Magic stops being magical when it’s explained, but physics becomes more magical the more we understand it.
Blog
Numbers Review
After enumerating the numbers of the different tribes and their basic demographic features, Numbers turns to the employment of those numbers, and not just for the proper proportional sacrifices and offerings to God, or for determining how much food and water might be necessary. Rather, the major use of the census seems to be for the creation of an army.
Some Thoughts Concerning Golden Dome
My greatest concern with Golden Dome is not its technical feasibility, its geopolitical impact, or even its cost. It is that Golden Dome may prove a distraction from addressing the threats we are far more likely to face, and breed complacency in the process.
Planetfall Review
Maybe it’s unfair to expect every science fiction book I read to be on the same level as some of the greatest examples of the genre, but Planetfall barely even deserves to be shelved as science fiction.
On the Principle of Motivational Momentum
Now that I’m refocused on Golems and Kings, I would like to finish it not later than the end of the summer, so that I can restart Rogue Planet in September.
The Consolation of Philosophy Review
Although it’s often described as being in the vein of one of Plato’s dialogues, the conversation between book-Boethius and Lady Philosophy reads like a cross between the style of Plato and the style of Dante.
Nonlinear Storytelling
Balancing a timeline across multiple viewpoints and storylines, and deciding how the viewpoints will be sequenced and presented is all the nonlinearity most stories will necessitate or support. But there are stories where it is appropriate to do something more creative and imaginative.
The Man Who Knew Too Much Review
Modern science is a highly specialized discipline, and scientists are expected to be removed from their experiments. It is not the science of Hooke’s day.
Teaching Fundamentals
At its best, teaching must be a dynamic process. Just like storytelling, even in the written form, is a dialogue between author and reader, teaching is a dialogue between teacher and student, instructor and learner.
Crossroads of Twilight Review
Long series aren’t for everyone, but if you’ve made it this far, I think it’s fair for an author to take advantage of the scope of the form to tell a story in a spanning way that shorter forms couldn’t support.
IGC Publishing 