Friday, January 20, 2006

Books

Read a few more on my travels:
  • Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal

    This book is marked by my interest in all things Czech and a book that I had picked up somewhat at random. It is short text, nore of a novella which is the subject telling of the last days of the central character who is in the waste paper business. A visceral ode the great works of text -- an exercise in emboding the text.

  • Ratner's Star by Don DeLillo

    This was extremely hard going and felt a bit out of my depth at times as the narrative switched perspective from paragraph to paragraph, but there were certainly resonances with some of my experiences at this time and presentation of some of the ideas within did spark new perspectives and understandings of some the areas of maths, astrophysic and absudity (including gauno) which i am interested in (well maybe not some much the gauno).

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The next three texts have come to be classed as a trilogy, even though they do not necessarily run on from each. While there is some narrative correlations between the first two, the third is included because of its themematic relationship, that of spirituality, gnosticism, Hagia Sopia and related areas. No this is not a reference to the recent set of thrillers which have dominated the bestseller lists, the texts which I am refering too run much deeper into these themes and come from the science fiction corner.

I will not write too much about these texts as I feel they willl speak to the reader if they are meant to. Indeed, I never was much of a fan of Bladerunner so never thought to explore any of the works of Phillip K Dick. After engaging in some intense conversations about some of the elements touched on in these books they were to come very highly recommended. Having now read them I will say one thing instead trying to explore anything mentioned in too great a depth which would be a massive task, and that is that these texts serve as an excellent jumping off point to further thought and study. Any way, in order, the books are:

  • Valis

  • The Divine Invasion

  • The Transmigration of Timothy Archer

Next I plan to tackle bio meta-programming with some help from Robert Anton Wilson.

Also to follow soon in depth reflections on the Symposium which was held in Switzerland this last week in celebration of Dr Hoffman's 100th birthday. As a friend I met there stated, "There is only one way that this weekend can be described and that is epic.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

something noo to check out

something i stumbled across today just drifting through the web.

and to elejit in lah land, a full account of this weekend will indeed be forth coming. pity it won't be over a pint sometime, but then again you never know.