Unfortunately I don't have a definitive answer here. But the purpose of this website is to be my online portfolio and a place for me to explore my technological creativity. But hey, I'll keep you posted if I find the definitive purpose of life.
The Three Body Problem (2008, translated 2014) by Liu Cixin (English translation by Ken Liu) is the most scientific science fiction book I've already read, drawing from quantum mechanics and math in a detailed and believable (to a chemist) way to construct an unforseeable future. Exploring ancient history, 20th century Chinese revolutions and their influence on academia, immersive video games, stewardship of the environment, and the unknowability of the universe, this first installment of Liu's trilogy slowly unfolds at the beginning and builds in pace as you continue.
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin Cover design by Stephan Martiniere
The Three Body Problem (2008, translated 2014) by Liu Cixin (English translation by Ken Liu) is the most scientific science fiction book I've already read, drawing from quantum mechanics and math in a detailed and believable (to a chemist) way to construct an unforseeable future. Exploring ancient history, 20th century Chinese revolutions and their influence on academia, immersive video games, stewardship of the environment, and the unknowability of the universe, this first installment of Liu's trilogy slowly unfolds at the beginning and builds in pace as you continue.
Covering so many philosophical topics, you might say that Liu explores both the meaning and value of life.
This book daringly starts (in the English translation) with a protest in Tiananmen Square, albeit not in 1989, prompting me to read up on the post-WWII social revolutions in China, which I don't recall learning about in school. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough to the scientifically minded reader.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood Cover illustration by Noma Bar and jacket design by Suzanne Dean
A captivating, page-turning sequel to The Handmaid's Tale (1985), Margaret Atwood's The Testaments was the only book I anticipated the release of in the year 2019. Fifteen years after the end of the first book and some years after the TV show (currently 3 seasons out), The Testaments mixes old and new characters to describe both the oppressive world of Gilead and the bystander's perspective. Three strong female narrators spin their side of the story.
In writing this blurb, I realized I really like the cover design, and the colors go well enough with my offending website color palette. Plus, I like that the back cover also has a design:
The front cover shows a "demure" Gilead girl, head covered but with a small feminist inside of her, just waiting to come out, and by contrast, the back cover portrays a normal, 21st century girl with her hair pulled back.
All this is to say, I sought out the names of the artists involved in this iconic, minimalist design. I swiftly found Noma Bar's credit on the inside back jacket, and included her and Suzanne Dean's names in the caption above. Next, I wanted to find who designed the cover of A Confederacy of Dunces, but I came up empty after searching on the internet (I have misplaced my own copy, but I don't know if there were any credits on it anyway, as a paperback). I expect that there were different publishing practices in 1980, and there have also been a number of different covers for different editions, so I doubt that I will be able to identify the artist, which is such a shame.
A Confederacy of Dunces is one of my all-time favorites. Funny, clever, and one-of-a-kind, this 1969 (published posthumously in 1980) novel by John Kennedy Toole paints the tragicomic picture of Ignatius J. Reilly - an unmotivated, unemployed, and obese "genius" with a masters degree and a superiority complex who lives with his mother in New Orleans, crossing paths with an array of uniquely-New Orleanian characters and unknowlingly setting in motion a plot he never recognizes.
The front cover shows a "demure" Gilead girl, head covered but with a small feminist inside of her, just waiting to come out, and by contrast, the back cover portrays a normal, 21st century girl with her hair pulled back.
