Science Fiction Tuesday

I'm not exactly a science fiction buff but I like some sci fi movies and I really like the one sci fi book that I've read: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. I'm re-reading it now and it's just as absorbing as it was the first time around. The plot centers around an envoy to a planet where people are androgynous and can become either sex during a certain period every month. Even though this fact by itself is so provocative, the book isn't really about that. It's more about the precarious process of discovering how things work in a very different culture as well as an exciting adventure story with lots of frozen tundra involved. We could use some of that icy tundra action in Louisville right now - it's 90 degrees and very humid!

We also watched the Steven Spielberg movie A.I. last night (DVR'ed) for the second time. I first saw A.I. when it came out, which seems to be a while ago since Haley Joel Osment is now old enough to drink and drive. It's an interesting concept that robots can be constructed to love humans, with no guarantee of course that the humans are going to love them back. However, even though it's wrenching when the human mom abandons the robot kid in the middle of nowhere, I have to admit that a small part of me didn't blame her. Here's a kid who pops up with a fixed smile around every corner, is super eager to please, and just wants ever so hard to be part of the family. On paper he's perfect; in real life, he would be a little creepy. So while I was tearing up at the touching moments, I was also laughing (wickedly I'm sure) at Haley Joel Osment's character. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the movie though. It's definitely worth seeing if you haven't watched it in a while, or ever. That's it for my one and only science fiction post this year!