When I was young, I watched a lot of science fiction films, and I think they planted the seeds of my interest in engineering and AI. Recently, I started reading more classic SF books.

These are just a few scattered thoughts I had after finishing these books. Since I’ve only read them once, I’m still hesitant to call them reviews:

  • The End of Eternity – Isaac Asimov
    If humanity could revise the past to create an ideal future, would that truly be the right thing to do? Noys argues that “Eternity” smooths out disasters from reality, but in doing so, it also erases the very sense of triumph. By controlling the past, humanity loses the great trials it must overcome in order to reach higher possibilities. Ironically, Eternity, which seeks to guide all possible timelines toward a single ideal future, ends up eliminating humanity’s chance of ever discovering a genuinely better answer. Perhaps Asimov wanted to tell us not to fear mistakes and failures, but to keep moving forward despite them.

  • Ubik – Philip K. Dick
    Am I actually living in reality? The world that seemed real turns out to be virtual, while the world assumed to be virtual may actually be real, like a Möbius strip. The ending completely stunned me, much like the spinning top in the final scene of Inception.

  • Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clarke
    It is astonishing how precisely Clarke imagined the future from the perspective of his own era. In particular, the golden age portrayed here leaves behind an unsettling question. Once labor is no longer necessary, humanity gains the freedom to do whatever it wants. Yet paradoxically, the freedom to explore the unknown and pursue curiosity through imperfection seems to disappear as well. It felt strangely close to one possible vision of a post AGI world.

Next on my list:

  • The Fountains of Paradise - Arthur C. Clarke
  • The Hammer of God - Arthur C. Clarke
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
  • Martian Time Slip - Philip K. Dick

Someday:

  • Foundation series - Isaac Asimov
  • Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
  • Solaris - Stanisław Lem
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke
  • Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A. Heinlein
  • The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein
  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
  • The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin