We've read Children of Time (https://amzn.to/2QqYKII), and boy do we have a lot to say about it! This episode we discuss the structure of the book, whether novels need strong characters, how animal consciousness might differ from our own, and how to stock a ship designed to re-seed the human race on another planet. Adrian gets to jabber on about the Baldwin Effect & octopuses, and Matt makes some sharp points about the importance of empathy. Truly this podcast represents the future liberals want.
As always, here's a list of stuff we discuss in the episode. If the links don't show up in your podcatcher, they will on spectology.com. All links are referral links.
* Startide Rising by David Brin
* The Bees by Laline Paull
* The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy
* Watership Down by Richard Adams
* The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
* Goedel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
And finally, a few books on consciousness, language, and evolution that weren't mentioned by name, but which Adrian recommends:
* Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith (octopus researcher mentioned)
* Adam's Tongue by Derek Bickerton (language evolution & the Baldwin Effect)
* The Crucible of Consciousness by Zoltan Torey (language & consciousness)
* The Perplexities of Consciousness by Eric Schwitzgebel (essays on the difficulty of introspecting consciousness)
* The Ego Tunnel by Thomas Metzinger (laying out the ideas behind the phrase "consciousness is an illusion" for a lay audience)
---
We'd love to hear from you, either by chatting with us on twitter at @spectologypod, sending us an email at spectologypod@gmail.com, or submitting the episode to r/printSF on reddit. We'll reply, and shout you out in the next podcast when we talk about your comment.
And if you like the episode, subscribe at spectology.com or whever you listen to podcasts, and share it with your friends!
Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.
Interview w/ the Hugo Administrator, Will Frank, on how & why to get involved with the Hugos
Announcement: Spectology "series finale" and the future of the podcast
28.2: Do You Dream of Terra-Two? post-read: Belief, Depression, and Courage in Sociological Hard SF
Digital Book Tour: Kathleen Jennings on Flyaway: Small Towns, Fairytales, and Linguistics
Digital Book Tour: Somaiya Daud on Mirage & Court of Lions: Body doubles, court politics, and historical science fantasy.
28.1: Do You Dream of Terra-Two pre-read w/ Bee & Estelle: Alternate History, Destiny, and Space Travel
27.2: The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull post-read w/ Lydia: Colonial Power in SF and Rural & Island Culture.
Digital Book Tour: WM Akers on Westside Saints, detective novels, RPGs, and sequels
Digital Book Tour: Nick Mamatas on Move Under Ground, a novel of Beat literary figures fighting Lovecraftian monsters
27.1: The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull pre-read w/ Lydia: Alien invasion and a history of capitalism & colonialism.
Digital Book Tour: Nino Cipri on Finna, a story of parallel universes as found in low-wage furniture stores
Digital Book Tour: SA Jones on The Fortress, a book about restorative justice inside an all-women society
26.2: The True Queen post-read w/ Reading the End: Inclusion in Historical Fantasy, Comfort Reads, Sisterhood, and more
Digital Book Tour: Melissa Caruso on The Obsidian Tower, a story of a young woman on the run from her own magical power
Digital Book Tour: Veronica Roth on Chosen Ones, a story of what happens after the "chosen ones" have saved the world
In Conversation: Our Favorite Underrated SF Movies, with Seth Heasley of the Hugo's There podcast
26.1: The True Queen pre-read w/ Reading the End: Historical Fantasy, Trash Birds, and Chaotic Quarantine Brain
Digital Book Tour: Laura Lam on Goldilocks, a scifi thriller where a group of women steal a spaceship to save humanity
Announcing the Digital Book Tour, hosted by Bee
25.2: The Tea Master & The Detective post-read w/ Julia Rios: Cozy Murder Mysteries in Space!
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Great Expectations
Anne of Avonlea
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends