Master

The Narrator Should Have Been AI

Revisado: 01-13-19

That way, there wouldn't be so many typically atrocious mispronunciations of Chinese names and words in this book. Sometimes, it just sounds like the narrator has balls stuck in his throat when speaking Chinese names, in typical American/Western fashion.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

It's Called "Wei Qi", Not "Go".

Revisado: 08-30-18

I take issue with the translation of the game of "Go" in this English version. "Go" is merely the Japanese name for "Wei Qi", the game that the Japanese copied from the Chinese who invented the game. Referring to it as "Go", as in the "Go board"...etc., is both disrespectful to the inventors and equally absurd. Imagine if non-Americans who are non-Chinese were to refer to the game of "baseball" not by its English name, but instead by its Chinese name of "Lei Qiu", wouldn't it be just as disrespectful and absurd? It shouldn't be difficult to understand this.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Woman, Thy Name Is Stupidity

Revisado: 08-14-18

There are two main characters in this book that I wanted to kill in the cruelest ways imaginable, because they are the most despicable creatures in the book: Cheng Xin and AA (her sidekick) whose dumb decisions were responsible for dooming all of humanity, the absolute worst crimes against humanity ever committed. The author was right on the mark with depictions of human nature, especially that of the mental inferiority of Chinese women and women in general when it comes to the biggest decisions. These characters showed that women, no matter how smart or educated they may appear in trivia that might stump schoolchildren, will almost always make the dumbest decisions in the bigger-picture stuff because of their inherent female mental weakness. The more significant the implications of a problem, the more disastrous the consequences of allowing a woman's judgment to decide the solution becomes. Therein lies the main weakness of this otherwise awesome story: casting abysmally idiotic and morally repugnant women as two of the main characters. It was excruciating to read through the story with such mentally inferior creatures being the main characters throughout so much of the book. This book could have been the greatest work of science fiction if these dumb POSs were erased from the story.

As soon as you get to know these abysmally dumb and despicable female main characters, the sappy romantic parts of the story become especially repulsive to trod through. In light of this fact, the author could have made a much better choice cutting away all of the garbage romantic fillers and replace both "Cheng Xin" and "AA" with male characters instead. One final thought from reading the entire story is that if humanity could reproduce without females in the future, then there would be no need for the existence of most women anymore.

UPDATE: To the reviewer named "Pocky", what the fuck are you smoking? The character "AA" was the most despicable female corporate type who was amoral in every way imaginable and the worst type of human trash.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Bad Narration and Too Much "Literary Noise"

Revisado: 08-08-18

First of all, the narrator of this book, PJ Ochlan, is much worse than the narrator of the first book, Luke Daniels, in all areas of performance except for a marginally better pronunciation of only some Mandarin names. Note that the keyword there is "marginally". PJ Ochlan's voice and tone often don't change appreciably for different characters, not only making it difficult to distinguish between who's talking in conversations, but also frequently failing to reflect the individual qualities that the author had clearly ascribed to the different characters in the story. For example, one of the main characters, the police captain "Da She" was clearly described as being "rough", "rude", and "burly" by the author. In the previous book, the narrator Luke Daniels had at least tried to bring those qualities out for this character which at least clearly distinguished the character along those lines. But in this book, PJ Ochlan made the character sound completely bland, generic, spiritless, and even emasculated, often being almost no different from the voice of another male main character "Luo Ji", who engaged in frequent conversations with "Da She" throughout much of the story, all of which made it difficult to enjoy listening to the narration overall. I think the narrator of an audiobook should at least possess talents in bringing the personas of the different characters to life through their distinct voices and speech patterns. Otherwise, why would anyone who's not blind want to listen to an audiobook instead of just reading the story in print?

Listening to PJ Ochlan's narration has been such an unpleasant experience that I don't want to listen any further in this book, and I'm not even halfway through. Seeing that the next book in the trilogy is also narrated by PJ Ochlan, I'm faced with a dilemma. In order to avoid listening to his bad narration, I would have to purchase the ebook from elsewhere to read the story in print, but that also feels like a waste of my Audible subscription. I'm also wondering who was responsible for hiring PJ Ochlan to narrate not one, but two, of the books in this trilogy? What were they smoking? Seeing such blatantly poor decision-making at Audible really drives me more than up the wall, but also causes me to want to side with any potential future alien invasion in the real world to exterminate these dumb humans in real life.

Secondly, the author Liu Cixin, like almost all other authors of any genre, seems to think that fanciful descriptions and detailed analogies of scenery and people necessarily enhance the reader's experience. Well, to me, they don't, but cause the opposite effect. Even worse, the author engages in all-too-frequent and overly detailed descriptions of persons and sceneries through what seems like interminably long passages throughout much of the story, where predictable expectations of analogies wrap up every such description, all in the overused formulaic styles of almost every single TV show, movie, and novel that I can remember, where any truly intelligent reader and observer could almost always predict where the romance or drama scenes will play out around the corner, or where prolonged and descriptive "beautiful prose" and analogies will appear. The resulting overall experience, for this reader/listener, at least, feels like eating the same meal, every meal, for an entire lifetime. Yes, this is an indictment of the general storytelling patterns of all authors, and indeed of almost the entire discipline of "literature" as we know it.

My imagination would flow much more freely, and my enjoyment of the story would come much easier, without all of these literary chaff. It would be an understatement to say that I don't care one iota about descriptions like how the light from a fireplace danced around the body of some person to create a silhouette of some sort in the partial darkness and...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...(did I mention blah?). For example, I have absolutely no patience or respect for these endlessly protracted scenes involving "Luo Ji" and the young woman "Zhang Yan", or to incredibly fussy descriptions like a woman's tears resembling the dew from whatever on whatever. As another example, I really found it to be an enormous waste of time listening to so much about the ants in the beginning of the story. Of course I understood what the author was trying to accomplish by writing about the ants in the beginning, because the purpose was too obvious and thus added nothing to my understanding and appreciation of the overall theme of the story.

To the many earlier reviewers who had gushed about the author's "beautiful prose", I say that this is supposed to be a SCIENCE FICTION story, not a girly romance novel! As such, to me, "beautiful prose" is absolutely a waste of time, and can only detract from enjoyment of a sci-fi story, which only needs the freshness of ideas to be exciting. I just want to get to the meat of the story quickly, without being bombarded with all of these sickening literary noise. Yes, I know that the author is a talented writer who's a master of words and prose, but he doesn't need to show me how talented he is with weaving flowery descriptions and fluid prose at almost every possible opportunity, because I'm not judging the author for some prose contest or literary beauty pageant, nor have any patience to do so, but just being a reader who wants to enjoy the essence of a science-fiction story.

From that perspective, listening to this story further reinforces my feeling that no writer or artist has yet truly made any groundbreaking advancement in the entire field of storytelling, regardless of genre, for all of modernity.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not Practicing What One Preaches

Revisado: 11-23-17

I'm sure, as a scientist, he could appreciate that the longer one makes observations, the more evidence there will be to support an informed conclusion. In the case of the author's writings, the longer I've become familiar with them, the more it becomes obvious how very parochial his worldview and mindset actually are, despite all that he has constantly emphasized about what his NDE had showed him regarding infinity, eternity, omni-connectedness, the nature of illusory physical reality, etc.

Throughout all of his books, but especially this one, most notable because it is the longest, he has demonstrated almost no awareness or understanding of the history on the mind-body debate and philosophies of consciousness beyond his limited interpretations from Western sources in the recent couple of centuries, for the most part, and a smattering of references supposedly from the ancient Greek perspective from time to time. In his consideration, most of human history must seem as good as a blank on this subject. It apparently escapes him that consciousness studies are not only the richest in Eastern philosophies where they originated, but the Eastern ideas were also the source for most of the Western ones, especially in recent centuries. With few exceptions, all of this author’s writings would even give any observant reader an almost unmistakable sense that he seemed to have spared no effort to contrive certain inferences and interpretations from any and all sources limited strictly to his view of Western tradition, no matter how distant the relationship, just to actively avoid mentioning anything non-Western on the subject, if at all possible. Even more absurdly, he is completely oblivious to the extreme irony of carrying on a simultaneous discourse regarding an overarching framework about the "one-ness" of all existence and the superficial reality of present worldly conventions and perceptions, while also maintaining a narrow-minded Eurocentric overview of what he deems to be the source of knowledge on the matter. Of course, no person's writings can be divorced from his personal experience. And here, perhaps echoing the point that personal experience is central to our perception of all physical reality, it should therefore be no surprise to also observe the very obvious parallel between the characteristics of those with whom he described associating and fraternizing throughout his own relatively sheltered life and that of aforementioned parochialism.

Among the exceedingly scant non-Western sources that the author mentions anywhere, the "dalai lama" figures prominently as an object of his unquestioned admiration. One wonders, then, why would a person who now claims to understand and preaches about the interconnected-ness of all souls and the grand unity of all consciousness which underlies all reality also volunteer to be the mouth-organ of someone who, before his "exile", had ruled over a slave society where the common atrocities that slave owners led by the "dalai lama" had committed against those who were deemed fit for lives of slavery from birth, all in the name of religious belief, were so unspeakably heinous, horrific, grotesques, and barbaric that only a true Nazi could love? Now, let's assume for a moment, with all benefits of the doubt for the author, that he neither supports slavery, in the name of anything, nor had any clue about the true nature of the Xizang (tibetan) society under the dalai lama's" rule, then there would still be the nagging question of why would an author who speaks of the "hyper-reality" of the "all-loving" spiritual realm being the only real existence, as gleaned from his own "transformative" experience, still even take sides on what constitutes "ours", "his", "theirs", worldly titles, boundaries, positions, authority, political feuds, and all that which bleed a primitive and un-enlightened separation between us and them throughout not only ruminations on persons, events, and discoveries in the author's own life story but also especially his fawning over a "dalai lama" who's still in pursuit of the partisan goal of regaining his worldly position of authority in a fracture piece of this physical world?

FYI, the Buddha reportedly once said that he himself is nothing more than a "shit-stick". Compare the reflection inherent from that statement with the behavior of the "dalai lama", a self-proclaimed "reincarnation" of the Buddha's representative on Earth who, along with the exiled former class of slave owners which he truly represents, trots around the globe constantly campaigning for sympathies from China's political rivals on the world stage with tales full of deceit, and it shouldn't be that difficult to see the difference between the real and the fake, even if you were not that observant or smart. Or, look at it another way. Ordinary people in the lower classes, especially the slaves, in Xizang (tibet) at the time, neither had such motivation nor the means to escape from Xizang. So, most of those who did manage to escape had to be the richest and most powerful slave-owning "elites". Of course, the "dalai lama" always presents himself as possessing more awareness about the nature of consciousness than the average person, as did virtually all such religious leaders throughout the history of all religions in this world. Yet, if you ever studied history, you would realize that all such leaders used their "understandings" of reality for personal advantage to further their very worldly agendas of grabbing political power, subjugating those who were born less fortunate, and perpetuating tribalistic conflict. I think, even far worse than being un-enlightened is pretending to be "enlightened" in words but not action.

As a person, if the "dalai lama" were genuine in his religious beliefs, then how come he does not dare to continue his religious practice of slavery and such grotesque behaviors as selling his feces as "medicine" to his subjects while exiled in more religiously "tolerant" countries, in the same way that he used to do with impunity in the old Xizang society under his slave rule?

I could forgive the author for his ignorance and lack of intelligence or observational acuity to read the charlatan, hypocrite, and political hack so obvious in the "dalai lama's" character when gleaned from even one look at the person. But what about Karen Newell? Does Karen Newell, the co-author who is supposedly a "pre-cog", "telepath", or perhaps clairvoyant and the like, also not have any sense about the wolf in "lama's" clothing? (Pun intended) That would seriously compel me to doubt the authenticity of the person whom she claims to be and the "aura" that someone ascribed to her in the book. So, the author has apparently surrounded himself with people who can instantly identify the easy prey in his weakness for the "aura" of appearances and inability to see through the veneer of innocence among the likes of the "dalai lama" and Karen Newell. Furthermore, how could an author who implores others throughout the book to keep their minds open in the spirit of scientific inquiry decide, a priori, to only believe unquestioningly an one-sided story when it comes to the "dalai lama"? That's very un-scientific and closed-minded, indeed! Where's the author's "spirit" of scientific inquiry? Does the author think that the "spirit of science" should only be narrowly tailored to investigations of the "natural sciences" and consciousness, but not that of everything else, including human events? That would certainly contradict the spirit of the author's message from this book at its essence. Unless, we would entertain the possibility that the author is a kindred hypocrite as the "dalai lama", which might explain the apparent kinship between them. After all, let's not forget the common sense embodied within such timeless adages as "like attracts like" or "birds of a feather flock together".

I would like to hear from the authors on whether they would still be as enamored with the wolf in "lama's" clothing if they were born slaves of the "dalai lama" in the old Xizang society, or had to consume the "dalai lama's" feces as "medicine".

Thus, one possible conclusion from all these observations is that although the author had cogently argued the case for the nature of reality, it also seems pretty obvious that having intelligence in some areas (e.g. the "natural sciences", consciousness studies, neurosurgery...etc) does not automatically translate into having intelligence in other areas(e.g. ability to read people, thinking critically in general, etc.). No matter how much the author believes his NDE experience to have "transformed" him, it apparently did not change his nature as a person at the core. That is, the same Eben Alexander who used to naturally shut his mind off to anything not conforming to his prejudices still retains the same basic qualities and presumptuous predispositions. Although his mind is now more open than before, it is only so in a narrowly confined way to specific areas of his thoughts such as those of paranormal phenomena, the nature of reality and consciousness as far as he's now familiar with. In other words, no matter how many superlatives he uses to describe the extent of his experience at the "core" of the spiritual realm, there is only an incremental but no fundamental change in how his brain functions as a filter of the higher mind which could have provided a much more open source of intelligence and insight, even though he may now be able to appreciate this concept and contemplate its potential.

I used to like the author's writings until these patterns became all too obvious to ignore. In hindsight, I shouldn't have discounted the instinctive feeling I got from my first glance at a photo showing his gaze, one of presumptuous small-mindedness at best and a presence of evil and crookedness at worst. If it hadn't been for some positive influences from people like his dad under the circumstances of his upbringing, Eben Alexander's nature might have led him to do abhorrent things instead of becoming an accomplished neurosurgeon. Though I learned quite a bit from this book, especially in the first five chapters which discussed the current quantum-physical underpinnings for the clues to the problem of consciousness, I have lost almost all respect for the author himself in view of the totality of observations which I have made above, so much so that I wouldn't even feel comfortable to address him by his title of Dr. as a result.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Beware of the Narrator!

Revisado: 04-17-17

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The narrator speaks with what sounds like a very fake, pretentious, and emasculated tone, as well as drags out words at the end of every sentence. It makes me feel sick to the stomach listening to him. I wonder if this is his natural way of speaking or why he felt necessary putting on such exaggerated airs. Though I love the subject matter of the book, I couldn't bear listening to him for even 5 minutes and won't listen to this book again.

What did you like best about this story?

the subject matter

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Chris Sorensen?

Any other narrator I've heard on audible.

Could you see Fact, Fiction, and Flying Saucers being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Anyone but Chris Sorensen.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

If a picture were to illustrate the SETI people...

Revisado: 09-09-13

What disappointed you about The Eerie Silence?

Not "provocative" and definitely not "mind-expanding". The author is only slightly less parochial and idiotic than the typical SETI mindset.

Would you ever listen to anything by Paul Davies again?

NO!

What does George K. Wilson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Nothing

What character would you cut from The Eerie Silence?

The author

Any additional comments?

The picture would be a cartoon where SETI would be represented by a myopic nitwit caveman with his ear against the bottom of a wooden cup held against a desert cave wall with his eyes wide shut, while alien visitors buzz all around him in spaceships far above his perceptual ability, sometimes attempting to communicating with him, but to no avail, because the closed dummy only believes that these were his hallucinations and the taps on his shoulder must have been icicles falling from the ceiling of his desert cave. carl sagan, seth shostak, and others in that lineage of dunderheads are the Lord Kelvins and Charles H. Duells of the present era. Paul Davies is only slightly less hardheaded and has a slightly better clue than the rest of that bunch.


Einstein was right about human stupidity being infinite. Reincarnation will always ensure that the dumb ones will represent the majority in every era.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Another good investigation, but all for nothing?

Revisado: 09-04-13

If you could sum up Inside the Real Area 51 in three words, what would they be?

Enlightening, cogent, fascinating

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The details

Which character – as performed by Paul Boehmer – was your favorite?

don't know

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

LIke other seminal works on this subject in recent times, this book compiles further great evidence to any sharp observer, but what good is it to know? History has shown that the only way to reveal the core secrets held by any ruling power is by complete overthrow of the rulers, violently, as the people who used to be the "establishment", all of their families, friends, and associates are hunted down and brutally massacred. Nothing can open mouths and force people to divulge secrets as effectively as the threat of death and mutilation to them and/or their loved ones, or the total destruction of that which they hold most precious. Even if one day the entire U.S. government, down to the deepest classified units, were to be toppled, and every secret member of the current Establishment lineage and their families were lined up for execution at the edges of mass graves, where their only last minute choice to avoid their bloody fates is by divulging the secrets pertinent to the subject of UFOs, who could say that the overthrowers would not keep the secrets that they can successfully extract to themselves, just like the people they have overthrown had done?I don't have an army to destroy the entire government and forcibly smash open all of their secret vaults for the world to behold, and neither does any other reader, probably. So coming back full circle along my train of logic, even if I were the one who is able to force the director or commander in charge of hiding such information to divulge it all at the end of a gun barrel, who is to say that some of my underlings won't keep some secrets to themselves or persuade me to do the same? So, what good could it possibly do to have knowledge of this subject?

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas