diff --git a/content/reviews/books/films-from-the-future.md b/content/reviews/books/films-from-the-future.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..722b007 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/books/films-from-the-future.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ ++++ +title = "Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies - Andrew Maynard" +date = 2018-11-29 + +category = "review" + +[taxonomies] +tags = ["books", "en-au", "andrew maynard"] ++++ + +[GoodReads summary](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41045578-films-from-the-future): +Science, technology, and society: In Films from the Future, former physicist +Andrew Maynard threads together his love of science fiction movies with his +expertise on emerging technologies to engage, entertain and make you think +about the relationship between technology, and society as they discover +astounding, transformative advances in science. Through the imagination and +creativity of science fiction movies, Maynard introduces readers to the +profound capabilities presented by new and emerging technologies, and the +complex personal and societal challenges they present. + + + +{{ stars(stars=4) }} + +Writing a review of this book is hard, 'cause all I have are some disconnected +options about it -- and, in a way, these opinions may only reflect the +disconnected points in the book. + +So, first point: I find it weird to read a *book* about *movies* +which, in most part, are based on *books*>. One of the points, about Dan +Brown's "Inferno" even mentions that, as a ethics discussion, the book takes a +step further than the movie. Although the point of using movies was more of +"opening discussions using art", it seems weird not to use the books, which are +more rich and more intricate, to raise moral and ethical points. + +Second point: Some movies seem just an excuse to discuss other things. For +example, "Transcendence" (which, against the first point, it is not based on a +book). Instead of giving real focus to nanotechnology -- and its ethical and +moral uses -- and focuses way too much on the Luddite part it, talking about +some real life counterparts and explaining their point of view and how it +affects science in general. + +Third point: It is way too long. I mean, most of the subjects the author just +keeps dancing around the topic and don't move forward. "Transcendence" is, +again, a typical case: Yes, Luddites have some points, yes, maybe we shouldn't +listen to all the point, but the fact is, all the time, those two points keep +coming and going, for pages, without reaching a conclusion. At some point, I +was just reading the first half of the paragraphs 'cause I noticed the second +half would be repeated either in the first part of the next paragraph or just +the one following it. + +But, on top of that, I guess the "Morality" part of the title may lead to some +confusion. It's not "you, random person reading this book, here are some +morality discussions about things you do"; it's way more as "we, scientists, +must have some moral discussions about what we are doing". It could clear the +air for "random persons reading the book" about how science -- and scientists +-- work, but still it is a discussion about morality with scientists. + +And, in a way, it may also throw people into sciences, because it shows that +scientists are not just "let's find out what's here", but they are worried (or, +at least, as the book tries, should) about the moral repercussions of what they +are working on.