The Hydrogen Sonata
Suspected of involvement after the Regimental High Command is destroyed as they prepared to go to a new level of existence called Sublime, Lieutenant Commander Vyr Cossont must find a nine-thousand-year-old man to clear her name.
Stats for nerds
10recommend
30mentions
26people
2012–2026years
33% recommend53% neutral13% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- Matter and The Hydrogen Sonata are very good, more action-packed stories that I thoroughly enjoyed. Surface Detail is also extremely good, but has some pretty dark setting and themes involving virtual afterlifes. If you’re looking for something different after reading one or two of those, definitely check out Excession. It follows a bunch of the different Culture minds embedded in the various size ships as they investigate strange interstellar goings-on and we get to see the wide range of personalities the ships develop during their existence.
- One of my favorite science fiction authors is (regretfully late) Iain M. Banks. In his Culture series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series) artificial intelligence in form of drones and Minds in ships are essential citizens in this imagined society. In fact, Minds by virtue of being so incredibly intelligent and fast pretty much run this Culture, with humans just along for the ride, and largely spending their time in leisure and idleness.
The stories (great stories!) explore the worlds as they collide with the Culture, and in some books (probably most in The Hydrogen Sonata and to a degree in Excession) the exploration of what it means to make art as a human vs as machine intelligence. In Iain stories, advanced Minds are far superior to humans in everything and they can and do create works of art and yet strive carefully not to completely obliterate humanity's desire to make the same. There isn't a competition between human generated vs Mind generated art or science, they collaborate, because if they had to compete, Minds are just overwhelmingly better/faster at everything.
The current GPT situation is not AGI, and the Minds are just a cool thing to read about, but if you want to have a fun yet deep-though-provoking read, check out these books.
- I had this sad realisation with the last Iain M Banks book I read - Hydrogen Sonata. It was a good book, but I felt like I'd seen its skeleton at least three or four times before.
- I agree re: Phlebas. Use of Weapons, while I know it's one of the more famous ones, didn't strike me as much better, though. A lot of people have taken me to task for that opinion, though, so I've a hunch I'm missing some type of life experience that would allow me to better connect with the stuff detailed in Weapons.
In general, I think there are basically three tiers of Banks books:
Shit-tier. Examples: Player of Games, Against a Dark Background. Overly simplistic or simply without point.
Mediocre: Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons, a lot of others. Nothing to really tie them together, but enough interesting moments that you don't absolutely hate them.
God-tier: Excession, Matter, Hydrogen Sonata. Books that have few if any bad qualities, and are massively thought provoking to boot.
- Books finished in June:
"How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan. A fascinating look into the world and science of psychedelic drugs.
"Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke. One of, if not Clarke's best. It's short for a sci-fi book and almost impossible not to like.
"The Hydrogen Sonata" By Iain M. Banks. It certainly wasn't my favorite culture entry, but it's worth a read none the less. If you haven't read the others in the series I wouldn't suggest starting with it.
"Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. If you're into long timelines and human existential crisis this is your book.
As far as July goes, I'm digging into "Matterhorn" by Karl Marlantes and "The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" by Julian Jaynes.
- Minor spoilers, don't read below if you care:
I'm biased by my love for 'The Hydrogen Sonata,' but my favorite will always go to the Mistake Not...
Which is short for Mistake Not My Current State Of Joshing Gentle Peevishness For The Awesome And Terrible Majesty Of The Towering Seas Of Ire That Are Themselves The Mere Milquetoast Shallows Fringing My Vast Oceans Of Wrath.
