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Discussion: 2014-05-01 - 2014-05-31: Mappa Mundi - Justina Robson
posts: 13 views: 149 last post: 9 years ago
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Mappa Mundi - Justina Robson
Reading start: 2014-05-01
Reading finish: 2014-05-31
Oooh. She wrote Covenant of Primus. I love her for that alone.
(Brief) review & discussion fodder

How do our fears and insecurities shape our beliefs as children? Do the stories and beliefs we tell each other to keep terror at bay count as a type of magic? How do we use non-belief in handling our fears?

"To put it another way, the development of Mappa Mundi, as all such developments, was a necessary result of our own nature, as irresistible as evolution itself. What we can change, we shall change. What comes to hand, we shall use. What we see we presume to understand. When the basic needs are satisfied, the restless mind turns itself towards improvement." Do you think this is an accurate evaluation of humanity?
Is "perfection" the goal of technology?

Is Natalie insane? Was she ever? Does she process the world differently than those around her? What is the nature of sanity and identity in Mappa Mundi (hunting with George, Guskov's history, Mary and Natalie)? "But neither of them would have seen this if Ivanov had not been Hilel and all those men after."

What do you make of Guskov? Is he either a hero or villain? An idealist, something else altogether? Does his history effect how you feel about him?

Is Bobby X "alive"? Are he and Natalie still human? If not, at what point did they stop being human?

What do you think of Bobby X's statement that "Matter [...] is energy plus information."

Mary says that "religion is already a contagion," in reference to security procedures and the Mappaware leak. Do you think there is truth to that description in how religion spreads and changes?

How does reprogramming a brain mechanically compare to conditioning and brainwashing?

What do you think about the inclusion of technology (pads) that has become everyday that did not exist at the time of publication (original publication date 2001, close to a decade before we started seeing tablets)?
Reply to post #2 (show post):

She does some amazing hard SF
Reply to post #4 (show post):

I loved most everything about that book. I can excuse the Shockwave burbling in excitement, but otherwise it was fantastic.

Sighs. This one isn't up for Kindle :(
Reply to post #5 (show post):

In this case I'm going through and populating previous books. I'm working on the whole "format/availability awareness" thing. Doing an out-of-print book was a bit awkward. However I do know that this one lives within MA libraries, so if your local library network doesn't have it, you should be able to get it through statewide mediated interlibrary loan: https://commonwealthcatalog.org/mvc

OH! Boston Public Library's OverDrive collection has it, and as a MA resident you can borrow it from them (though if you're limited to a B&W kindle that helps less)
That's true! I just would really like to own more of he rolled stuff, and I'm running out of place for physical books :(

I try to limit them to books heavy on the pictures.
Reply to post #7 (show post):

understood. well, if you want to try out the book and go the library route, i'm happy to help if needed.. its kind of a professional side-effect.
Reply to post #8 (show post):

Thank you! I know someone who's local and high up in the library chain so I'm sure she'd be willing to help if need be. I'm kinda a pro at the ILL thing, so I think I can figure it out. I've also done overdrive, so I think I can figure that out, too.

The bigger problem is that I suck at reading on schedule. I want to savor books when I want. And being a mood reader, well, if I get the book and find I'm not in the right move, it's like trying to move a mountain getting me to read that book.

Ugh, that whole thing was awful. But I'm not willing to make it better, so there you have it! Sorry for the poor writing.
Reply to post #9 (show post):

nothing wrong with that.

the review i did for accelerando went up several MONTHS late, and that's a book i enjoy and have read several times.
Reply to post #10 (show post):

If I can find it, I'll take a picture of my Charles Stross autograph. The man's really nice.
Reply to post #11 (show post):

I adore Stross. I was super bummed when I couldn't make it to Boskone or even Boston when he was town last time around. Toying with throwing Saturn's Children in the mix for future books even if it means repeating an author.
Reply to post #12 (show post):

He was at Readercon which is where I met him. Guest of honor a couple years ago, and he signed my program as I only had his books on Kindle.
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