Dante Shepherd on Survivingtheworld.net created this lovely 2-d (chalk and board) mapping of Alternate Universes:
When anything is possible, everything is possible. Some of his universes are quite amusing.
.jpg/200px-Revelation_Space_cover_(Amazon).jpg)
I recently finished reading the Revelation Space “series”– the first four books and the novella Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days. There are apparently 8 short stories out there and another book set in the same universe but stand-alone from the first four. The first four books are no small accomplishment. Each has over 500 pages (585 Revelation Space, 694 Chasm City, 694 Redemption Ark, 756 Absolution Gap) and a rather complex story structure along with a decent level of technology and physics. The series is a space opera–spanning ~300 years (with touches beyond in both directions), several star systems, and characters that appear in multiple novels in changing roles (in the novel sense–protagonists in one novel become secondary characters in another).
[Note: There is a new book, The Prefect, which is apparently set in the same universe, but stand alone.]
The universe Reynolds created is impressive and impressively well developed. Each world has a different history, a different mix of people, and different issues. He creates groups of people, almost subspecies, with vast differences from appearance to belief system. While there are aliens, which are also created with fascinating depth, they are not developed as fully in the tales (thought the development is clearly there) as the focus is on human or human-hybrid characters.
On a first read, not looking for issues, I find the immense universe to be almost flawlessly presented. In fact, I only noticed one thing, and it was in the last 4 pages of reading, that he neglected to account for. There are Pattern Jugglers, a collection of marine organisms that record the minds (including memories) of anyone who swims in them and have recorded a vast store of minds from the first aliens to swim in them ages ago. Swimming in the Jugglers results in a temporary near paralysis and floods the human with “chemical bliss” (Diamond Dogs, page 160). It occurred to me that this would probably lead to people becoming addicted to the Jugglers, like anything else humans get their hands on that causes chemical bliss (some may like the near paralysis too). However, Reynolds never mentions this. But this is rather small issue, and may have never been worthy of mentioning in the areas where the Juggler are mentioned.
But this is the only issue I found. Otherwise the series is amazing in how beautifully and thoroughly developed his universe is. Even without such good writing and interesting stories, the universe alone and its details and development make the series worthy of the vast amounts of time it takes to get through it.
Bill recommended the series and I am quite glad he did. The first book especially takes a while to get into. While the writing is good there is just too much that is not explained. It was not until about halfway in that I figured out what the book was about. The second book was similar, and since it took place in a different part of the universe, there were still issues with the unexplained. By the middle of the third book, things all finally begin to click and there is enough that has occurred that I no longer had issues with the unexplained. Most of the unexplained did come out through the process of the story.
I must also note that Reynolds wrote these four books and novels while also working as an astronomer at European Space Research and Technology Centre. This man is in no way a slacker. The Revelation Space series came out one book a year, the first in 2000, the last in 2003 with the novella also coming out in 2003, while he was working as an astronomer. As I said, these are not small books either. There are people who make me look lazy, and he is one of them! He has since given up the astronomer gig and is now writing full time.
So, overall, I highly recommend this series, but only if you have a good bit of time to dedicate to it. His writing is strong, the character development impressive, and the universe expansive and thoroughly developed. I was quite hooked into the series and looked forward to whenever I got a chance to read it. But if you can’t put a book down until you finish it or don’t have the time to be entangled in a space opera I suggest waiting until you can dedicate time to enjoying the immersion.
Here is a great comic on some of the joys of being a triathlete:
We can’t do much about the clothes. They don’t give us much in the way of options.
What has your mayor commissioned lately? How about a safer, more environmentally friendly bamboo taxi? No? Well, according to this article, mayor Rustico Balderian of the Philippines rice farming town of Tabontabon recently commissioned some. These 90% bamboo taxis run on galleon of coconut biodiesel for eight hours and can carry up to 8 passengers. They are safer than the common equivalent of up to 6 people somehow squeezing onto a motorcycle. These taxis are also locally made. [all info from article]
These also look cooler then a normal taxis in warm locations, especially a taxi without AC. I wonder when we will get bamboo carts and taxis here?
Did my first swim and bike workout : 450 m swim mix of strokes and 9.23 on the bike including 2 miles warm up/cool down. The water did not feel as good as it did in my first swim, and I was actually slower. I had issues with the Expresso bike, which slowed me down at times. After I was quite body exhausted.
Workout: Swim
Time:18:33. This includes some breaks and stops.
Average lap time : 1:40?
Distance: 450 meters
Strokes: Side, breast, and crawl
Total training distance to date: 900 meters
Body condition: not as good as last time. Had to share a lane and was too focused on not kicking my partner.
Time of day: evening
Workout: Bike (Expresso bike)
Time: 42:15
Courses(s): Stump Puller, with a 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down on Expresso Speedway
Distance: 9.23
Total training distance to date: 78.53
Body condition: Fine
Weather: Inside
Time of day: evening
As high heels continue to infiltrate the few spaces left where society doesn’t deem them necessary, such as running, there is one place I never considered high heels going–on babies’ feet. However, someone not only did imagine high heels on babies, but created a company that makes them: Heelarious. The heels are called “crib shoes” and, before you freak out, are all soft with fabric pillow-like heel (from what I can tell). The name, Heelarious, does suggest these are something of a joke, but I am not so very sure how much of it is a joke. Certainly, legitimately selling heels for babies would (I hope) cause public outcry. So, perhaps the name is their counter—“we see these soft crib shoes as a joke”–maybe even a social commentary for you feminists out there. Okay, even I doubt the later, but a feminist can hope, can’t she?
Photo: Copyright of Heelarious
Unfortunately the ironic commentary is overruled by the fact they are actually selling these pink and animal print heals, along with the occasional cowboy boot with soft spurs, and for regular price of $35-39.95. So, they are very commercial, of course. Yet another thing women have to buy to be “feminine”? But these women are 0-6 months old.
While they are not “real” heels, I do wonder how the pillow heel may impact babies as they become mobile. Certainly stepping on a pillow heel doesn’t help balance anymore (and likely less) than the wooden stack heels I own. At least these do not appear to hurt feel and the body in the ways regular heels can. They do say “Not intended for walking (heel will collapse with weight). Not intended to harm children in any way.” However, I think the harm is caused by suggesting babies should wear heels. I won’t even get into arguments about how the heel is something of a sex object and this is, arguably, sexualizing our babies.
This comet ride was a bit slower than the last, but we did start later and it was a very hot day. This may have been one of my longest bike rides.
Workout: Bike (distance on the comet)
Time: ~2:00
Distance: 30
Average Speed: 15.2
Total training distance to date: 69.3 (since 6/4)
Body condition: Felt pretty good on the way out. It actually went by pretty fast. I was fine except for the last two miles at the end when my body decided it was done. Only minor breathing issues.
Weather: High 80s to low 90s and humid. Sunny. Too hot!
Time of day: late morning/noon
Nutrition: 1 GU pack before and a Luna bar, 1 GU & water during
I’ve been a bit hesitant to get back in the water and lazy. It is harder to get the swims in. The swim went very well, however. It was fairly easy and I enjoyed being in the water. It seemed easier than I remember it being. Maybe I have improved?
Workout: Swim: side stroke, breast stroke, and the crawl
Time:16:55. This includes some breaks and watch issues (I kept forgetting to set it for my laps and going back and starting the lap over).
Average lap time : ~1:40 My side stoke and crawl were 1:35 and under, my breast stroke slower.
Distance: 450 meters
Total training distance to date: 450 meters
Body condition: fine
Time of day: afternoon
I’m getting behind on my posting of workouts!
Workout: “Easy” run
Time: 48:23 (11:31 splits)
Distance: 4.2 miles
Total training distance to date: 25.35 (since starting back up June 4th)
Body condition: Rather slow and painful run with lower legs hurting from shins to inside to calf muscles. Beginning to get worried about the pain in my left calf, which is similar to the early pain before my stress fracture. Breathing ok, worse on hills, as always.
Time of day: morning
Weather: 70s and humid
Nutrition: water during & half a bottle of Gatorade after
Entertainment:
While vacationing in Maine, I got two runs in. The first I did with my brother. Last year for his birthday I bought him Galloway’s Book on Running , which Bill and I read when we started. My brother has been thinking of starting and I thought a run with me might help. Plus, I could give him pointers and we would get a bit of sister and brother time without his very cute three-year-old son around. We took it a bit slower than I am running right now, but not much. He had to walk a bit more on the way back, but even so his run was impressive for the first one in years!
Workout: Run
Time: 30:00
Distance: not sure. Calling it 2.75
Total training distance to date: 17.55 (since starting back up June 4th)
Body condition: Breathing hard at start. The road was very uneven and I had lower leg pain while running and after.
Weather: low 70s
Nutrition: water during
Entertainment: Conversation with my brother and lovely occasional views of the ocean, fields of lupine, some iris, and daisies.
I had a hard time getting a second run in because it kept raining and I am not yet back into running enough to want to run in the rain. However on my last day in Maine it seemed to not be currently raining, so I got ready to go, only to find it had started a light misty rain. After some thinking, I decided it was still better than the 80s-90s+ and smog I get in Atlanta. So, I went out and ran up into Grafton Notch State Park, which is near where I grew up. The park has the Appalachian trial running through it, and I was literally running up into the foothills. The way out was tough and the way back a bit scary in places as I was going down steep hills on rather slick rain coated tar. Also, the road was in pretty bad shape and rather uneven, which caused leg issues. But, weather and road conditions aside, it was a lovely run with views of Bear River and mountains.
Workout: Hilly Run
Time: 42:00
Distance: not sure. Calling it 3.6
Total training distance to date: 21.15 (since starting back up June 4th)
Body condition: Breathing hard/bad on hills. The road was very uneven and I had lower leg pain while running and after.
Weather: low 70s, misty rain, ended up very wet
Nutrition: water during
Entertainment: The Extraordinary Contraptions Inappropriate on Purpose. “Smote”, my favorite song on that album got me through a tough hill right at the turn around point.
image source