Confusing, meandering, and utterly adorable. An examination of a gene’s drive to replicate and survive versus that said drive in an organism. Darwinism commingled with genetic theory, with the occasional side trip into game theory (Prisoner’s Dilemma!). I ask you, how can you resist? …we have the beguiling image of independent DNA replicators, skipping like chamois, free and untrammeled down the generations, temporarily brought together in throwaway survival machines, immortal coils shuffling off an endless succession of mortal ones as they forge ahead towards their separate […]
Dead men don’t bite
So my prevailing question through a lot of this novel was: is the most concentrated usage of pirate tropes, or, did this book invent all of those pirate tropes? And I think the answer is probably a little in the middle, but it’s interesting because this book feels like THE pirate book. And it’s kind of barely about pirates really. What I mean by this, is that this book more than anything else is a book about a mutiny. Yes, there’s a parrot who sings […]
Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You …
If you haven’t read American Psycho yet, you’re in for a real treat. Either that or you will hate me for recommending this book and possibly sue me for damages and mental distress. In any case, Patrick Bateman, the titular American Psycho, has become part of pop culture. Whether you’ve read the book, seen the (excellently adapted) movie, or just know him from this gif: You know that he’s a narcissistic Wall Street trust fund baby with a serious case of bloodlust and unmitigated misogyny. But […]
This is my year of not apologising for reading romance
I have spent a lot of time being embarrassed about certain sections of my reading habits. I have referred to romance novels as Treadmill Trash over and over again (yes, I like to read my kindle to distract myself while I run on the treadmill), but I’ve decided that this is my year to Woman Up and accept that I am just that into them. [For the record, I deleted a sentence up there describing the breadth of my reading habits. You like reading about […]