Sluice Issue #16

Sluice  | by Arthur H. Manners

Issue #16

Things to share this week

1. Books: Novacene by James Lovelock. This book is short but chock full of ideas, where Lovelock — the father of the Gaia Theory of the living Earth — outlines his vision of the next geological age, a time called the Novacene defined by AIs that supersede humans. Lovelock has some strong opinions, and states them clearly, and guides you through the turnings of his enormous mind.2. TV/Film: Black Books. Bernard Black, misanthropic bookshop owner, spends three seasons of the show drunk and insane, insulting his employee Manny, and getting caught up in the ravings of his best friend Fran. This is just one of those early-noughties Channel 4 gems that aren't made anymore and never will be again. This show is probably responsible for the foundation my sense of humour — I can offer no information on whether that's a good or bad thing.3. TV/Film: Terminator 2: Judgement Day. I watched this again recently, probably for the thousandth times, and it just never stops being impressive. Maybe the perfect action film. The 1990s effects hold up amazingly well, and the pacing of the film is just second to none. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton return to their roles from the first film (and if you somehow haven't seen the first film, The Terminator, do that). Robert Patrick as the T-1000 also might be the model bad guy for any film. My personal favourite character is the creator of the genocidal AI Skynet, Miles Dyson, played by Joe Morton. The quintissential avid scientist who inadvertently opens Pandora's Box. (Remember Ian Malcolm's famous line in Jurassic Park: Your scientists are so focused on whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.) Final shout-out to the burning playground that appears in the title sequence and Sarah Connor's dream: that shit stays in your head forever.4. Books: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. This book is very well known, but I've only just finished reading it. For some reason I left it a third of the way in for about a year. I decided to start again and this time I got swept all the way through in just three sittings. It's short but beautiful, a real powerhouse of language play. It's one of those books where any kind of blurb kind of ruins the reading experience, so: it has robots and love letters and time travel — now go read it.5. Youtube: What happens if you put your head in a particle accelerator by Kyle Hill. I have no idea why somebody needs to know what happens if you put your head in the path of a particle beam, but I'm glad I now know: obviously, it pokes a needle-thin hole right through your brain and then you go home for the night...

Until next time, be good.

Best regards,

Art

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