Infinite Repeating Android’s Dreams
Posted on October 27, 2006 Posted by John Scalzi 15 Comments
Whatever reader JT found another copy of The Android’s Dream out there in the wild, and was kind enough to snap a photo of it, which I show you here (I copied the picture and put it on my site in order to avoid running up his bandwidth — hey, it could happen). What I particularly like about the photo is that is has an earlier picture of TAD out in the wild on the computer screen, giving the picture the cool infinite regressing thing you generally only see in mirrors or involving cats. If people who get copies of TAD want to keep this up, it certainly would keep me amused.
While we’re on the subject of The Android’s Dream there’s another positive review of the book, from Paul Goat Allen, of Barnes and Noble’s Explorations newsletter. The review goes up in the November newsletter, which isn’t out yet, but I figure I can show off an excerpt:
An uproarious comedy about an imminent interplanetary war between mankind and a race of manipulative reptilian humanoids that proves once and for all that while Scalzi may have a multitude of bats in his belfry, he is an incomparable storytelling genius… a satirical tour de force.
Nifty.
The official release date is next Tuesday; you can expect I’ll do something then to celebrate.
Uproar, manipulative, bats, incomparable storytelling genius (or genus)… a satirical tour of France!
Well, I guess I won’t have to paint my face green for trick or treat tomorrow, I’ll just think of all these people who have partaken of a huge nugget cluster of Scalzi goodness and I will be positively Hulk on Gamma Rays green.
Congrats on the good reviews, btw.
Perhaps it’s my glasses or craptacular work monitor but “Infinite Regressing” appears to only be true when infinity has a value of 2.
Well, it’s an aspirational title.
During my lunch break from work, I just bought a copy of Android’s Dream from a local Borders that always seems to have problems with the notion of release dates. I’ll email a picture by the end of the day.
w00t!
I don’t mind that the books are getting sold prior to the official release date, personally. This ain’t Harry Potter. I want people getting them when they want to get them.
Kero, well, actually “infinity” is only defined as “the largest number you can think of plus 1.” Since I’m assuming that the androids in the novel are based on current computer-modal technology, i.e. binary thinking or “0” and “1”, technically “2” is infinite to the dreaming android. :)
(yes, I’m being a smart-bottom, yes I know the logical inconsistency of comparing logarithmic functions without translation, and that “10” Base2 is really “2” Base10)
For the record, the terminating point of this infinite regression (not really an oxymoron as that there’s the ineffable wisdom of the cosmos in those big brown eyes, you betcha) is a yellow Lab named Olivia. She wants all to know she is humbled and proud to take her place at the foundation of this grand experiment.
Steve you reminded me of the classic joke: “There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who know binary and those who don’t”
Snagged my copy off the shelf yesterday while I was visiting my wife at work (she works at a bookstore).
Such a great cover.
emeraldcite, I agree, I love the cover art. It’s nice and simple. A lot of sci-fi covers look way too busy to me. OMW and TGB had great covers, too. They always reminded me a bit of the cover of Ender’s Game, at least the copy of it that I have.
Kero, always loved that joke.
This may be a strange and stalkerish question, but what does Krissy do?
J
1. I picked up my copy of The Android’s Dream, and I’ve shot it as part of the soon-to-be-infinite regression. It’s available on my Flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinq2000.
2. Kero aka Kevin: Unfortunately, that joke only works in print. It makes no sense if you try to say it out loud.
K
Seen at the Arundel Mills Books a Million on Thursday evening.
If you go to a borders, don’t find it on the shelves, you can use the book/music/movie finder computer that they provide for custormers to see what other stores in the area have it. The one’s obeying the release date will say Reseve – the good stores will say Available or On Shelf. That’s how I found my copy…