Recommended reading and listening for a summer interlude
Recommended reading and listening for a summer interlude
A couple of books, a podcast, and a playlist, to fill the gap while I'm away in June
I’m taking a break from Substack over the next few weeks as my wife and I have a much needed vacation. In the meantime I thought I’d leave you with a couple of reading and listening recommendations to fill the gap:
The Language of Symmetry
A few weeks ago the writer and film maker Benedict Rattigan reached out to see if I was interested in a new collection of essays about symmetry, co-edited with Denis Noble and Afiq Hatta.
The Language of Symmetry, published by Routledge, is a delight. Seven short essays take readers on an intriguingly unexpected and serendipitous journey through planetary science, particle physics, music, mathematics, biology and more, as they explore how the concept of symmetry challenges, illuminates, and changes, our understanding of the worlds we inhabit and create.
What makes this short book stand out though is the interconnecting commentaries by the editors, which serve to weave together the essays into a larger and more profound narrative.
The Language of Symmetry is edited By Benedict Rattigan, Denis Noble, Afiq Hatta, and is available from Routledge and most other places good books can be found.
Titanium Noir
Nick Harkaway is one of those novelists whose work I’ve come to deeply admire. As well as being fiendishly smart, he is gloriously unconstrained by conventional genres. Each of his books has a unique feel and vibe, yet they are all joined by a sharp intellect, a keen sense of social commentary, and a masterful use of language.
His latest novel, Titanium Noir, was published a few weeks ago, and it doesn’t disappoint. A blend of science fiction, crime noir, and social commentary, all infused with mythological resonances, Titanium Noir takes on complex issues around anti-aging technology, technological disparity, and social justice.
It’s fast paced, unlike any genre-based novel you’ve read, and utterly compelling. Highly recommended!
Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway is published by Penguin Random House, and also available everywhere good books are found.
The LIUniverse with Dr Charles Liu
On to podcasts: Some months ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Chuck Liu, along with my Mission: Interplanetary co-host Cady Coleman, on the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. We were also joined by the quite amazing “meteor hunter” Geoff Notkin.
Listening to this and other episodes, I found myself completely drawn in by Chuck and his co-host Allan Liu, together with their always-interesting guests, as they explore everything from black holes and nuclear fusion to exoplanets and the science of science fiction.
Chuck and Allen are quite disarmingly wonderful podcast hosts, making this a gem of a podcast - especially if you’re into all things space.
The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu is available on Apple Podcasts, PodBean, and most other places you get your podcast fix. The episode with Cady, Geoff and myself can be found here (prepare yourself for som unexpected Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy nerdiness!).
A Playlist for the Future of Being Human
Earlier this year I pulled together a physical space for activities and events hosted by Arizona State University’s Future of Being Human initiative. And because I didn’t know where to stop in creating just the right ambience, I even went as far as pulling together a “Future of Being Human playlist” for the space!
Through the magic of online playlist sharing, you too can enjoy this rather eclectic selection of 100 tracks (103 on Qubuz — there are a couple of bonus tracks there) that are very loosely held together by a common(ish) focus on the future and being human.
The playlist admittedly reflects my own rather idiosyncratic tastes and aural aesthetic. I didn’t include a number of tracks that are technically future-focused and look perfect on paper, yet jarred with me. I also included a few that aren’t strictly speaking connected with the future of being human, but that I thought added to the flow and cadence of the sequence.
Hope you enjoy, and even find some tracks that surprise you!
You can find the playlist on Spotify and Qobuz — it works just as well on shuffle as it does when played sequentially.
That’s it for now. Have a great summer, and assuming the world doesn’t implode in an AI apocalypse in the meantime, I’ll be back in July.