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more about #anathem more comments → mikecap: Maybe it's not specifically a novel, but D.C.'s Crisis on Infinite Earths is another area worth mentioning here, there's a rich history of multiverse ... more » Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon: Sorry for being so late in reading this post, but very cool article Grey / Chris. By the by, if you do have the chance to check out Charlie Jade, I h... more » mostlysane: the name of the heinlein classic in this particular genre (we all know there's at least one for each genre) would be 'the number of the beast'.. I kno... more » ShikhaKristi: And here I thought I was the only Mick Farren fan (none of my friends have enjoyed him the way I do). Don't forget his wonderful "Jim Morrison's Adve... more » TroyFergasun: I feel that The Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson deserves to be mentioned. more » CrowsandBones: Despite the flunctuating quality, I love both Amber series. Something about Zelazny's trickster heroes and pure adventure never fails to deliver for m... more » AdoraBelle: *Kahm*any Discworld novel*kahm* Especially Night watch and Jingo. more » Emmanuel_Goldstein: Agree on Amber, first five very strong. Everything that comes after = crap. more » Klebert L. Hall: Mick Farren also wrote for the surprisingly adequate Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers!. -Kle. more » matthewabel: I feel it a garish oversight that you have neglected to mention "Goats" the webcomic. Originally a silly diversion about a bar, it has blossomed into... more » FactWino: I can think of one Blue Oyster Cult Song, Veteran of the Psychic Wars, can anybody help out with the others? more » James7344: Someone needs to mention Andre Norton. A lot of her novels have multiverse themes. Keith Laumer dabbled, as well. And A Bertram Chandler had a few goo... more » Zyg: I think things are very multiversey right now because the world is in turmoil and the economy is a mess no matter where you live. People want escapism... more » mordicai: Anathem was legitimately AMAZING. more » ArthurByronCover: Actually, it probably wouldn't hurt to bring to folks' attention to earlier multiverse stories written under the old-fashioned concept of the parallel... more » -
#bookreview
Bad Boys of the Multiverse: An Alternate Universe Reading Guide
Have we gone multiverse crazy? Iain Banks' latest novel, Transition, is just the latest of a long line of sideways-traveling books, and this theme is more prevalent than ever. Here are some of my favorites, with spoilers and foul language. More » -
#rant
Why Science Fiction Still Hates Itself
If geek stuff is so hip, then why are two of the season's biggest scifi hits, CBS show Eleventh Hour and bestselling Neal Stephenson novel Anathem, adamantly classified as Not Scifi? Because nerd culture will never be pop culture. That's why Borders slashed its scifi section. And it's why JJ Abrams, director of the new Star Trek movie, denied that it's for fans of the scifi franchise, instead telling Entertainment Weekly that "it's for fans of movies." Successful science fiction, in other words, is still stealth. To get your spaceships and freaky science into the mainstream, you have to hate yourself just enough to shove your inner dork into a gym locker and keep her there. More » -
#sciencefictiondeaths
12 Coolest Deaths In Science Fiction History
It's never great to watch a beloved science fiction hero die — but sometimes a memorable heroic death can help turn a science fiction story into a real epic. And some science fiction characters are unforgettable and bad-ass precisely because they died in a memorable way. Here's our list of the dozen greatest deaths in the history of science fiction. With some spoilers, natch. More » -
#anathem
Neal Stephenson's Tale of Two Planets
Neal Stephenson's new novel Anathem comes out next week, and there's something very timely about his tale of aliens on a parallel Earth whose inhabitants are locked into an occasionally-catastrophic conflict between scientific and religious institutions. The planet Arbre, which is very much like Earth in some ways, differs from our world one major respect. Its religious and scientific institutions are essentially reversed. Monks called the avout live ascetic lives studying science in gracious, ancient "maths," while the so called "saecular" world is populated with Deolators (god-worshipers) who are obsessed with religion and technology. Stephenson's world-building skills, honed by the exacting work he did on his recent Baroque Cycle trilogy, are at their best here. Anathem is that rarest of things: A stately novel of ideas packed with cool tech, terrific fight scenes, aliens, and even a little ESP. More » -
