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Androids and Intelligent Networks in Early Modern Literature and Culture: Artificial Slaves (Routledge Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture)
by Kevin LaGrandeurAwarded a 2014 Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies Prize Honourable Mention. This book explores the creation and use of artificially made humanoid servants and servant networks by fictional and non-fictional scientists of the early modern period. Beginning with an investigation of the roots of artificial servants, humanoids, and automata from earlier times, LaGrandeur traces how these literary representations coincide with a surging interest in automata and experimentation, and how they blend with the magical science that preceded the empirical era. In the instances that this book considers, the idea of the artificial factotum is connected with an emotional paradox: the joy of self-enhancement is counterpoised with the anxiety of self-displacement that comes with distribution of agency.In this way, the older accounts of creating artificial slaves are accounts of modernity in the making—a modernity characterized by the project of extending the self and its powers, in which the vision of the extended self is fundamentally inseparable from the vision of an attenuated self. This book discusses the idea that fictional, artificial servants embody at once the ambitions of the scientific wizards who make them and society’s perception of the dangers of those ambitions, and represent the cultural fears triggered by independent, experimental thinkers—the type of thinkers from whom our modern cyberneticists descend.
Androids, Humanoids, and Other Folklore Monsters: Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films
by Per ScheldeScience fiction films, from the original Frankenstein and The Fly to Blade Runner and The Terminator, traditionally have been filled with aliens, spaceships, androids, cyborgs, and all sorts of robotic creatures along with their various creators. The popular appeal of these characters is undeniable, but what is the meaning of this generation of creatures? What is the relationship of mad scientist to subject, of human to android, of creature to creator? Androids, Humanoids, and Other Folklore Monsters is a profound investigation of this popular cultural form. Starting his discussion with the possible source of these creatures, anthropologist and writer Per Schelde identifies the origin of these critters in the folklore of past generations. Continuing in the tradition of ancient folklore, contends Schelde, science fiction film is a fictional account of the ongoing battle between nature and culture. With the advance of science, the trolls, dwarves, pixies, nixies, and huldres that represented the unknown natural forces of the world were virtually killed off by ever-increasing knowledge and technology. The natural forces of the past that provided a threat to humans were replaced by the danger of unknown scientific experiments and disasters, as represented by their offspring: science fiction monsters. As the development of genetics, biomedical engineering, and artificial intelligence blur the lines between human and machine in the real world, thus invading the natural landscape with the products of man's techno-culture, the representation of this development poses interesting questions. As Per Schelde shows, it becomes increasingly difficult in science fiction film to define the humans from their creations, and thus increasingly difficult to identify the monster. Unlike science fiction literature, science fiction film has until now been largely neglected as a genre worthy of study and scholarship. Androids, Humanoids, and Other Folklore Monsters explores science fiction (sf) film as the modern incarnation of folklore, emblematic of the struggle between nature and culture—but with a new twist. Schelde explains how, as science conquered the forests and mountains of the wild, the mythic creatures of these realms—trolls, elves, and ogres—were relegated to cartoons and children's stories. Technology and outer space came to represent the modern wild, and this new unknown came alive in the popular imagination with the embodiments of our fears of that unknown: androids, cyborgs, genetics, and artificial intelligence gone awry. Implicit in all of these is a fear, and an indictment, of the power of science to invade our minds and bodies, replacing the individual soul with a mechanical, machine-made one. Focusing his analysis on sixty-five popular films, from Frankenstein and Metropolis to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Terminator, and Blade Runner, Per Schelde brings his command of traditional folklore to this serious but eminently readable look at SF movies, decoding their curious and often terrifying images as expressions of modern man's angst in the face of a rapidly advancing culture he cannot control. Anyone with an interest in popular culture, folklore, film studies, or science fiction will enjoy this original and comprehensive study.
Androids: The Team that Built the Android Operating System
by Chet HaaseThe fascinating inside story of how the Android operating system came to be.In 2004, Android was two people who wanted to build camera software but couldn't get investors interested. Today, Android is a large team at Google, delivering an operating system (including camera software) to over 3 billion devices worldwide. This is the inside story, told by the people who made it happen.Androids: The Team that Built the Android Operating System is a first-hand chronological account of how the startup began, how the team came together, and how they all built an operating system from the kernel level to its applications and everything in between. It describes the tenuous beginnings of this ambitious project as a tiny startup, then as a small acquisition by Google that took on an industry with strong, entrenched competition. Author Chet Haase joined the Android team at Google in May 2010 and later recorded conversations with team members to preserve the early days of Android's history leading to the launch of 1.0. This engaging and accessible book captures the developers' stories in their own voices to answer the question: How did Android succeed?
Andromache, Hecuba, Trojan Women
by Euripides Ruth Scodel Diane Arnson SvarlienDiane Arnson Svarlien's translation of Euripides' Andromache, Hecuba, and Trojan Women exhibits the same scholarly and poetic standards that have won praise for her Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus. Ruth Scodel's Introduction examines the cultural and political context in which Euripides wrote, and provides analysis of the themes, structure, and characters of the plays included. Her notes offer expert guidance to readers encountering these works for the first time.
André Michaux in Florida: An Eighteenth-Century Botanical Journey
by Walter Kingsley Taylor Eliane M. NormanRetracing the eighteenth-century Florida exploration of botanist Andre Michaux The name Michaux often appears in the plant names of Florida, from the endangered yellow violets that grow wild in the panhandle to the Florida rosemary of the scrub. Andre Michaux (1746-1803) was one of the most extraordinary and dynamic individuals of early explorations in North America and the first trained botanist to explore extensively the wilderness east of the Mississippi River, including Spanish East Florida. This first book-length account of Michaux's Florida exploration combines his original journal with writings about him by later authors, historical background, and the author's own narrative to create a multifaceted, comprehensive treatise on Michaux's travels and discoveries in Florida.Beginning with a biographical sketch on the life of Andre Michaux, royal botanist for King Louis XVI of France, the authors retrace (using 16 maps) the exploratory routes he took in Florida and recount historical events occurring in Florida at the time. They include in full documentary form all the plants he discovered, collected, and observed and fully assess his findings so that his contributions can now be evaluated along with those of better-known botanists of whom much has been written, such as John Bartram and his son William--who acknowledged the Frenchman's abilities, writing that Michaux could traverse the same ground that he and his father had covered and find plants that they had missed.From a historical as well as a botanical perspective, Andre Michaux in Florida re-creates the Florida exploration of a remarkable explorer and observer and allows us to experience vicariously the vibrancy and joy of his journey of discovery.
Andy Griffith's Manteo: His Real Mayberry
by John RaileyLearn about the real life of beloved actor Andy Griffith.The world loves Sheriff Andy Taylor. Yet the actor who played him was intensely private. Here, for the first time, is the real Andy Griffith, his career and life defined by the island that made him in the years soon after World War II. He achieved his artistic breakthrough while acting in The Lost Colony drama on Roanoke Island, then spent the rest of his life repaying the island for giving him that start. Here, in unique closeup, is Andy of Manteo, reveling in wild, watery and loving ways with his fellow islanders. Author and journalist John Railey paints an intimate portrait of Andy, based on interviews with many of those who knew him best on the sand where he lived and died.
Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder
by Claudia KalbWas Andy Warhol a hoarder? Did Einstein have autism? Was Frank Lloyd Wright a narcissist? In this surprising, inventive, and meticulously researched look at the evolution of mental health, acclaimed health and science journalist Claudia Kalb gives readers a glimpse into the lives of high-profile historic figures through the lens of modern psychology, weaving groundbreaking research into biographical narratives that are deeply embedded in our culture. From Marilyn Monroe's borderline personality disorder to Charles Darwin's anxiety, Kalb provides compelling insight into a broad range of maladies, using historical records and interviews with leading mental health experts, biographers, sociologists, and other specialists. Packed with intriguing revelations, this smart narrative brings a new perspective to one of the hottest new topics in today's cultural conversation.From the Hardcover edition.
Andy Warhol, Publisher
by Lucy MulroneyAlthough we know him best as a visual artist and filmmaker, Andy Warhol was also a publisher. Distributing his own books and magazines, as well as contributing to those of others, Warhol found publishing to be one of his greatest pleasures, largely because of its cooperative and social nature. Journeying from the 1950s, when Warhol was starting to make his way through the New York advertising world, through the height of his career in the 1960s, to the last years of his life in the 1980s, Andy Warhol, Publisher unearths fresh archival material that reveals Warhol’s publications as complex projects involving a tantalizing cast of collaborators, shifting technologies, and a wide array of fervent readers. Lucy Mulroney shows that whether Warhol was creating children’s books, his infamous “boy book” for gay readers, writing works for established houses like Grove Press and Random House, helping found Interview magazine, or compiling a compendium of photography that he worked on to his death, he readily used the elements of publishing to further and disseminate his art. Warhol not only highlighted the impressive variety in our printed culture but also demonstrated how publishing can cement an artistic legacy.
Andy Warhol: 21 Segi Changjojeok Injaeeui Rolmodel = [andy Warhol] (Icons of America #12)
by Arthur C. Danto&“Astutely traces the ripple effects of Warhol&’s blurring of the lines between commercial and fine art, and art and real life…masterful.&”—Booklist (starred review) Art critic, philosopher, and winner of a National Book Critics Circle Award Arthur Danto delivers a compact, masterful tour of Andy Warhol&’s personal, artistic, and philosophical transformations. Danto traces the evolution of the pop artist, including his early reception, relationships with artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, and the Factory phenomenon. He offers close readings of individual Warhol works, including their social context and philosophical dimensions, key differences with predecessors such as Marcel Duchamp, and parallels with successors like Jeff Koons. By drawing on subject matter understandable to the ordinary American, Warhol revolutionized the way we look at art. In this book, Danto brings to bear encyclopedic knowledge of Warhol&’s time and shows us Warhol as an endlessly multidimensional figure—artist, political activist, filmmaker, writer, philosopher—who retains permanent residence in our national imagination.
Andy Warhol: A Biography (LIVES #2)
by Wayne Koestenbaum'Properly analytical ... always entertaining' TIME OUT'Should tempt both those generally familiar with Andy Warhol and, even more, young people who have trouble imagining how popular art can challenge the status quo' L A TIMESPainter, filmmaker, photographer, philosopher, all-round celebrity, Andy Warhol is an outstanding cultural icon. He revolutionised art by bringing to it images from popular culture - such as the Campbell's soup can and Marilyn Monroe's face - while his studio, the Factory, where his free-spirited cast of 'superstars' mingled with the rich and famous, became the place of origin for every groundswell shaping American culture.In many ways he can be seen as the precursor to today's 'celebrity artists' such as Tracey Emin and Damian Hurst. But what of the man behind the white wig and dark glasses? Koestenbaum gives a fascinating, revealing and thought-provoking picture of pop art's greatest icon.
Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter
by Susan Goldman RubinFollowing award-winning artist biographies "Degas and the Dance," "Toulouse-Lautrec," and "Cezanne," an exciting new book from Abrams Books for Young Readers looks at Andy Warhol. A leader of the American art movement known as Pop, short for "popular culture," Warhol changed the way we think of art. Assisted by photographs taken of Warhol throughout his life, and examples of his early drawings and best-known works, Susan Goldman Rubin traces his rise from poverty to wealth, and from obscurity to fame.
Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American
by Daniel De ViséA lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, celebrating the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America's most iconic television programs.Andy Griffith and Don Knotts met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy went to Hollywood to film a TV pilot about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if the sheriff could use a deputy. The comedic synergy between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating a folksy sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship, as potent off the screen as on. Andy and Don--fellow Southerners born into poverty and raised among scofflaws, bullies, and drunks--captured the hearts of Americans across the country as they rocked lazily on the front porch, meditating about the simple pleasure of a bottle of pop. But behind this sleepy, small-town charm, de Visé's exclusive reporting reveals explosions of violent temper, bouts of crippling neurosis, and all-too-human struggles with the temptations of fame. Andy and Don chronicles unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century, with Andy visiting Don at his death bed. Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law and featuring extensive unpublished interviews with those closest to both men, Andy and Don is the definitive literary work on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show and a provocative and an entertaining read about two of America's most enduring stars.
Anecdotes of Enlightenment: Human Nature from Locke to Wordsworth
by James Robert WoodAnecdotes of Enlightenment is the first literary history of the anecdote in English. In this wide-ranging account, James Robert Wood explores the animating effects anecdotes had on intellectual and literary cultures over the long eighteenth century. Drawing on extensive archival research and emphasizing the anecdote as a way of thinking, he shows that an intimate relationship developed between the anecdote and the Enlightenment concept of human nature. Anecdotes drew attention to odd phenomena on the peripheries of human life and human history. Enlightenment writers developed new and often contentious ideas of human nature through their efforts to explain these anomalies. They challenged each other’s ideas by reinterpreting each other’s anecdotes and by telling new anecdotes in turn.Anecdotes of Enlightenment features careful readings of the philosophy of John Locke and David Hume; the periodical essays of Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, and Eliza Haywood; the travel narratives of Joseph Banks, James Cook, and James Boswell; the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth; and Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy. Written in an engaging style and spotlighting the eccentric aspects of Enlightenment thought, this fascinating book will appeal to historians, philosophers, and literary critics interested in the intellectual culture of the long eighteenth century.
Anecdotes of the Cynics (Penguin Little Black Classics)
by Robert Dobbin'It's you who are the dogs...'
Anesthesia: The Gift of Oblivion and the Mystery of Consciousness
by Kate Cole-Adams"An obsessive, mystical, terrifying, and even phantasmagorical exploration of anesthesia’s shadowy terra incognita." —The New YorkerAnesthetize: to render insensibleFirst there’s the injection, then the countdown—and next thing you know, you’re awake. Anesthesia: The Gift of Oblivion and the Mystery of Consciousness is the story of the time in between, an exploration of that most crucial and baffling gift of modern medicine: the disappearing act that enables us to undergo procedures that would otherwise be impossibly, often fatally, painful. In the past 150 years, anesthesia has made surgical intervention routine, from open–heart surgery to the facelift. But how much do anesthesiologists really know about what happens when their patients go under? Can we hear and retain what’s going on? Is pain still pain if we don’t remember it? How does the unconscious mind deal with the body’s experience of being sliced open and ransacked—and how can we help ourselves through it all?Kate Cole–Adams weaves her own personal experiences with surgery and its aftermath with the explorations and personal accounts of others, doctors and patients alike—accounts of people who wake under the knife, who experience traumatic reactions, dreams, hallucinations, and submerged memories—accounts that evoke and illuminate the provisional nature of the self.Haunting, lyrical, sometimes shattering, Cole–Adams leavens science with personal experience, and brings an intensely human curiosity to the unknowable realm beyond consciousness.
Ange de Skye (Famille Macpherson)
by Jan Coffey May McGoldrickLa saga Macpherson commence... Lauréat du Holt Medallion pour la meilleure romance historique Des rivages sauvages des îles occidentales de l'Écosse aux champs de bataille sanglants de la France et aux cours opulentes d'Europe, la trilogie Macpherson nous entraîne dans un voyage passionnant à travers la quête d'une famille pour l'indépendance de l'Écosse face au redoutable roi des Tudor, Henri VIII. Dévoilez les flammes cachées... Fiona ne se souvient pas des années qui ont précédé son arrivée au prieuré de l'île de Skye. Seule la compatissante prieure détient la clé de la véritable lignée de cette rousse au tempérament fougueux. Revêtue d'un humble capuchon et d'une simple robe de paysanne, Fiona émerge de la brume de l'île pour affronter Alec Macpherson, le célèbre chef guerrier des Highlands. L'amour comme bouclier... Alec a servi le roi Jacques de son épée. Aujourd'hui, il est prêt à donner son âme pour protéger cette jeune fille enchanteresse du réseau complexe d'intrigues qui la menace. Fiona a besoin non seulement de protection, mais aussi de l'amour d'Alec, qu'il lui offre sans réserve. Pourtant, les adversaires du roi manœuvrent pour attirer Fiona dans un piège périlleux, car ses souvenirs recèlent le visage du meurtrier de sa mère et un secret suffisamment puissant pour ébranler le trône écossais. Une bataille de cœurs et d'honneur... Dans un affrontement passionnant entre la force des Highlands et les ambitions impitoyables d'un ennemi, Alec et Fiona doivent naviguer à travers le sang et la guerre pour déterminer le vainqueur ultime - qu'il s'agisse de la puissance d'une armée ou des passions inébranlables qui lient deux amants. À la fin, les étoiles s'alignent dans un récit épique où l'amour se révèle une force aussi redoutable que n'importe quelle légion armée...
Angel Boy
by Bernard AshleyThe holidays lie heavy on young Leonard Boameh. His school friends live far away from his home town of Accra, his nana is no fun, and his dad -- who's great -- is away working most of the time. So Leonard decides to run away for a few hours, and when Nana isn't looking he takes the tro-tro bus to Elmina, a historic European fort built to imprison West African slaves shipped off to America. There are lots of rough kids begging there, and before Leonard knows what's happening, he is kidnapped by the meanest gang of all, who plan to use his angel-face to fleece the tourists. Leonard is now a slave, trying to escape from a living nightmare.
Angel Creek (Western Ladies #2)
by Linda HowardDesire swept through the Colorado hills like wildfire, determined to claim both a woman&’s land—and her heart—in this unforgettable western romance from New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard, author of A Lady of the West.For five years after her father&’s death, Dee Swann has fiercely protected her Angel Creek homestead and her independence. Surrounded by the rugged beauty of the high country, she vowed that no one would ever take her land…or her freedom. But drought has left the valley desperate, and when Lucas Cochran returns to Colorado, he has his sights set on Angel Creek. The water running through Dee&’s property is the key to turning his Double C Ranch into the cattle empire he dreams of. Ruthless in ambition and determined to succeed, Lucas is ready to battle the stubborn, black-haired, green-eyed woman who stands in his way. Yet the passion that sparks when Dee and Lucas meet is as fierce as any fight over land. Drawn together by desire and divided by pride, they must face a dangerous path—where dreams could be destroyed, lives could be lost, or love could blaze as wild and untamed as the Colorado frontier itself.
Angel Creek and A Lady of the West (Western Ladies #1, #2)
by Linda HowardDesire and danger blaze like wildfire across the bold American West...in these scorching novels from "New York Times" bestselling author Linda Howard. ANGEL CREEK: After her father died, beautiful Dee Swann held on to her homestead in the Colorado hills, fiercely determined that no one would claim her land -- or her independence. Then ruthless, ambitious Lucas Cochran came to Angel Creek valley to challenge her on both counts....He needs the valley's cool waters to turn the drought-cursed high country into the cattle dynasty he craves. But as their fiery confrontation flares into a wild and unfettered passion, they are bound together in a dangerous destiny -- with much more than just frontier dreams at stake. ... A LADY OF THE WEST: Victoria Waverly was a noble daughter of the war-ruined South -- and wife in name only to a heartless Western rancher. Yet neither honor nor pride could quench her forbidden desire for hired gunman Jake Roper. His narrow gaze, hard as ice, hid tender emotions -- and he cursed his burning need for this graceful, innocent lady. For the blazing New Mexico territory called him to fight for the sweeping ranchland that was his birthright. On a mission to set right the past across the lawless land, the powerful cowboy and the aristocratic beauty would reach the heights of passion -- and step closer to the flames of destruction. ...
Angel Down: A Novel
by Daniel KrausThe critically acclaimed author of the &“crazily enjoyable&” (The New York Times) Whalefall returns with an immersive, cinematic novel about five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war.Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity. But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Man&’s Land to euthanize a wounded comrade. What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell. Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict.
Angel Dreams
by Michael Phillips Chris Schneider&“A new story to immerse yourself in this Christmas season—a story that inspires your faith, beckons to your imagination, and tugs on your heartstrings.&” —Prairie Sky Book Reviews Reality and fantasy converge in this wonder-filled tale, beautifully crafted by authors Chris Schneider and Michael Phillips. A grieving World War II widow in search of a long-lost daughter finds herself drawn to a small Wyoming town. A crippled and mute orphan boy has a wondrous dream every Christmas Eve where he walks, talks, sees his mother, and meets a mysterious girl who becomes his best friend. &“Being filled with occurrences that could only come from Above, as well as Heavenly dreams and mysterious angel encounters, this story will continue to surprise readers until the very end. The setting of a small, post-WWII town, various secondary characters who add color and depth, and the back-and-forth timeline of events increases the one-of-a-kind feeling of the book, but in a special way makes it more endearing, as well.&”—Prairie Sky Book Reviews
Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic (Images of Aviation)
by Suzanne RhodesIn 1972, two pilots--one a federal career engineer, the other the pastor of a prominent church in Washington, D.C.--discovered a common passion for flying airplanes and serving people. One day over lunch, the men conceived a flight plan, one that would undergo many changes before becoming Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, as it is known today. Ed Boyer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Dr. Louis Evans, pastor of the National Presbyterian Church, discussed how to pool their interests and qualifications. From its beginnings as a charitable shuttle service for religious leaders and dignitaries, to full-scale charitable air ambulance operations, to Angel Flights for ambulatory patients, the initial vision has grown into a network of over 1,500 volunteer pilots in the Mid-Atlantic region who use their private planes to fly people in need to specialized treatment. Angel Flight coordinates missions of mercy from its offices in Virginia Beach, helping patients to find "the shortest distance between home and hope."
Angel Gone Bad (Gone Bad #2)
by Sabine StarrA Good Plot. By day Angel Morgan reads her thrilling dime novels about the Wild West to the corseted members of the Red River Book club. But when the sun sets on the Texas border her own life proves to be stranger than fiction, especially when a friend's life depends on her utilizing her many secret talents. . .A Surprise Ending. Rune Wulfsson is no stranger to Angel Morgan's talents--the ones that left him burning for more and the ones that left him wrongfully locked up in jail. Now that he's no longer behind bars, he's riding hard for some good old fashioned revenge. But first he needs Angel's help in hunting down some horse thieves, kidnappers and killers. Tough enough without Angel and Rune's hands all over each other. It gets worse. But sometimes, bad is good. . .
Angel Heart
by Marie LavalDevonshire, January 1815. Marie-Ange, the young widow of an English officer, accepts an inheritance in France only to find that everything in Beauregard is not as it seems. Why is the sinister Malleval so obsessed with her family? And could her darling Christopher still be alive? Marie-Ange finds herself trapped in a dangerous web of lies, intrigue, and mystical possession, and the only person to whom she can turn for help is Capitaine Hugo Saintclair. Yet the enigmatic Hugo represents a danger of a different kind ... Angel Heart is a lavish mix of romance, adventure, and a hint of the supernatural, largely set in France against the turbulent background of Napoleon's return from Elba.