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What I read in 2022

Continuing on from 2016 , 2017, 2018-2020, I have collected here a short summary of books I read in 2022. The order is not chronological or preferential, just as I recalled them while writing.

I have no mouth, and I must scream (by Harlan Ellison): An interesting take on ‘eternal hell’ trope in a sci-fi setting. AM is an iconic villian and his hateful speech is one of the most impactful short pieces of writing I have ever read. Author brought to life his mind’s bleakest creation on BBC Radio show where he voiced AM. I also recommend checking out this video by Wendigoon where he manages to find a very positive interpretation of the ending.

Elantris (by Brandon Sanderson): Read this on a friend’s “recommendation” that was turning into borderline harassment and threats 😀 The story is a typical “chosen one” tale. I found it really hard to get past 1-D characters and the set of coincidental conveniences that were miserably masquarading as plot.

The Shadow over Innsmouth (by H.P. Lovecraft): The twist at the end is REALLY well executed. It has been argued that this story laden was Lovecraft’s racism, but given the ending I don’t really see it. For an interesting perspective I recommend Hbomberguy’s video How to adapt Lovecraft in 21st Century on the topic.

Maybe you should talk to someone (by Lori Gottlieb): Therapist talk about her own experience with therapy and we also get to learn about her patients, including a grieving and guilt-ridden father and a dying newly-wed. There’s no “story” in the traditional sense. But nevertheless, I feel that you’ll get something interesting (or potentially terrifying) out of it.

Solaris (by Stanislaw Lem): One of the most “alien” alien book. The book challanges our conception of what ‘life’ is and just how much the definition of ‘language’ and ‘communication’ can be strechted. Defintely consider reading this if your perception of aliens is mostly formed by watching Star Wars.

A Fire upon the Deep (by Vernor Vinge): It somewhat remined me of Children of Time, and like Children of Time, I got more attached to the story of Tines than anything else to do with Powers or whatever was going on in higher zones of thought.

Pride and Prejudice (by Jane Austin): I tired a romantic novel for a change on a friend’s recommendation. The characters were captivating and the banter between Elizabeth and Darcy sweet. If you read this, don’t miss out on the excellent TV or Film adaptations. They have been brought to life in an extremely enjoyable manner.

The Art of Language Invention (by David Peterson): Conlang

Everyone in this room will someday be dead (by Emily Austin): Gay girl works at a Catholic Church. You can read a more complete review on Goodreads here.

The Forever War (by Joe Haldeman): An allegory of the US-Vietnam war by a veteran. It has also been seen as a response to Starship Troopers (by Robert Heinlein). I recommend this video by Knowing Better to understand the full context.

Master and Margarita (by Mikhail Bulgakov): Satan shows up in Moscow and wreaks all kinds of havok. Whether you read the book or not, don’t deprive yourself of this amazing rendrition of one epic scene in video form where all hell breaks loose (somwhat literally).

Dark Matter (by Blake Crouch): Time travel, parallel universes, and a good old fashioned “I-must-get-back-to-my-lover”, what’s not to like ? The main character ends up fighting himself and physics to get his life back.

Taqreeban (by Ahmed Javed Sahab): A collection Ahmed Javed’s poetry, whom I have learned a lot from when it comes to Urdu and Farsi literature as well as Western philosophy (Chalni ki Piyas for example). My favorite parts were definitely the absurdist free-verse poems. This is unique to Ahmed Javed or at least I haven’t seen many examples of this in Urdu poetry. His blend of mysticism and absurdism, western and eastern thought is something to experience.

Kulyaat e Muhib Aarfi (by Muhib Arfi): A gem of a find! I really should write a longer blog post about his work. It is too important to be ignored. Arfi deals with my favourite topics in philosophy: Ontology and Epistemology. For those who are into emperical sciences, you’ll find Arfi’s take on experiments, theories, and observations familiar yet refreshing. His essay (included as the book’s preface) on the his outlook on science and art is definitely also worth reading, as it provides a lot of context for what it to come. One particular memorable piece is a poem called “Jarasim ki munajaat” (Prayer of the germs) where Arfi’s tells the tale of micro-organisms from their perspective as they see humans reshaping the environment around them.

The Love Hypothesis (by Ali Hazelwood): Ugh! Stupidest book I have ever read. The only benefit of reading this book is that know I understand how infuriating and frustrating it might feel to read female characters written for and by men. There’s no plot. Just a lot (I do mean A LOT) of convenient jumps, coincidences, and happenstances.

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories (by Ken Liu): A collection of short stories that mix sci-fi and nore general fantasy topics really well while keeping the themes so very human at the same time. My favorite one was the interesting take on Maxwell’s Demons. But really, there’s no shortage of innovative ideas here. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Roadside Picnic (by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky): I must admit that I couldn’t get into the whole “Stalker” thing. The central point of plot i.e. we might not even be worth bothering to the aliens is amazing. But really, this is an interesting read if you want a peek into the life in Soviet Union.

A Confession (by Leo Tolstoy): Read on the recommendation of the same friend who recommonded Elantris. This recommendation fared a lot better. I really liked it. But I couldn’t disagree more with Tolstoy’s ultimtate ‘cope out’ of a conclusion.

The Trouble with Physics (by Lee Smolin): Yet another “String Theory doesn’t work” book.

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