Skyward first impressions

[Scion of the Mists]

11 hours ago, Lump-wing said:

@Scion of the Mists - It sounds like you're equating AI (artificial intelligence) with "machines that can think;" I wonder if that's where Brandon will go? Because to me those 2 things aren't necessarily the same. Interesting. :-)

What distinction do you draw between them? 

From a real-world science perspective, we use AI to refer to a number of different techniques (e.g. reinforcement learning, neural networks), but in fiction it generally refers to "true" artificial intelligence (i.e. machines who have consciousness).  

[Iarwainiel I]

14 hours ago, Scion of the Mists said:

What distinction do you draw between them? 

From a real-world science perspective, we use AI to refer to a number of different techniques (e.g. reinforcement learning, neural networks), but in fiction it generally refers to "true" artificial intelligence (i.e. machines who have consciousness).  

Thanks for clarifying! I don't read nearly as much sci-fi as I do fantasy.

I guess I see intelligence and consciousness as two different and distinct things because I can imagine a character (or a society) where each is present without the other - entities that are intelligent but not conscious and vice-versa. In that vein, thinking would also be separate (i.e., not the same as intelligence), reasoning would be different from thinking ... you get the idea. Sentience, "having a soul, being "alive" (a "living being") - - all are different and distinct, and so could potentially be parsed out in this series.

(I think we can count on Brandon to not be limited by what "generally" occurs in fiction.)

[StrikerEZ]

13 hours ago, Lump-wing said:

Thanks for clarifying! I don't read nearly as much sci-fi as I do fantasy.

I guess I see intelligence and consciousness as two different and distinct things because I can imagine a character (or a society) where each is present without the other - entities that are intelligent but not conscious and vice-versa. In that vein, thinking would also be separate (i.e., not the same as intelligence), reasoning would be different from thinking ... you get the idea. Sentience, "having a soul, being "alive" (a "living being") - - all are different and distinct, and so could potentially be parsed out in this series.

(I think we can count on Brandon to not be limited by what "generally" occurs in fiction.)

Basically, you think an intelligence is sentient, but not sapient, and a consciences is sapient?

Edited December 12, 2018 by StrikerEZ

[Iarwainiel I]

8 hours ago, StrikerEZ said:

Basically, you think an intelligence is sentient, but not sapient, and a consciences is sapient?

Not quite - I can imagine all those things as being separate - like pieces of a mosaic that Brandon can include or not include however he wants. I.e., I don't think we can assume anything about which pieces "have to" go with others, whether or not they always have before.

[StrikerEZ]

42 minutes ago, Lump-wing said:

Not quite - I can imagine all those things as being separate - like pieces of a mosaic that Brandon can include or not include however he wants. I.e., I don't think we can assume anything about which pieces "have to" go with others, whether or not they always have before.

Oh, I wasn’t really talking about that. I was talking more about semantics and stuff. 

My main point was to point out that you used sentience instead of sapience in the post I quoted, but in a subtle way.

[The Tenth Pancake]

My first impressions:

--I was kind of weirded out by Spensa at first. She was a strange character and I sometimes got frustrated with her dumb decisions, like stealing Jerkface's power matrix. But I think that initial strangeness really grew on me and really helped me see her beautiful character arc. I was so honored to get to see her grow as a person, and it was amazing to get to see how she grew from being a naive teenager to a more mature and insightful young woman. Especially when I saw how she grew from someone who wanted to fly more than anything to someone who was willing to give up her dream for the greater good, I mean, wow, that was awesome!

-- One thing I noticed that I really loved about the side characters is that when you first meet them, they all seem to fit into the classic stereotypes, like the Ray of sunshine, the bully and his cronies: crafty and muscle, as well as the rich girl, the athlete and shy kid. Honestly I didn't think I was going to remember them all, but I loved how he took those first impressions and then was able to reveal more about them and make them into relatable and compelling individuals that each stood out in their own unique way. FM, Hurl, Morningtide, Kimmalyn, Arturo, Bim, Nedd, and Jorgen were all awesome in their own special way.

-- I noticed that as she matured and as her view if Jerkface evolved, she called him Jorgen instead of Jerkface gradually as the book went on. Idk it was cool to see

-- I appreciated the fact that the events were realistic in battle. People died and people grieved, and it turned out that not everyone is cut out for that kind of stuff and it's okay. It's human. I really liked that.

-- AAAACK I BLEW THROUGH 400 PAGES IN ONE DAY BECAUSE I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN

-- I really liked Rig's little arc in this one, from someone who lets the dreams of others overshadow his own, into someone who found and pursued something he truly loved.

-- Also I loved Spensa and Rig's relationship. "I'm an only child but somehow I still have a sister who gets me in trouble all the time"

-- M-bot was great. Mushrooms!!!

-- "We can talk all night! This is great!" I thought about normal subjects to talk about. "Like... Boys?..." "Stars no! Flight strategies!" 

I loved that part

 

Okay sorry for the long post I just really loved that book! 

 

[Scion of the Mists]

On 12/28/2018 at 5:58 PM, The Tenth Pancake said:

One thing I noticed that I really loved about the side characters is that when you first meet them, they all seem to fit into the classic stereotypes, ... but I loved how he took those first impressions and then was able to reveal more about them and make them into relatable and compelling individuals that each stood out in their own unique way. 

So much this!