The Fun They Had - Isaac Asimov - ★★★.¾

-
AUTHOR: Isaac Asimov
GENRE: Short Story
PUBLICATION DATE: December 1, 1951
RATING: 3.75 stars.

A story about a school in the future that makes you nostalgic about schools in the past. It looks down at what’s to come, especially with the overdependence on AI and underutilisation of human resources. 

The story won’t stun you, nor will it be a lifelong favourite, but it will certainly make you think.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

City of Jackals - Aman J. Bedi - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Aman J. Bedi SERIES: Ghosts of Ethuran, #2 GENRE: Epic Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: March 13, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A dark fantasy set in a fictional South-Asian setting. The second book of the Ghosts of Ethuran series, and needs to be read in series order. Continues the story well, revealing more shades to the protagonist and the world. Excellent action sequences. The gore and the cuss words were still not to my liking, but I enjoyed the rest, maybe even more than the first book as I was better prepared for the graphic content. This was a “paisa vasool” experience. Plot Preview: (Contains mild spoilers from the first book.) After the victory against the Kraelish, Kavi is now the unofficial leader of the Taemu, who are finally getting a bit more respect in Raayan. But when a hooligan forcibly takes control of the Imperial Rickshaw Company and forces Kavi to work with his gang as an enforcer, threatening her with dire consequences against the Taemu if she refuses or...
Read More»

Michael Without Apology - Catherine Ryan Hyde - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Ryan Hyde GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 6, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about a young man who finally learns the value of self-acceptance. Excellent characters, storyline, writing, and life lessons. Drags a little in the final few chapters, but overall, a beautiful and meaningful read. Much recommended. Plot Preview: When Michael was seven, he had a near-fatal accident that left him with severe physical scars and eventually led to foster care. Now nineteen, Michael has learnt to keep his scars hidden. On signing up for film class, he is taken aback on seeing that his professor Robert Dunning is also disfigured, but unlike Michael, he doesn’t hide his scars. Encouraged by Dunning, Michael plans to make a documentary about body image issues in scarred people. When he places an ad seeking potential interviewees, he learns that too many people in society are unhappy with their bodies. With their stories and also his ...
Read More»

If The Train Arrives - Heather Fellin Tierney - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Heather Fellin Tierney GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: August 26, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical literary fiction focussed on three ordinary people and the way their paths cross with each other. Excellently sketched characters, a complex and thought-provoking plot, a realistic ending. Great use of the 1970s small-town Wisconsin setting. An amazing debut! Much recommended to lit fic lovers. Plot Preview: 1970. Every morning, one train leaves from Minneapolis to Chicago via Milwaukee. One small stop it makes is at the tiny station of Oconomowoc in Wisconsin. Lincoln is a forty-year-old ticket agent at the Oconomowoc train station. Though it has been many years since his wife left him, he still struggles to move beyond. Vera is a teenager determined to look for someone from her past. She is gearing up for her first ever train journey, boarding at Oconomowoc and going to Chicago. Violet, a single woman in her fifties, has only one major re...
Read More»

The Quiet Librarian - Allen Eskens - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Allen Eskens GENRE: Contemporary Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: February 18, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A dual-timeline mystery. Interesting lead character, good story, great historical content. Quite gruesome in the war-related bits. A tad too convenient at times, and the romance subplot track annoyed me (as expected). But on the whole, a worthwhile read. Plot Preview: Minnesota. Hana is a reserved forty-seven-year old librarian who keeps her personal life guarded. When a detective comes to her with the news that her best friend Amina has been murdered, Hana knows that her past has finally caught up with her. But as no one else knows who she was or what she did, Hana has to rely on her instincts and her old training to protect herself and also Amina’s eight-year-old grandson who has been left in Hana’s care. The story comes to us in two timelines, both written in third person. One is the contemporary track from Hana’s point of view. The other is from 1995, set during the ...
Read More»

The Bestest Big Brother, Ever - Ben Mantle - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Ben Mantle GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: October 14, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A cute little picture book from a younger brother’s perspective about his “bestest” big brother. Quite a sweet story and cute illustrations. Loved the message about giving space. Recommended. Plot Preview: Nano loves his elder brother Felix and considers him the bestest big brother in the whole world. So much so that he loves doing EVERYTHING together with his brother. As you might guess, Felix isn't too happy about this. One day, Nano finds a new sign taped on the door of Felix’s tree house: “No nanos Allowed!” Hmmph! Nano will just build his own tree house. It can’t be too difficult, right? The story is written in Nano’s first-person perspective. Where there are siblings, there are sibling squabbles. This picture book covers one such tiff, where an elder brother goes from being the “bestest big brother” to the “worst big brother ever!” within a few hours. I’...
Read More»