the undulating crowds of folk walking about beneath an unsacred sky, breathing, reproducing, expiring; and the shouting, and the never-verbalised shouting, Why me? or, Why not me? or, My God, there’s nothing but this. Im going to re read this book on my Kindle so I can highlight and share my notes on here since this book was recommended to me by another mom. (Brittnae btw thanks a MILLION) Geometry for Ocelots is an epic tale that brings up fond memories of my previous reading journeys. Not knowing what to expect initially, I found an epic which gradually and captivatingly touch on science vs religion, transhumanism, resource depletion, existential risk, and more. This with one of the most satisfying endings of any sci-fi novel I've read to date.

I got ‘Geometry for ocelots’ in a kindle sale because I liked the cover. I had no idea what it was about, and absolutely no expectations. It was what I saw in another review that sold me on reading it immediately, something along the lines of ‘You’ll love this book if you’re insane.’ It's so well written that it's incredibly relatable to the real world, the over consumerism of the state we're in. There are so many times I looked to my partner and shared another philosophical abstract question of how the world is seen, what the world is, what it does where it comes from. (Ugh! Science fiction man just making you think and reflect.) Many memorable stories have sparked my imagination over the last few years. They include The Martian (Weir), The Florentine Deception (Nachenberg), A Deepness in the Sky (Vinge), The Diamond Age (Stephenson), The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect , as well as works by Isaac Asimov, Liu Cixin, Ken Liu, Ted Chiang, Greg Egan, etc. Urinating one morning he became transfixed with an intricate pattern on the plaster of the toilet and mangled the tip of his penis in his trouser zip.

Open Library

Unlike my experience with Neal Stephenson's works, I found the world-building here thorough but easy to comprehend. Each chapter is short and approachable, leaving me excited to find out what's next for the characters and the world.

The first 20% alone would have been a beautifully written book about corruption on a smaller scope. The over control of religion that covers its ears to facts it cannot swallow or comprehend while also committing heinous crimes. Really really enjoyed it. Surprises and twists and turns and some solid commentary on civilizations and progress with some war and love thrown in.I've heard of exurb1a oft described as "a drunk British version of Kurzgesagt". In contrast to Kurzgesagt's take of "optimistic nihilism", exurb1a's videos are darker and more nihilistic, sparkled with expletives and hard-hitting in a way that reminds me of Mark Manson's works. Reading ‘Geometry for ocelots’ is like drinking a weird mixture of champagne, rakia (a strong Bulgarian fruit-based spirit) sweetened with honey, herbs and spices, with a splash of tomato juice for good measure. Weird, right? I love weird.