The Gentle Romance
TLDR: “Just didn’t get it”
I did not get (almost) any of the stories in this book, and I feel badly about that.
The book was recommended highly by Kevin Kelly in Recommendo.
They are hard sci-fi, with technically plausible scenarios, played out many levels deep in very consistent worlds, explored by a very fertile imagination. I found more insights per page in Ngo’s The Gentle Romance than in any other book I’ve read for a long time.
It’s written by a guy who researches AI. He’s not a typical novelist. He’s kind of an industry analyst.
…I just didn’t get it.
It’s an anthology of short stories. I don’t think I understood one of them. I got about 75% of the way through the book before I abandoned it. (Maybe I understood one, about how a worker abuses his AI agents. I’m not sure there was a larger point to it, but it didn’t completely mystify me, anyway.)
Every story was the style of “tell them as little as possible and have them figure out the details.” Lots of in media res starts, flowery writing, and vague endings.
I feel dumb about this, and pretty disappointed (in myself?). The book was promoted as some big package of insights, but maybe I’m just not destined to get any of it.
Book Info
- Author
- Richard Ngo
- Year
- Pages
- 224
- Acquired
- I have read this book. According to my records, I completed it on .
- A softcover copy of this book is currently in my home library.