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Blindsight Peter Watts Books

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Blindsight Peter Watts Books

Blindsight. A science fiction book written by a scientist? Or a philosophical examination by a philosopher? The two are not mutually exclusive in good science fiction, and Blindsight is a striking example.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. I understood that it was nominated for the Hugo award, so it intrigued me. It was recommended to me during a discussion about genetic memory. But when I first read that central to the book were not only extraterrestrials, but vampires in space, I was skeptical - was I going to get Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy captained by the Vampire Lestat? To my delight, and occasional horror, I was instead administered Arthur C. Clarke with a diabolical dose of H.P. Lovecraft.

Put simply, this is not an optimist's viewpoint of the future. Watts examines sentience; consciousness, awareness of self, that incomprehensible aspect of humanity which separates us from other forms of life. Watts wants to convince you that sentience IS comprehensible, an evolutionary accident, a fluke, even a flaw, and he drags you kicking and screaming into his dystopian reality. Your self-awareness is not only a lie, it's a burden to your survival.

It's stark I know, but that's because the psychology of the book reflects the terrifying reality of his topic. He speaks to the reader, involves the reader, does not let the reader sit as a passive observer to the events of the story. He assaults their very existence, calling them - us - "...stone-age nomads, eking out some marginal existence on the veldt - denying even the possibility of agriculture, because hunting and gathering was good enough for your parents." In other words,you may not like his viewpoint, you may disagree with him philosophically and morally, but those efforts are shallow rationalizations. A predictable human response, one that we've expressed in the face of the inconvenient reality throughout history - from denial of the Holocaust to the rejection of human-induced climate change. Humans don't like uncomfortable truths, and through sentience we seek to derive meaning beyond, create illusions where the truth doesn't fit what we'd like it to.

The book itself is clunky, laden with metaphors, similes and figures of speech that distract from the clarity and flow of the story. In fact, as story-telling goes, Blindsight leaves a lot to be desired. Vivid, if at times difficult to follow, descriptions do add to the horror, though, and his writing leaves the reader with an impression of his brilliance when interlaced with his unabashed scientific literacy and ability to give double-meanings to every event, action and twist in the story. It may not be the best writing, but that's a byproduct of his intelligence.

Blindsight, in sum, is a novel that examines sociopath mindsets, the consequences of automation, philosophical justifications for science, art and pursuit of knowledge, and humanity itself. Watts is undoubtedly brilliant, although that doesn't make him necessarily right. He is a biologist with a PHD who seems somewhat bitter at what he perceives to be humanity's arrogant, self important view of the universe. In Blindsight, he throws an extraterrestrial, planet sized vessel of destruction against our blinders, hoping,at the very least, to get us to see reality from another perspective.


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Blindsight Peter Watts Books Reviews

I tried to explain the plot of 'Blindsight' to my Dad recently. When I used the word 'vampires' and 'aliens' in the same sentence I came to the realization that it was impossible to explain this book. The fact is, these two things do not belong in the same genre unless you're deliberately embracing the ridiculous.

And yet somehow - unbelievably - it works.

Watts has created a story where it's quite reasonable that both creatures exist, and neither one is toned down or dismissed. They are both terrifying in their own ways and present their own horrific implications. While the aliens are an external threat, the vampires are an internal one, representing humanity's apathetic indifference to each other and the most basic, selfish drive to survive.

The main character, Siri, is essentially a professional observer hired to tag along on a mission to intercept an alien spacecraft on the edges of our solar system. He and the entire crew all suffer some sort of neurological condition, with very different ways of viewing and interacting with the world. Working together, they attempt to comprehend the spacecraft, which proves unfathomable to human methods of thinking. Siri makes for a fascinating point-of-view character, his pathological detachment both an advantage and fatal flaw in discerning what is happening on board the ship.

While on the surface, the book is about humanity's interaction with an alien species, it's really about humanity's interaction with itself. How we define humanity, and how we connect despite the massive gulf in understanding between each person. It ends on a fairly dark note, but one that makes perfect sense, a twist that the story has been quietly building to all along. Of course it was going to end this way; there's no other way it possibly could.

I strongly recommend it as both a thriller and hard sci-fi. It'll mess with your head, but in the best way possible.
I mostly read before sleep takes me over. Blindsight, however, required my full attention span, and I read it twice. Mr. Watts makes the reader work for it, and the reward is one of those novels I can't stop thinking about it. And the alien "entity" in this novel is never understood which to me seems more realistic than some novels where everyone is conversing in perfect English within minutes. And enough of the insectoid aliens. Why do authors insist on malevolent insect-type aliens? Give insects a break! (Tchaikovsky's Children of Time gets a pass for its wonderfully unique perspective on spiders). Plus, it's not very wise to have one's skeleton on the outside of body.

Blindsight is in my top 5 of hard science fiction genre. Watts' view of the future is rather bleak; joy is removed from life's equation and replaced with an almost duty-bound search for knowledge. The mood he creates is a little bit like the Blade Runner films, particularly the recent adaptation. Echopraxia is the follow up; actually, there is a short story The Colonel in between that should be read as well. If you prefer novels like Alistair Reynolds' where characters have their own private worm holes, and the characters seem like they are waiting for the movie-version of the novel, this might not be for you. I highly recommend Blindsight, along with the Starfish series as well.
Blindsight. A science fiction book written by a scientist? Or a philosophical examination by a philosopher? The two are not mutually exclusive in good science fiction, and Blindsight is a striking example.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. I understood that it was nominated for the Hugo award, so it intrigued me. It was recommended to me during a discussion about genetic memory. But when I first read that central to the book were not only extraterrestrials, but vampires in space, I was skeptical - was I going to get Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy captained by the Vampire Lestat? To my delight, and occasional horror, I was instead administered Arthur C. Clarke with a diabolical dose of H.P. Lovecraft.

Put simply, this is not an optimist's viewpoint of the future. Watts examines sentience; consciousness, awareness of self, that incomprehensible aspect of humanity which separates us from other forms of life. Watts wants to convince you that sentience IS comprehensible, an evolutionary accident, a fluke, even a flaw, and he drags you kicking and screaming into his dystopian reality. Your self-awareness is not only a lie, it's a burden to your survival.

It's stark I know, but that's because the psychology of the book reflects the terrifying reality of his topic. He speaks to the reader, involves the reader, does not let the reader sit as a passive observer to the events of the story. He assaults their very existence, calling them - us - "...stone-age nomads, eking out some marginal existence on the veldt - denying even the possibility of agriculture, because hunting and gathering was good enough for your parents." In other words,you may not like his viewpoint, you may disagree with him philosophically and morally, but those efforts are shallow rationalizations. A predictable human response, one that we've expressed in the face of the inconvenient reality throughout history - from denial of the Holocaust to the rejection of human-induced climate change. Humans don't like uncomfortable truths, and through sentience we seek to derive meaning beyond, create illusions where the truth doesn't fit what we'd like it to.

The book itself is clunky, laden with metaphors, similes and figures of speech that distract from the clarity and flow of the story. In fact, as story-telling goes, Blindsight leaves a lot to be desired. Vivid, if at times difficult to follow, descriptions do add to the horror, though, and his writing leaves the reader with an impression of his brilliance when interlaced with his unabashed scientific literacy and ability to give double-meanings to every event, action and twist in the story. It may not be the best writing, but that's a byproduct of his intelligence.

Blindsight, in sum, is a novel that examines sociopath mindsets, the consequences of automation, philosophical justifications for science, art and pursuit of knowledge, and humanity itself. Watts is undoubtedly brilliant, although that doesn't make him necessarily right. He is a biologist with a PHD who seems somewhat bitter at what he perceives to be humanity's arrogant, self important view of the universe. In Blindsight, he throws an extraterrestrial, planet sized vessel of destruction against our blinders, hoping,at the very least, to get us to see reality from another perspective.