Saturday, January 20, 2018

Annalee Newitz Reads Autonomous At Massy Books, Vancouver

Photos and writing by Colleen Tsoukalas

American Journalist, Annalee Newitz recently wore her fabulous silk tie, featuring a Greenland Shark and saluting Marine Biology, to Massy Books, for her reading of favourite passages from her 2017 Sci-Fi, "Autonomous". A quote from Neal Stephenson tells it all: "Autonomous is to biotech and AI what Neuromancer was to the internet." Set mainly in Canada, 125 years in the future, there is a Bot neighborhood at Aberdeen Mall, Richmond and other local and regional references. The lead, a woman, Judith Chen, known as Jack, is Chinese, a trained synthetic biologist, and, among other pursuits, a pharma pirate, who copies and makes life saving but hugely expensive drugs available to the poor. I like that she is female, strong, and very, very strategic. I am also finding, Paladin, a bot, who thinks and feels, fascinating. Only at the beginning of the book, I can tell you that this is a multilayered, deep one about AI, drugs, good and bad, economics - rich and poor, slavery - being indentured, the environment, adventure, survival, and the race for ownership and control of resources. A must read to learn more about the outcomes, for sure!

After reading, Annalee answered questions from an enthusiastic audience: Will there be a sequel? What else are you working on, How do you find your voice, What is your hope for the impact of this story? Listening carefully and thanking each person for their interest, she was eloquent in her responses and hopeful about the future. A recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship from MIT, and a prolific writer of non-fiction and now, Science Fiction, Annalee Newitz is a powerful voice who will continue to read to audiences who will be immensely impressed, as we were.

Patricia Massy and her Book Store, Massy Books is moving locations, soon. From Main, she is moving to 229 E. Georgia, where she will continue to provide a great collection and fabulous book talks and other events so much needed in Vancouver!

Thanks to Patricia and to Annalee for the opportunity to meet, greet and be read to!




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