Review: Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Superintelligence is clearly a book about philosophy, focusing on a conceptual examination of the development of artificial general intelligence (and, subsequently, artificial superintelligence). Bostrom's book has an almost prophetic ring. Written in 2014, it lays out maps for the possible ways in which AI development might progress, and a decade later it is clear that some of these paths seem well underway. In places, his concerns seem particularly well-founded, especially when discussing human-human interactions in a world where a potentially revolutionary technology is being created.

On the other hand, this age also makes parts of the book feel less relevant to the modern contexts. Obviously certain ideas and decisions that were viable in 2014 seem less viable or important considering where AI-progress has been seen (e.g. the focus on ML and LLMs). Furthermore, the tech-agnostic manner of writing means that Bostrom's examination of concerns is a little bit coarse-grained, for example he does not dig deep into value-loading specifically through linguistic means, which is becoming a more realistic possibility considering advances in the last ten years.

Overall, however, Superintelligence was a great read. Extremely urgent and, of course, terrifying.

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Review: India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy

India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy by Ramachandra Guha
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

India After Gandhi is deep, rich, and powerful, charting a massive course and bringing together an eclectic set of stories from across politics (national and regional), economic decisions and developments, technology, and more. Politics remains the guiding lens, but the book is vast and expansive beyond it.

A brilliant read.

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Review: Six of Crows

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Six of Crows is textbook. It is written to be a classic, every beat planned to achieve the desired effect, every plot-point, every trope, wielded like a hatchet to chop and bite and build a fantasy novel that does exactly what it tells you it will do. The plot is tight, closely structured, with only a small number of open questions that get closed as the book moves on. Almost all of these answers serve the purpose you've been told they will serve, explanations of betrayal and dark pasts full of horror, they are all tied neatly with a bow. There are some moments of mild surprise, nothing too spectacular but also nothing too predictable. The magic system is basic and elemental, the setting lacks heterogeneity but has some interesting ideas. It is written well, with some beautiful quotes interspersed amidst mostly functional prose.

With regards to most things, plot, setting, magic, mystery, style of writing, Six of Crows is textbook and that's it.

There are, however, two exceptions. The first is the characters, which are fantastic. I loved every single one of our motley crew of heisting thieves, I loved the way they talked and the way they moved, I loved the internal monologues and interactions between them and the relationships that formed and grew as the pages turned. I was surprised by some, doubted myself on others, but in the end they were all interesting developed characters I enjoyed following along with. My favorite was Kaz, but Inej was a close second and Nina a closer third. They were vulnerable in bits, badass in others, and generally I think Bardugo writes great characters.

The other exception is that there is a deep tonal mismatch in the book, primarily in the parts where the mystery and world-building. Here, the book is at its worst. The best example of this is Kaz, the book consistently makes Kaz out to be a dark deeply disturbed character, capable of great horror, with a past that matches it. Then, we follow him and learn about his past, and I could not help but feel disappointed. He's a cool character, but at no point in the book is he actually the cold-blooded monster that we keep hearing he is. He has a traumatic past, but not significantly more than any of the other main characters.

Here, and in a couple other places, the book is actively disappointing. Now, the caveat here is obviously that it is meant for a YA- audience, which means that the tonal mismatch is probably a result of trying to thread the line between a more mature-feeling book and content that falls outside this genre. Still, I think the complain is justified.

All in all though, you should read Six of Crows, most of it is good and the impressive character-building makes up for some of the disappointments that come later.

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Review: The Vegetarian

The Vegetarian by Han Kang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Vegetarian is an interesting book that does not take its premise nearly far enough. It is surreal, to an extent, building an enticing mystery surrounded by characters that weave through cultural ideas and moral questions. The core mystery, the one of the titular "Vegetarian", is interesting insofaras the actual vegetarianism is a small part of a larger unexplained situation.

The book is at its best as cultural commentary, examining general and specific reactions and responses to situations arising from the vegetarian. The titular character is somewhat a plot device, the story is in the behaviors of those that surround her. The themes range from societal stigma against vegetarians, to mental illness and infidelity, as well as questions about family and death. It takes some unexpected turns, but for the most part it struggles to surprise you because either it reveals too much too early or is so left-field that you are too confused to be startled.

Sadly, the interesting themes and questions are not explored fully. The story meanders too much, the characters will say some insightful things of consequence and then nothing. The book builds anticipation, reaches the climax, and then refuses to explore the future, it jumps over the difficult conversations to the detriment of its plot and themes.

It is interesting to read, but like so many other works of literature it is haunted by the ghosts of what could have been.

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Review: Killing Thatcher

Killing Thatcher by Rory Carroll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rory Carroll's telling of the Brighton hotel bombing is a riveting piece of non-fiction, it is written in a way that is gripping and riveting and covers a breadth of source material with a focus on the plot and the IRA. The research is deep, covering interviews and private notes and diary entries that seem to provide a kaleidoscopic view of events. The suspense builds easily, a factor of the brilliant source material and the style with which Carroll presents it. Once you pick it up, it is hard to put down.

Carroll does his best to be an impassionate observer, or at least unbiased with a sense of compassion and admiration for the competence and history of all the people he writes about. Amidst the excitement, he does a good job of sketching the personalities involved. Names and characters of the main players stayed with me even after they had disappeared from the story.

The broader political implications of the bomb are perhaps not discussed as clearly as I would have liked, there are brief mentions of the politicians who were impacted and the ways in which it contributed to the future of the British and Irish political movements, but it is too concise and leaves many open questions and unexplored ideas. Some more background here would have been ideal.

Carroll's style is his strength, relevant and punchy, with a penchant for bringing things to life. There were surreal bits where he would repeat the same turn of phrase but as if he had not uttered it before. These were the only bits where I had to pause because of how jarring it was. For the most part though, the writing was solid.

All in all, an excellent bit of non-fiction.

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Review: So Late in the Day

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An excellent short read by Claire Keegan.

The story plays it by the book, introducing minimal characters and taking the time to explore interesting and human-feeling ideas. It builds easy suspense, introducing small mysteries that are quickly solved but the "Why" and the "How" keeps the read interesting. The core story is an exploration of fascinating themes around love, marriage, and gender.

Worth reading.

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Review: Happening

Happening by Annie Ernaux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Happening is a powerful book. It is a book that is brutal and visceral, and I did not realise quite how raw and intense Ernaux's writing can be. This is a memoirist at her best, with excerpts from diaries and subtle interjections from the present, the surreal nature of existence drawn out in a way that feels so sublime and fascinating.

Her experiences are, and will always be, foreign to me. My identity is too distinct from her. In this, I am uncertain how my responses compare to someone who relates to them more closely and fully.

I read this in one sitting. It is a short and arresting read. It hurts. It hurts and then it goes and it feels like life inked onto pages, tinged with a little bit of red.

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