Fall 2025 Reading Update
Hi everyone!
Summer’s come and gone, and now the university is back in full swing. Things have been very busy on my end, but I have also had the opportunity to spend some quality time reading. You may recall that in my Spring/Summer 2025 Reading Update, I mentioned having broken up my year into three: January-April for reading, May-August for writing, and September-December teaching material revisions. Well, I ended up getting quite ahead of schedule, having read more than anticipated, written two full books, done some editing, and course revisions. So, I’ve decided to get back into reading again during the Fall, as I have a lot of writing and other things planned over the next 12 months!
Most recently, I’ve been spending some time delving back into some of the sci-fi classics. I just recently completed reading through Isaac Asimov’s Empire books (Stars Like the Dust, Currents of Space, and Pebble in the Sky). They were quite fun, but I think my favourite of these three was the third book, which was quite unlike anything else Asimov has written. The main character, Joseph Schwartz, jumps from the contemporary period (well contemporary to Asimov’s writing) to the distant future due to a freak accident. Much of the story is centered around the fate of Earth and its relatively servile position in the Galactic Empire. Schwartz also develops telepathic abilities, which also gave the story a fun twist. Asimov does treat telepathy elsewhere in his writings, but it features much more prominently in Pebble in the Sky. Most importantly for me, now that I’ve read all of the Empire books, I’ve now gone through Asimov’s entire, massive Foundation series, and I have to say reading it all together does give you a greater appreciation for some of the hints that he drops throughout his writings.
Now, I’m reading through the Douglas Adams’ famous The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. I remember watching the 2005 film adaptation years ago, and thought it was alright. However, so far I am developing a much deeper appreciation for the books, which offer a philosophical consideration of various sci-fi tropes to hilarious comedic effect. I’m excited to see how the series proceeds as a whole.
I’ve also been reading a number of comic books, including Frank Miller’s famous Dark Knight Returns and its sequels(, which I now believe have an overly negative reputation). I’ve got a long list of comic books that I’d like to catch up on, and have been prioritizing reading through Marvel and DC titles recently, as well as some material from Rue de Sèvres. I also had a chance to read Rorschach by Tom king. You know that unsolicited sequel to The Watchmen that no one asked for. However, as it turns out, the book is actually fantastic. It has instantly become a favourite for me. It’s set in the decades following the original text and really starts a whole new story, which is set in the original Watchmen comic book universe but really presents its own story. Honestly, I wish I had the time to go back and read it again to catch all of the hints dropped in the earlier portions of the book. Highly recommended!
Well, that’s it for now, but watch out for more updates soon!
AK-M