272 pagesPerspectives on Law/Government/Civil Liberties & Political Activism Subtitled ‘Transcending the False Left, Right Narrative’ this book is basically a plea for rational discussion to replace the current fashion for polemic and knee-jerk reactions to so many disagreements. It is also much more than this. The world seems to have descended into extreme factions, if …
Tag: opinion
Futuristic Fiction: #Research for #Writers, Part 10, Beauty.
You’ll find the introduction to this series here. This post looks at Beauty. Beauty, according to an ancient aphorism, lies in the eye of the beholder. Experience suggests this is so, most of the time. But will our future produce different standards of beauty? We know fashions, trends, local traditions, and beliefs all impact on …
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The Tragedy of Tradition?
The traditional fireworks display given for many different reasons. This one is at Sydney, Australia.Creative commons licence via Wikipedia.<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://Linh_rOm, CC BY 2.0 http://Linh_rOm, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Tradition, what is it? Why do we value it? Is it always good? The SOED defines it in several ways, but this …
RAGE! A #Poem
Image via: http://clipart-library.com/anger-cliparts.html RAGE! How do you feel in thepresence of injusticeDo you rage at unfairnessDoes inequality ignite your ireDo you fume with furywhen you hear of a girl forcedearly into marriage with an old manwhen you learn of the boy deniedbecause his skin is another shadewhen the killer is set free to kill againwhen …
Pride in Place? A #Poem
Image via Mapswire. Pride in Place? Born in slum or palaceyou have no say in youraccident of birthLocation status wealthof parents determineswhere you might emergeSo why so proud ofwhere this chance occurredYou made no choice hereIt was imposed on youPride in place is foolishWith no experienceof another placeyou can make nomeaningful comparisonYou merely echowhat was …
#Brexit: A Sad Farewell to the EU.
Sad news, but we, the UK, have now left the European Union. Probably the worst decision made in our long existence as a sort of democracy. Certainly not a time for celebration. We’ll likely pay more for food, lose many manufacturing and service jobs, and reduce our influence on the world stage. As a member …
5 Questions About the #Climate.
We live in a beautiful world. Yes, I know. You’ve heard it all before. Or, you haven’t and don’t care. Or, the whole idea terrifies you and you’d rather not know. But this isn’t a piece to frighten, bamboozle or preach. Looking at the news; hearing, watching, and reading items about what has now popularly …
Why Did I Write Breaking Faith That Way?
It occurred to me recently that I’ve never explained what drove me to write the books I’ve had published. My hope was the intention would be clear from the story. But it seems that’s not very realistic. I know what motivated me, so I can hardly judge how effectively that motivation was transferred to the …
The Time is Now, the Place is Here
In October 2018, just 7 months ago, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced we had 12 years to deal effectively with Climate Change, otherwise we’re likely to reach a tipping point beyond which our ability to predict future changes is at best unreliable. It is likely such a scenario will result in widespread devastation, …
Fundamental #ClimateEmergency Action
This post will raise many concerns, objections and even outrage in some readers. Be warned. Most of the world is now, at last, aware of the dangers we face from climate change. Some refuse to accept we, the human race, are the major contributor to the looming disaster. Some doubters, like Donald Trump, are in …
The Corona Book of Science Fiction, edited by Max Bantleman: #BookReview.
202 pages Science Fiction Anthologies This is a collection of 16 short stories by some very talented writers. I enjoyed every one of these varied tales. There’s humour, horror, dystopia, AI, time travel, romance, aliens, corruption, robotics, love, and the greed inspired by empire here. None of these stories disappointed me. There are variations in style, …
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Judge Me Not; a #Poem
Picture courtesy of Pixabay I was recently involved in an online discussion that highlighted the tendency of some correspondents to make judgments about others from the biased point of view that is their own. It’s tempting for all of us to judge others using our own standards. It’s a mistake, of course. One I try …
A Political #Poem
Apologies to all my apolitical readers. Here in UK we’re going through a traumatic self-immolation created by a Government that cares more for a political party than for the good of the nation. As a writer, I feel it’s my role to make a point. I’ve done that here in the form of a poem, …
Why Did I Write Generation Mars This Way?
Earlier today I received an email from a visitor to this site, explaining he couldn’t review my Generation Mars series of books because he found the first one, Blood Red Dust, too distressing. His comments prompted a response from me to explain why I’d written the books in the way I did. It occurred to …
Italy: Trip of a Lifetime. Final Part
Lake Maggiore on an uncharacteristic dull day, with a displaying cormorant in the foreground. This is the last of the posts recording our stay in Italy in September 2018. We had a great time, so we decided to share our experiences. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. …
Stuart Aken 