Hyperion series
The Hyperion series consists of 4 books: Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and Rise of Endymion.
Read more "Hyperion series"Author: Justarius
Speaker for the Dead
Hundreds of years after the events of Ender’s Game in which humanity annihilated a sentient race, we find another planet with a sentient race that we call the “piggies.” A scientist studying them has been killed, and tensions are running high. Ender was the one who unwittingly ordered the previous xenocide, and he wants to […]
Read more "Speaker for the Dead"Why resist the idea of intelligent animals?
Why are people so resistant to the idea of intelligent animals? Animals are smarter than we thought, and it’s not just ‘higher’ mammals either. Birds can problem solving, learn vocabulary, and might even have a sense of time – all things we associate with higher mental function.
Read more "Why resist the idea of intelligent animals?"Dogma has no place in science
I detest dogma; it always gets in the way of progress. But then again, that is its purpose: to preserve existing knowledge and to be skeptical of anything new or foreign. Dogma is useful when used to further a higher goal like the integrity of science. Science would lose all credibility if it routinely accepted […]
Read more "Dogma has no place in science"Ender’s Game
Here is a brief spoiler-free synopsis. In the near future, humanity encounters a bug-like alien race, and they promptly go to war. Humanity is grossly outnumbered and is losing badly. A savior is needed, and one is found: a boy named Ender Wiggin. He is brilliant but too kind-hearted. If humanity is to survive, he […]
Read more "Ender’s Game"Never choose a leader that is one of the folks?
It’s appealing to have a leader that is ‘one of the folks,’ but that is one of those things that is better in concept than in practice.
Read more "Never choose a leader that is one of the folks?"Trusting corporations with too much
Did you know that Giants walk the earth? Immortal beings of tremendous size and power roam freely, causing great harm or good with each stride. I’m talking about for-profit corporations. Once created, they live forever until dissolved. Technically, they are governed by laws, shareholders, officers, and boards, but in reality, no one controls them. Shares […]
Read more "Trusting corporations with too much"Hope not expectation
Unless you have one overriding goal in life, it’s better to hope, not expect.
Read more "Hope not expectation"Sci-fi vs. Fantasy
Arthur C. Clarke once said that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Sci-fi and fantasy are lumped together as SF nowadays, but they are distinctly different in ways that give each its unique appeal and its strength to express different themes and stories.
Read more "Sci-fi vs. Fantasy"Favorite vs. Great
Many people ask the two questions ‘what are your favorite movies?’ and ‘what movies are great?’ interchangeably, but they are two entirely different questions for me.
Read more "Favorite vs. Great"
Philoscifi 