k93

A chaotic yet engaging phantasmagoria

Revisado: 01-05-25

This is basically a review for both books of this series, though I enjoyed the second even more than the first. Very interesting world-building and phantasmagoric writing, like moving through an otherworldly nightmare. The prose is very visual, very conducive to imagining the environment and events of this universe. Intriguing blend of steampunk-ish fantasy and sci-fi with a bit of horror, along with an unusual use of the fourth dimension (time). Both books follow two interweaving stories that dovetail towards the end. Overall captured my interest; very original writing that I think should get more attention! The epilogue sets up for a third book; I very much hope this third book comes out, I'll definitely be buying it.

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A bit confusing, but very rich storytelling!

Revisado: 10-22-24

I really enjoyed this. The fantasy/magic/sci-fi blend was *chef's kiss* in my opinion! The story is a bit timey-wimey and can get confusing, and I'm sure there are plot holes galore, but this did not take anything away from my enjoyment. The world-building is immersive and very intriguing! A lot of rich visual imagery, including some quite horrific. Great narrator. Looking forward to hearing book 2!

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Fantastic!

Revisado: 09-03-23

A fantastic overview of karma and its philosophy, with much breadth and subtlety. Much needed, given how often karma is misunderstood. Now one of my favorite Buddhist books; I will likely be going back to it in the future. Also, wonderfully narrated - a pleasure to listen to!

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A philosophical masterpiece!

Revisado: 04-12-23

This book is a masterpiece fusing science, religion, and philosophy - easily one of my favorites from Sacks. For those who love to think deeply about the subjective experience of existence, and the spiritual ramifications of our perceptions and inward reactions. I felt a rejuvenated wonder about life just from listening to his words...

My only very tiny gripe is that, while the narration is good, it can be a little hard to tell when he's narrating Sacks quoting someone else, versus narrating Sacks himself. Other than that - perfect.

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Dense and informative!

Revisado: 03-14-23

I loved this course! I've read or listened through multiple books on achievement, mastery, deliberate practice, etc. Other books have a few good tips here and there, but often sounded to me too much like motivational speeches with a few helpful suggestions peppered in. This course, however, despite being sport-focused, offered mountains of information and actionable advice to start becoming truly motivated and disciplined at a deep level - in any endeavor or field of achievement.

It is true that it requires some degree of contemplation to translate a lot of the advice from sport to one's own field. But I can understand why sport is a focus of study in human achievement - it is easy to measure effort and results. In other fields, these things can be much more subjective, so applying a semblance of scientific methodology would be much trickier. However, all the same principles of motivation, self-determination theory, etc. apply equally to all endeavors. I found the introduction to ACT especially helpful, particularly when CBT doesn't quite seem to help so much.

I'd say that I found about 75% of the content useful and easily applicable to non-sport endeavors. Maybe about a quarter of the book was very specific to sport, parenting, etc. However, I gained 10 times more out of that 75% than all other books I've read on the subject of mastery combined. Also, the pdf that comes with the audio is a wonderful resource to review the material after listening. Highly recommended, if you're willing to make some cognitive leaps to apply the material to your own life!

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Love these vintage stories!

Revisado: 02-02-23

I'm really enjoying these vintage releases from the BBC, when Doctor Who wasn't yet *quite* The Doctor as we know them today - but you can hear the beginnings in these stories. The Invasion from Space is a wonderfully imaginative and unique story, with captivating visual imagery. (It would be amazing if remade into a TV story with modern special effects!) The second story seems a bit generic - could have done with a lot more fleshing out - but was an enjoyable listen nevertheless. Peter Purves is a fantastic narrator for these stories! Very enjoyable overall.

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Not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it

Revisado: 01-28-23

Finished listening to this a couple of weeks ago, and am still thinking about it. I normally listen to audiobooks during commutes; every so often, a novel draws me in so much that I continue listening for hours even after I get home. This was one of those. The dual narration was excellent, and very convincing; it really drew me into the minds and lives of the main characters. I found them both intriguing and likeable. I also really enjoyed how environments, clothing, etc. were described here - this is the type of thing that can get boring for me in a story when overdone, but it worked perfectly here for the world-building.

I understand how some could mistake this novel for mere BDSM erotica - indeed, there are a number of extended gay sex scenes - and I found them super-hot despite being heterosexual, LOL. But it's so much more than that. Another review, I think, called this a sexual parable of capitalism - and I couldn't agree more. Listening to this novel while considering it as a metaphor for the direction modern capitalism is taking is a perspective I found penetrating (pun intended, lol) and quite chilling. It is sci-fi, but it's... unsettlingly believable. If you ever worked exhausting, back-breaking labor that barely made a dent in your debts, while working for a billionaire, you may find a lot to relate to on a psychological level (or, I sure did, anyway.)

The only negatives I noticed were a few minor details that detracted from the believability of the story (I don't think anyone could realistically learn to play piano that well in 6 months... lol). But these were very minor flaws. Overall, this is an absorbing story with much more depth than may initially appear, and I will likely go back to it in the future. Definitely looking forward to hearing more from this author!

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Not for everyone, but some will love it

Revisado: 10-01-22

Not everyone will love the tone of this book, particularly Westerners who are used to spirituality being coated in soft, gentle words and feelings. But if you are maybe a bit more "punk" and aren't into the flowery language of modern western spirituality, you may well love this book as I did.

Everyone has a personality that serves as a lens through which they understand the world and communicate, and Tibetan Buddhist teachers are no different. This author's personality offers a particular lens through which to understand the fundamentals of Buddhism, and the narrator's tone does make him sound particularly cranky (I didn't mind this at all, though). I may not personally agree with or relate to all of his opinions and observations of society, but I can see what he's getting at. The reader may need to read between the lines a little bit, and in my opinion the effort is worth it.

In the end, after getting through this book, I found myself with a deeper understanding of the Four Seals and how absolutely fundamental they are to the Buddhist view, with at least some rudiments of how to apply them to my own life. Many Buddhist books on such concepts are academic and dry; I appreciated the way this teacher communicates those concepts in a narrative way that is easy to absorb on a commute to work. If I find myself forgetting the Four Seals in my daily life, I'd listen to this again.

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It's Good Good Good!!!

Revisado: 08-29-21

What an unusual and philosophically engaging tale! I binged-listened to this book to an extent that's rarely happened with other novels, could barely put it down. This story is not as much science fiction, as something I'd describe as speculative anthrolopology, and in the weaving of myths on this world can be found intriguing religious allegories. I found the interpersonal dynamics of this little tribe on an alien planet quite interesting, and appreciated the fact that the author didn't shy away from sticky topics like what human sexuality might be like in a culture untouched by modern-day accretions of ideas about sexual morality.

Other things I loved:

The world-building is astoundingly beautiful. The descriptions of the alien world painted such eerie and gorgeous pictures in my mind's eye! And the narration really drew me in. I enjoyed the weird London-Brooklyn blend accent (the Brooklyn part of it sounded more Long Island to me, but close enough!) and found the linguistic angle both charming and plausible. I particularly loved the narration of John Redlantern - he's so believable as the character, and had me rooting for him the whole way! I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book in print as well, but this story really, really works as a narration.

Anyhow I just loved this novel, and am looking forward to listen to the next in the series!

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Fun story!

Revisado: 03-09-21

While not at quite the level of modern audio drama, I found it very enjoyable!

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