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spotlight on the shady zones of the cosmos

Posted in Books, Kids, Travel, University life with tags , , , , , , , , , , on June 7, 2026 by xi'an
Following it being mentioned on the public French radio, France Inter, and maybe also in Le Monde, I read this book by  Sébastien Carassou and Jean-Philippe Uzan, The mistaken Universe: spotlight on the shady zones of the cosmos (in French). (As an aside, I found the same expression used as a title for the CNRS newsletter to celebrate a 2012 CNRS Silver medallist, Éric Gourgoulon! Another cosmologist.) This is a vulgarisation book and hence does not get in any technical aspect, but the authors, both cosmologists, make a great job of exposing the limits and unknowns of the existing, mainstream, cosmological theory. I would have welcomed a higher degree of technical engagement but nonetheless found the analysis of the current challenges and cul-de-sac of modern cosmology highly pedagogical and multifaceted. And opening windows [for yours truly] on structures and problems that were previous hidden in shadows. (The preface further include a sad and tender remembrance of our friend Karim Benabed.) Since Jean-Philippe Uzan wrote several vulgarisation books that got translated, including The House of Mathematics with Cédric Villani, it may happen this will be the case here, in our Universe rather than in an alternative one.

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a journal of the conquest, war, [not exactly] famine, and death year

Posted in Books, Kids, pictures, Running, Travel with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 11, 2023 by xi'an

Read [in French] Lesson of the Evil (悪の教典) by Yusuke Kishi, caught by the book strip including a France Inter praise…! The book and the subsequent manga and film appear to be very popular but it failed to impress me.  The trope of the assassin professor happens to be a fairly easy scenarist concept. This may be partly due to a very laborious translation into French, but the dialogues are not very credible, it is difficult to engage and develop empathy for the teenage victims (and even less for the assassin), especially after the nth murder. Hasumi’s impunity throughout his career assassin is completely unrealistic, his inner dialogue ridiculous, and the final evening of the story drawn out beyond boredom in every way. Also read the novella Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch, an attempt at transplanting the spirit of Rivers of London to Lakes of Wisconsin. While the central character of Kimberley Reynolds is a success, with depth and wits, the story itself does not click, from the grandguignolesque monsters to the red herrings and the unconvincing resolution of the greatest menace by Kimberley. When an ice tornado strolls through your town, you don’t continue attending your pub or visiting the local library…

Cooked a lot of stir-fries both away and at home, returning to Fall veggies like cabbages and gourds, along local mushrooms. (Except in Martinique where we took advantage of ignames (yam), christophines (chayote), cooking bananas, gombos, sweet potatoes, dachines (taro), veggie chilis, and other local vegetables).

Watched Bodies, a British science-fiction series involving four detectives at different eras from 1890 till 2053 around the same incomprehensible murder, with a nice cast of diverse characters (and enjoyable London accents), but unable to stand time travel paradoxes till the very end. And obvious budget limitations that make past and future scenes somewhat limited. But, again, the actors are fantastic.

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a journal of the conquest, war, famine, and death year

Posted in Books, Kids, pictures, Running, Travel with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2023 by xi'an

Read the (paper version of) L’art du naufrage by Pascale Quiviger. Very light and rather YA, but still with enough creativity and originality to be enjoyable. Which made me read the second volume as well, Les filles de Mai, which proved an improvement in the scenario and its tension, even though the island-universe is most unrealistic. Nice covers of the Folio edition as well. Two more volumes to appear (and already written). And (again a paper version of) The House of Shattered Wings a relatively old book by Aliette de Bodard. A British Science Fiction Association Award and for once (!) a rather impressive horror story taking place in an alternative 1900’s Paris partly destroyed by a war between magical Houses run by fallen angels. With connections with French occupied Annam. The construct is quite original, with some great characters, if over-prone to introspection. Some components of the scenario remain obscure till the end, though, maybe due to my rushed read. Currently reading the next volume…

Finished harvesting an amazing year of figs, turned mostly into compotes even though I tried a fig pie that did not held well enough to carry. Had an epiphany after purchasing new running shoes with a carbon plate. As I noticed a significant impact on my lap times when training. I hope the impact will last till the next half-marathon! However I fear the lack of flat roads near Fort-de-France will definitely not help with the training..!

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a journal of the conquest, war, famine, and death year

Posted in Books, Kids, pictures, Running, Statistics, Travel, University life with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 21, 2023 by xi'an

Read Jen Williams’ The Winnowing Flame trilogy, induced by two British Fantasy Awards associated with the first two volumes. This is quite a disappointing series, the more one goes through the story. At the start, while I found the story rather simplistic in its world building and in repeating the all-too-common pattern of a very few individuals saving the planet from a recurrent alien invasion (and even more the blob nature of said aliens!, as I am adverse to blob scenari, ever since as a teenager I wrote a terrible short story on a blob invasion!!), I appreciated the character of Vintage (!), both vigneronne and femme savante. A most unusual combination in fantasy books. However, I disliked the mix of fantasy (multiple kingdoms, swords, dragons, and a mostly primitive society) and science-fiction (spaceships, magic-driven trains). The cliffhanging final chapter of each of the volumes was rather heavily predictable and the inconsistency in the characters’ psychology a major flaw, including interminable back-and-forth between their respective feelings. And a poor ending to the trilogy due to the ever changing nature of the invasive creature(s) that survives all attempts at destruction until it doesn’t. Plus laughable mundane parts worrying about clothes and picnics while the entire world is under existential threat.

Had consecutively whitlow and singles, which gave me the opportunity to seek the English version of those viral infections. The former was possibly caused by gardening barefoot and quickly got away, while the later was a bit of a mystery, since it is not contagious (even though I cannot but relate to the fact my mother got it two weeks earlier). It got circumscribed to one eyebrow, but a general itching along the cranial nerves that has not yet vanished. Fortunately, it did not impact my running times!!

Watched Glitch, a Korean sci-fiction series, so absurd it is hilarious. Painfully slow as usual, but with a surprising ending. And the second season of The Wheel of Times, loosely following the second volume, The Great Hunt, still burdened with a kitch rendering of the WoT universe, predictable twists, caricaturesque characters (Liandrin!, Matt!) and too much inner questioning.

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a journal of the conquest, war, famine, and death year

Posted in Books, Kids, pictures, Statistics, Travel, University life with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 22, 2023 by xi'an

Read [on the way back home (and during the following jet-lagged nights)] the Ninth Rain and its sequel the Bitter Twins, by Jen Williams, for which she won twice a British Fantasy Award. I am twice as surprised given that it is quite a poor series, with a simplistic approach to its world building, a dreary time-line  repeating the all-too-common pattern of a very few individuals saving the planet from a recurrent alien invasion, and bickering about mundane issues like clothes or food while facing an alien invasion. The only thing I appreciated was the character of Vintage (!), both vignerone and femme savante. But I particularly disliked the mix of fantasy (kingdoms and a mostly primitive society) and science-fiction (spaceships, magic-driven trains). The cliffhanging final chapter of the Ninth Rain was rather predictable and the inconsistency in the character psychology a major flaw. The second volume is even poorer, with new major elements of the world being suddenly revealed, more bickering/whining, and even less consistency… I had also brought west the massive Les Furtifs by Alain Damasio, which I bought in De Gaulle airport months ago. But I just could not finish it, due to both the pretentious if clever style and the charicaturesque depiction of rebels within a highly numeric capitalistic society.

Came home to solve electrical problems (by calling the right company!), harvest the very first harvest of potatoes [a small basket amounting to more than my yearly consumption], and clean the garden to try to reduce the population of mosquitoes that exploded this (wet) summer. Due to the hot weather, cooked very little, having instead all sorts of salads, including a refreshing radish marinade vaguely inspired by Murakami.

Watched the (short) second season of D.P., a Korean series on the pursuit of deserters from the Korean Army (during their military service). Rather a serialised movie since the story sketches over the six episodes, quite dark in its depiction of hazing within the troops and cover-ups by the hierarchy. Despite strongly unrealistic situations, as e.g. at the end, I rather enjoyed it, in part because of its criticism of the Korean institutions, stronger than in other series.

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