Scan barcode
A review by misterjay
CUNNING PLANS: Talks By Warren Ellis by Warren Ellis, Ed Zitron, Roger Strunk
5.0
Warren Ellis, particularly in his non-fiction mode, falls rather handily into the "grumpy uncle" category of writers. By which I mean, I don't always agree with what he says, but I love to hear him say it. His carefully constructed, self-depreciating, doused-in-strong-drink persona add an elegant, fun and funny frame to observations about the now.
Cunning Plans is a brief collection of such observations, essentially the print versions of talks Uncle Warren has given at various conferences over the past few years. The talks contained in this volume are variations on a theme - the future doesn't exist, science fiction is always about now, and it is far better to create the future than to predict it. With whiskey.
Fans of Ellis' won't find anything unusual or unexpected here. Truthfully, if you read Ellis' newsletter or any of the various blogs he has maintained over the years, you might already be familiar with a lot of the ideas presented here. But the keyword in that sentence is presentation. If you haven't had a chance to hear Ellis' speak, and you want to hear Uncle Warren proclaim about the non-existent future, Cunning Plans is a lovely substitute.
Cunning Plans is a brief collection of such observations, essentially the print versions of talks Uncle Warren has given at various conferences over the past few years. The talks contained in this volume are variations on a theme - the future doesn't exist, science fiction is always about now, and it is far better to create the future than to predict it. With whiskey.
Fans of Ellis' won't find anything unusual or unexpected here. Truthfully, if you read Ellis' newsletter or any of the various blogs he has maintained over the years, you might already be familiar with a lot of the ideas presented here. But the keyword in that sentence is presentation. If you haven't had a chance to hear Ellis' speak, and you want to hear Uncle Warren proclaim about the non-existent future, Cunning Plans is a lovely substitute.