the science fiction elements often took a back seat to Helva's coming-of-age story, her search for identity, and her place in the world. There's nothing wrong with that, but it simply wasn't my cup of tea.

Planetes by Makoto Yukimura

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 A beautiful manga with a compelling story and unforgettable characters. It offers an inspiring portrayal of humanity taking its first steps into space exploration. More than just a science fiction adventure, it's a heartfelt slice of life journey filled with hope, hardship, triumph, failure, and every emotion in between.

On the Shortness of Life by Seneca

Also includes Consolation to Helvia and On Tranquillity of Mind. 

Extremely valuable messages, thought provoking, worth reading, for all ages, I guess the younger the better. I struggled with the writing style though, which at points felt like never endless stream of blah blah. I thought, if I had been there present with Seneca, I would have pressed pause, gone for a cold coffee, come back and press play again. More than once. It might have been the heat though 😁 

In On the Shortness of Life Seneca argues that Life isn't short but we waste it with distractions and worthless goals. In Consolation to Helvia, Seneca argues that philosophy helps find peace. In On the Tranquillity of Mind, Seneca explains how to achieve calmness through work and service. 

I guess my main takeaway from the three texts, is to do my best without letting stress take over, to accept both the good and the bad in life, to accept the universe as it is, and to remember that my job is to live well within it, not to wish it were different. Reading books definitely helps with this. It brings Tranquillity of Mind and gives meaning to my daily routine. 👍

The Andromeda Anthology (A for Andromeda and The Andromeda Breakthrough) by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It's not perfect but I liked it a lot! 

A message arrives from space, and humanity manages to decode it. The message contains instructions for building a computer, and the novel follows the process of constructing it through multiple iterations, as well as the reactions of governments and other powerful groups. I was completely captivated by the central idea of what was being buil. It felt both original and fascinating. However, I was less impressed by the sections in which the main characters, mostly scientists, become involved in Cold War-style espionage. Those episodes distracted from what I found to be the novel's most compelling aspect: the extra-terrestrial message and its implications.

Mercury by Ben Bova

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fun read but not exactly what I expected. Half of the book takes place on Mercury and space, while the other half is set on earth before the events on Mercury. I really enjoyed the overall story but found the flashback chapters a bit anticlimactic compared to the main storline. Regardless, I recommend this novel. This is the kind of book you should read with popcorn :) ... and I plan to continue with the series.

We are electric. The New Science of our body's Electrome by Sally Adee

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book explains the role of electricity in our bodies. Apparently, 'bioelectricity' is higher than the genome in terms of priority and evolution. Electricity "predates nervous systems and even humanity itself" and "it is the most ancient thing about us." 

Bioelectricity exists in every cell in our bodies and performs a range of functions. For example "the bioelectric code is the reason you retain that same shape throughout your entire life; it prunes your dividing cells so you keep being recognisably you". Bioelectricity can control the ability to regrow anything we lose to injury or illness. 

Recent research has identified distinct bioelectrical properties in cancer cells that differ from those of healthy cells. Normal, mature cells typically maintain a voltage ranging from −50 mV to −90 mV, with each cell type exhibiting a characteristic voltage profile. In contrast, stem cells voltage is close to 0 mV and develop more negative, cell-specific voltages as they differentiate into specialized tissues. Cancer cells have also been observed to exhibit voltage closer to 0 mV, but unlike stem cells they refuse to grow. 

There are lots of interesting information in this book starting the history of electrical research, as well as discussions on how research on bioelectricity can evolve in the future, to treat disease or to enhance human capabilities. One limitation, however, is that it does not explore the underlying causes of the illnesses it discusses, making it difficult to assess whether manipulating bioelectricity alone could provide meaningful therapeutic benefits.

Metal Hurlant. Old Dreams, Young Visions

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 I really, really enjoyed this book (magazine?). It comes with several short stories by well known Classic, European artists (Moebius, Druillet, Dionnet, etc.). I loved the variety of styles and themes, all of them high quality. There are also a few articles about the history of the French Metal Hurlant and Humanoids. Really worth the money and time. 

I loved everything except Alan Moore’s article, which felt somewhat disconnected from the rest. To me, it seemed to lack the distinctive Metal Hurlant spirit. 

Recommend.