Category Archives: Narrative

Ls&Cs: Irony; Banning Books

Posted on Wednesday 1 December 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

The most significant item I have today, which I saw a couple days ago, was via a Facebook post by Moshe Feder, who helpfully copied it in its entirety: an article on New Scientist, by Annalee Newitz, which is not … Continue reading →

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Ls&Cs: Hillary; Money; Rural America; the Economy; Populism

Posted on Monday 8 November 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Today I had a dentist appointment; I compiled Weekly Bestsellers for Locus Online; I updated sfadb.com with the World Fantasy Award winners. After lunch: my thrice-weekly cardiac therapy. Then: read another chapter of Pinker; and now compiling links collected this … Continue reading →

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Ls&Cs: Science, Detection, and Narrative

Posted on Tuesday 2 November 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Aspirin: Why do scientists keep changing their minds? How science is like detective work. How conspiracy theorists exploit the provisional nature of science. Can history be overturned, or just refined? And KSR, aliens, the new telescope, and existential crises.

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Thinking About SF: Classic Erosion

Posted on Wednesday 6 October 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

What do Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Star Trek TOS, and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series have in common?

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L&Cs: Rhythm the Key to Everything?

Posted on Tuesday 28 September 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

What to make of this? (Link via Fb) Timber’s Newsletter: Rhythm is the single most important avenue to greatness in everything humans do Subtitled: “The best musicians, athletes, cooks, writers, and storytellers all have incredible rhythm”

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Links and Comments: Why People Believe

Posted on Friday 9 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Links from recent weeks, on political themes. The point, as always, isn’t to rag on Republicans or conservatives, it’s to collect case studies on epistemology: how and why people believe what they do. More and more, Republicans and conservatives have … Continue reading →

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Four More Provisional Conclusions

Posted on Friday 9 July 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a first draft of four more provisional conclusions I’ve drawn in recent years; they summarize themes I’ve invoked many times in these posts. I’ll revisit this post and refine, before I add them to a standing page on this … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Science, Reality Bubbles, and Stories

Posted on Tuesday 24 November 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

The most interesting one is at the bottom. \\ Scientific American: To Understand How Science Denial Works, Look to History, subtitled, “The same tactics used to cast doubt on the dangers of smoking and climate change are now being used … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Against Trump; Roe v. Wade and Personal Choices; Scientists and Stories

Posted on Monday 19 October 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

Sunday’s NYT Opinion section — typically 10 or 12 pages — was devoted entirely to spelling out (yet again!) why Trump is such an awful president: End Our National Crisis, subtitled “The Case Against Donald Trump.” One section of which … Continue reading →

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Link and Comments: Cory Doctorow on Story

Posted on Thursday 15 October 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: Cory Doctorow: The Dangers of Cynical Sci-Fi Disaster Stories, subtitled, I’m changing how I write fiction—for the benefit of the real world. The essay is on occasion of the publication of Doctorow’s latest novel, Attack Surface, a follow-up to … Continue reading →

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