Blindsight
Author: Peter Watts
Genre: Science Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: ~360
Finished: Yes
Final Rating: 8.8/10
Final Rating: 8.8/10
This is a book that I think needs to be read at least twice. Dense, heady, and full of scientific jargon, Blindsight is a challenging hard sci-fi treasure.
In the late 21st century, thousands of alien satellites, dubbed "Fireflies", suddenly appear and burn up in the atmosphere, alerting humanity to the presence of an extraterrestrial intelligence. Years later, a crewed ship is sent to investigate a radio transmission coming from Big Ben, a super Jovian object in the Oort Cloud.
The central theme in Blindsight is consciousness. Specifically, is consciousness absolutely necessary for an advanced intelligence? Is it an evolutionary dead-end, perhaps?
Blindsight is a first contact story that I think really nails the 'alien' part of what an alien might be. Intriguing, exciting, and sometimes terrifying, I think this belongs on any sci-fi lovers' bookshelf. If you're not into science fiction, maybe skip this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment