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Pursuits Through History: Time After Time and This Is How You Lose the Time War

1 Dec

Last month, with the year winding down, it seemed like a good time for our Science Fiction and Fantasy group to pick a time travel themed book and movie.  We enjoyed them both and encourage you to check them out as well! 

Time After Time
Time After Time is the 1979 film starring Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen in an action and romance story which travels between 1893 and the late 70’s.  In 1893 London, Jack the Ripper (David Warner) has been on what will become a legendary killing spree and H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) hasn’t just written about a time machine, but built one.  When Jack uses the Time Machine to escape capture, Wells must follow him into the future to try to stop his continued murder spree.  Jack finds the violence of modern day San Francisco delightful, but Wells is disheartened that we have not achieved the Utopia he was hoping for.  While trying to stop Jack, he falls for a beautiful and intelligent banker played by Mary Steenburgen.  Will Wells be able to stop the Ripper? Will romance be able to survive across the decades?  Check out the DVD from one of the owning BCCLS libraries to find out!

This is How You Lose the Time War
This is How You Lose the Time War is an usual epistolary novel, revolving around two agents on opposite sides of a time war, written by two wildly creative authors, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.  Blue is from a future where everyone is part of a nature collective called The Garden that encompasses the consciousness of all living things.  Red is part of The Agency, a Techtopia where the line between man and machine has blurred.  Their rivalry starts out as begrudging respect towards a talented foe and turns into a love that has them questioning what they are truly fighting for.  The novel’s poetic language and framing using the creatively hidden letters between the two frenemies will appeal to those outside the usual genre fans. 

Want more Time Travel Stories? You can check out other Time Travel Works I have blogged about including The Future of Another Timeline, The Time Machine, The Garden of Iden & To Say Nothing of the Dog.

Consider joining our monthly Science Fiction and Fantasy Group! You can join us for the film, book discussion, or both!  This month we will be discussing Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire and viewing a family friendly Nutcracker inspired holiday movie on Monday, December 20.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services

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Artificial Love: Klara and the Sun & Her

1 Sep

So often when we think of Robots in the future, it is of scenes like in the Matrix when they have taken over and controlling the world.  But what if the Robots could turn out to be the more compassionate ones?  Could there be a future that people form bonds not with each other, but with Robots or other forms of AI (Artificial Intelligence)?

Klara and the Sun

Though it was our pick for our August Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion, Klara and the Sun featuring a peak at AI in the future, is one of those books that will appeal to more than just Science Fiction fans; fans of literary fiction will also find a lot to enjoy. 

In the novel Klara is an AF or artificial friend.  She starts the novel in a store interacting with other AFs and the storeowner.  She is solar powered, and quickly picks up new information from those around her.  The story picks up as Klara is adopted by a sickly girl named Josie. 

There is something very simple about the way the novel is delivered from Klara’s limited childlike perspective and yet so much complexity is hinted at in the story that is going on in the wider world.  Klara despite being a robot often seems to have more compassion and sympathy than the humans in the novel. 

I was intrigued to hear what the book discussion group thought of the work and was pleased that they also had enjoyed the work a lot.  We had a great discussion about the future of AI and what it means for society.

Her

Before we discussed Klara and the Sun our book group watched the movie Her starring Joaquin Phoenix.  This was our first movie screening together since Covid and it was great to share a film again that tied to the book we had read this month. The movie was complimentary in that it also involved an artificial intelligence, in this case a Siri or Alexa like virtual personal assistant named Samantha voiced by Scarlett Johansson. 

Her won an academy award for Best Screen Play.  The group was less enthralled with Her than by Klara and the Sun, but we still had a lively discussion related to some topics it brought up.  Although in the case of Her it is a romantic relationship, rather than a friendship, between Theodore and Samantha, the movie touches on many of the same themes as the novel that are brought up about loneliness, humanity, and the place an AI might have in what has become a society centered on the hot new thing and disposability.

If you would like to join us for fun and friendly book discussions and screenings of great movies, sign up for the mailing list for our Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group by email hplwriters@gmail.com!  Our next book will be the first in my personal favorite Steampunk series, Soulless, by Gail Carriger.  Soulless is a delightful brew of gaslight fantasy, humor, and romance so check it out and let us know what you think!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services

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