New fiction, non-fiction and comic releases that caught our attention.
WW Norton & Company
Richard Powers playground is a novel of contrasts: the vast unknown of Earth's oceans, a place of constant discovery and wondrous creatures that seem always at play, versus technological advancement and the rise of ai; the unlikely friendship between a young poet and a boy whose life revolves around coding; a remote island with a tiny population still feeling the effects of a history of exploitation and the technological elites who see it as the stepping stone to their own utopia.
Through the perspectives of four characters who have gathered on Makatea, an atoll in the South Pacific, playground explores friendship, play, the wonders of the natural world, and humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. Powers' writing is beautiful and playground promises to leave you with a lot to think about.
amazon&featureId=dynamic-offer&itemName=Playground&merchantName=amazon&itemSourceId=B0CTXNMZZK&brand=W.+W.+Norton+%26+Company&categoryId=784&price=9.66&salePrice=9.66&custData=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&signature=AQAAAVz4Q90-9xABBrqLgw5Mq9gHHUPiNigN27yU_GGWAi3w&contentUuid=e965a33e-5642-42bb-a7b7-273d3dfb56a0″ rel=”noopener noreferrer nofollow” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”sec:large-product;subsec:commlist;cpos:1;elmt:amazon;pdid:Playground;pid:amazon_B0CTXNMZZK;aid:amazon_B0CTXNMZZK;itemcost:$10;itmId:$10;sellerN:amazon;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-auto;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;slk:$10 at amazon;pkgt:horizontal-cta-1;pos:4″>$10 on amazon
Bloomsbury Sigma
The long story of the future: why tomorrow's technology is not here yet is a surprisingly entertaining look at the failed promises of technologies long heralded as being on the horizon, and the grand ambitions of the innovators behind them. Science and technology journalist Nicole Kobie takes us on a journey through the decades to trace the roots of some of the most important ideas that never came to fruition in the form they were once envisioned: flying cars, the hyperloop, robots that they can actually do all our tasks for us, etc. Kobie offers witty analysis and many interesting anecdotes, making for a really informative deep dive that is also a lot of fun to read.
amazon&featureId=dynamic-offer&itemName=The+Long+History+of+the+Future%3A+Why+Tomorrow%27s+technology+Still+Isn%27t+Here&merchantName=amazon&itemSourceId=1399403109&brand=Bloomsbury+Sigma&categoryId=784&price=28.0&salePrice=19.42&custData=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&signature=AQAAAXcWdN-hH1EAj9FF0_o-OsPl5xNbU5zB33ZoUZWGwYy8&contentUuid=e965a33e-5642-42bb-a7b7-273d3dfb56a0″ rel=”noopener noreferrer nofollow” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”sec:large-product;subsec:commlist;cpos:2;elmt:amazon;pdid:The Long History of the Future: Why Tomorrow’s technology Still Isn’t Here;pid:amazon_1399403109;aid:amazon_1399403109;itemcost:$28;itmId:$19;sellerN:amazon;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-auto;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;slk:$19 at amazon;pkgt:horizontal-cta-1;pos:4″>$19 on amazon
Pantheon
It's a big week for anyone who's been waiting years for the English-language release of Charles Burns. Labyrinths – Final Editionas the English version is called, it is here. final cut follows a group of friends who, led by aspiring filmmaker Brian, set out to make a sci-fi horror film along the lines of Invasion of the body snatchers, Brian's favorite movie. But obsession takes hold of Brian in a nightmarish mix of romantic longing (for the film's star, Laurie) and artistic creativity gone too far, and things take a dark and disturbing turn. As is characteristic of Burns, final cut It's surreal and disturbing, and its sharp illustrations make it even more impactful. In some ways it feels like a spiritual successor to black holeand I hope this is one of those jobs I keep coming back to.
amazon&featureId=dynamic-offer&itemName=Final+Cut&merchantName=amazon&itemSourceId=0593701704&brand=Pantheon&categoryId=839&price=34.0&salePrice=30.6&custData=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&signature=AQAAAW2oHPUPsCr3Ykdtxi68P3Q6fWZdP01s5CLhs8wgMqrW&contentUuid=e965a33e-5642-42bb-a7b7-273d3dfb56a0″ rel=”noopener noreferrer nofollow” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”sec:large-product;subsec:commlist;cpos:3;elmt:amazon;pdid:Final Cut;pid:amazon_0593701704;aid:amazon_0593701704;itemcost:$34;itmId:$31;sellerN:amazon;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-auto;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;slk:$31 at amazon;pkgt:horizontal-cta-1;pos:4″>$31 on amazon
