This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Floor Kist will be awarding a $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Hi Judith, thank you for this interview.
Hello everyone, happy to visit ‘Straight from the Library.’
What is your favorite book today?
The book that I can’t believe was written is “Guns, Germs and Steel” by Jared Diamond. He explains why civilizations developed across the world as they did. He begins his analysis about 10,000 years ago when there is evidence that there are humans living on every continent.
The toughest chapter to read is the first one. That’s because Diamond has to pace through 200,000 years of human history. The information packed in that chapter alone could have been spread in a book.
When I tell people what Diamond’s main reason is why civilization developed quickly across Europe and the Middle-East, it’s because they had animals that could be tamed and could be used to farm land more effectively than in other cultures. And agriculture has made it possible for people to be freed from hunting and gathering to invent, create and build new things that advance civilization.
Tell us about your current book in 10 words.
“Can Machines Bring Peace?” Kazimir hopes to build that one.
What books do you have on hold at the library?
Kevin Kelly wrote “Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World”. It deals with cybernetics, emergence, self-organization, complex systems, negentropy and chaos theory.
The main reason this book is on hold, is because my brain runs wild every time I try to read it. It’s packed with so much amazing information that I constantly get lost is all the possibilities Kelly suggests. I’ve simply had to put it away otherwise I couldn’t sleep.
E-Reader or print? and why?
When I gave my friend a copy of my novel, he smelled the pages and felt the cover. It’s true that a printed book has a wonderful charm and an incredible history. But after expanding our library several times, we simply didn’t have any more space for more books. So, I moved on to e-reader. And I’m surprised to say that I don’t mind one bit. Actually, I like reading on my smartphone. I take it everywhere I go. And when the opportunity arises, I can continue reading.
Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)
Sorry, Judith, but there was a time that I wrote in the books I was reading. Underlining parts that I like, sometimes putting exclamation points in the margin, or even writing some of my own thoughts.
When do you do most of your reading?
Most of my reading is done just before sleeping. Even when it’s only a few pages. In my work, I have long meetings in the evening. No matter how late it gets, I read to relax.
And I also have some wonderful lazy Sunday afternoons.
Favorite place to read?
Although I do almost all of my reading before sleeping, my favorite spot to read is in a chair near our garden window. When it’s nice and sunny, there is no greater treat I can give myself.
Do you loan your books?
Not anymore. I used to be very generous with lending my books. But after a lot didn’t come back, I stopped. That was probably around the same time I started e-reading.
How do you keep your books organized?
Judith, is this a trick question? I don’t organize my books. Well, not alphabetically or around genres. The only apparent system is that I have the taller books on the sides with the shorter books in between. But looking at my bookcase now, I think eveN suggesting any kind of system is too much of a compliment.
450 years after Earth was bombed back to the Stone Age, a young diplomat searches for lost human settlements. Kazimir Sakhalinsk narrowly escapes an exploration mission gone wrong and searches for ways to make future missions safer for his people. A festival introduces him to the Marvelous Thinking Machine.
A machine Kazimir believes can change everything
For his admiral it’s nothing more than a silly fairground gimmick. But Kazimir is convinced. Convinced enough to go against orders and build one of his own. Convinced enough to think he can bring peace. Convinced enough to think humanity is worth saving. What if he’s wrong?
He asks his hikikomori sister, a retired professor filling her empty days, the owner of the festival machine and the admiral’s daughter for help. Will that be enough?
The memorial service is solemn. The admiral thanks the fallen officers for the ultimate sacrifice they made for the Empire. To the gathered wives, children, parents and grandparents he swears that they will not be forgotten. He tells the assembled men that he will do everything in his power to avoid these catastrophes in the future. And finally, he decorates the survivors, for their bravery and courage under fire. They are fine examples of Imperial officers.
Sugimoto shares the sentiment, of course. He is glad the admiral arranged this event. But it does feel a bit hollow, considering what happened to Kazimir Sakhalinsk. He steps forward when the admiral calls his name, announcing that he will lead the next mission.
He’s not surprised with his new orders. After Maeda’s death, Sugimoto expected as much. He gave his new team the report he received from the Kirisu-device as an example of what he expected. And they worked on the new one diligently. But he had to ask them to perfect it three times. And it took more than a week to prepare. Sakhalinsk’s Thinking Machine did it in half an hour. And Sakhalinsk’s is better.
Ogata will court-martial him for sure if Sugimoto visits Kazimir. But that’s preferable to dying in the middle of nowhere, isn’t it? It’s not as if Sakhalinsk will tell. He decides to risk it.
This is his first novel. He’s been carrying the idea about a story about AI bringing peace for a long time. The Covid-19 lockdown in the Netherlands suddenly gave him time to actually write it.
Link to website: http://www.floorkist.nl/author
Link to ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XK42BMP
Link to paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/151368115X
Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21225715.Floor_Kist/blog
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHi Judith, thank you for the visit. I look forward to chatting with your other visitors.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
-Floor Kist
happy Holiday to all.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Peggy.
DeleteI enjoyed the post, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rita. Good to meet you here again.
DeleteSweet! Thank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sweet comment :-)
DeleteSounds like a very good book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry. Happy to see you here as well.
DeleteHi Judith, Thank you again for the interview. I'm moving on to the next stop on my book tour. On December 2, Being Extraordinary (https://46ascending.xyz/) will publish a guest post.
ReplyDeleteBest regards, Floor Kist