Wandering Reveries

Book Review: The Scarlet Plague by Jack London

Until recently, I was unaware that Jack London wrote science fiction, because he is best known for such books as The Call of the Wild and White Fang (neither of which I have read, though I have read The Sea Wolf), so when I saw this reprint of The Scarlet Plague in the sci-fi section at Barnes & Noble, I picked it up out of curiosity. It’s a short pessimistic tome - touching on several issues, such as class, religion, etc. - about a future in which mankind has been decimated by an unknown disease and reverted to its primitive ways, and in the picture painted, London doesn’t offer much hope for the future of mankind.

You can read The Scarlet Plague online here.

Further recommended reading…

Book Review: Foundation by Isaac Asimov

I read through this Father’s Day gift pretty quickly. One of the things that draws me to science fiction is the role of social and political issues, which you don’t often see in other types of fantasy fiction, and Asimov’s Foundation certainly brings that fully into play. In a distant future, long after Earth has been forgotten, we continue to see the same socio-economic/political forces at work as a small planet must survive the dangers of an increasingly anarchic galaxy. Throughout, a prominent theme is the necessity of innovation, particularly scientific innovation, to thrive and survive.

I’ll probably end up buying and reading the rest of the original Foundation trilogy.

Further recommended reading…

Book Review: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

I have a vague recollection of reading this many years ago, but it’s worth reading again. If you’re looking for something resembling the movie, this isn’t your book (that movie was awful btw). In Starship Troopers, Heinlein raises many issues which are still relevant - and will probably be relevant as long as humans exist - such as why we fight, self sacrifice and other issues associated with war, conquest and some of the fundamental questions of human nature. Give it a read and thoughtful consideration.

Further recommended reading…