- Table View
- List View
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 in the Enlightenment: Mechanics, Artisans, and Cultures of the Self
by Adelheid VoskuhlThe eighteenth century saw the creation of a number of remarkable mechanical androids: at least ten prominent automata were built between 1735 and 1810 by clockmakers, court mechanics, and other artisans from France, Switzerland, Austria, and the German lands. Designed to perform sophisticated activities such as writing, drawing, or music making, these OC Enlightenment automataOCO have attracted continuous critical attention from the time they were made to the present, often as harbingers of the modern industrial age, an era during which human bodies and souls supposedly became mechanized. aIn "Androids in the Enlightenment," Adelheid Voskuhl investigates two such automataOCoboth depicting piano-playing women. These automata not only play music, but also move their heads, eyes, and torsos to mimic a sentimental body technique of the eighteenth century: musicians were expected to generate sentiments in themselves while playing, then communicate them to the audience through bodily motions. Voskuhl argues, contrary to much of the subsequent scholarly conversation, that these automata were unique masterpieces that illustrated the sentimental culture of a civil society rather than expressions of anxiety about the mechanization of humans by industrial technology. She demonstrates that only in a later age of industrial factory production did mechanical androids instill the fear that modern selves and societies had become indistinguishable from machines. a
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?
Androletti's Mistress
by Melanie MilburneDuty forced Nikki Ferliani to leave the only man she'd ever loved--Massimo Androletti--and marry another. Massimo was left with the bitter memory of Nikki, the gold-digging seductress. Now she's widowed and broke, and the only person who can help Nikki is the very man she once betrayed....Massimo has purchased her body for revenge, and she's paid with her heart. Little does he realize that Nikki's now carrying his child, and would have given him both for free....
Andrological Evaluation of Male Infertility: A Laboratory Guide
by Ashok Agarwal Rakesh Sharma Sajal GuptaThis state-of-the-art laboratory manual includes 20 clinical protocols used daily for the investigation of the infertile male, presented with easy to understand, step-by-step methodology. The protocols are arranged from routine to advanced laboratory procedures common to clinical practice, including computer-assisted semen analysis, sperm preparation for IUI by density gradient and swim-up, sperm cryopreservation, and sperm DNA fragmentation test by TUNEL method, among others. The methodology in each protocol follows best practice guidelines made clearer by professionally hand-drawn illustrations covering most of the important steps and equipment. The authors, hailing from the world-renowned Andrology Center at Cleveland Clinic, have over 50 years of combined first-hand experience in managing very busy diagnostic and research facilities in male infertility and andrology. The book will be an indispensable resource for thousands of laboratory technologists, clinicians and reproductive professionals (andrologists, embryologist, etc. ) engaged in the diagnosis and management of infertile men around the world.
Andrology and Sexual Medicine (Management of Urology)
by David Ralph Selcuk Sarikaya Giorgio Ivan RussoAndrology & Sexual Medicine is a comprehensive source for urologists, andrologists, sexologists and general practitioners. It contains general and up-to-date information about almost all topics within andrology and sexual medicine, and is a unique source that can be used for both exams and general daily practice. Easily accessible to clinicians and researchers and specialists, it tackles the controversial and complex topics of andrology and sexual medicine for urologists.
Andrology: Male Reproductive Health and Dysfunction
by Eberhard Nieschlag Hermann M. Behre Susan NieschlagThis is the 3rd, totally revised edition of a well-known textbook that continues to represent the gold standard in the literature on clinical andrology. It examines in depth all aspects of male reproductive health, encompassing the basic physiology of male reproductive function and a wide range of disorders. Each of the chapters is written by outstanding experts in the field. Among the topics covered are: Testicular function, sperm maturation and fertilization, diagnostic procedures, infertility, primary and secondary hypogonadism, late-onset hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, genetic disorders, environmental influences, psychology and sexual medicine, testosterone therapy, assisted reproduction: TESE and ICSI, cryopreservation, male contraception and ethics in andrology. This volume will serve as a textbook for the newcomer to andrology, while providing the experienced physician with a valuable reference work. It will appeal to all who are concerned with male reproductive health.
Andrology: Male Reproductive Health and Dysfunction
by Eberhard Nieschlag Hermann M. Behre Susan Nieschlag Sabine KlieschThe successful book of andrology now in a new edition! This book gives a complete, interdisciplinary overview of the central topics of andrology, infertility, hypogonadism, contraception and erectile dysfunction. It contains detailed information on the clinical practice of couple treatment, andrology-relevant gynecology and modern methods of assisted fertilization, psychological factors of infertility, endocrinology and reproductive functions of the aging man as well as on an important sub-area of andrology, the male contribution to contraception. In addition, the relevant scientific foundations (including molecular biology and genetics) are also covered. Completely revised and updated according to the latest scientific research, the new edition represents a reference for andrology, which no doctor who deals with the topic can miss. For andrologists, practitioners and residents, urologists, dermatologists and internists who deal with the area of andrology and male reproductive medicine.
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.
Andromache, by Racine
by Richard WilburA skillful translation of the classical French tragedy about the captivity of Hector's wife after her abduction by the son of Achilles. The rhymed couplets retain the simplicity of form and powerful language of the original. "[This translation] is a striking tour de force" (Hudson Review). Drawings by Igor Tulipanov.
Andromeda Breakthrough
by Fred Hoyle John ElliotFrom the dead constellation of Andromeda flashed continuously a long and intensely complicated message. Picked up during the testing of the world's most powerful radio-telescope, it proved to be a blueprint of a computer so advanced that it made all earth-built computers seem like children's counting beads and even produced a thinking, living human-being to interpret its needs. Could this be part of a fantastic plan to take over the earth?
Andromeda Clark Makes Time Fly: Fountas & Pinnell LLI Gold
by Anne PhillipsAndromeda Clark Makes Time Fly Author: Anne W. Phillips
Andromeda Clark Walks on the Moon (Fountas & Pinnell LLI Gold #Level O)
by Anne W. PhillipsAndromeda Clark Walks on the Moon Author: Anne W. Philips
Andromeda Clark and the Mummy's Curse (Fountas & Pinnel LLI Gold #Level P)
by Anne PhillipsAndromeda Clark and the Mummy's Curse Author: Anne W. Phillips
Andromeda's Choice
by William C. DietzAndromeda McKee rebuilt her life in the violent embrace of the Legion of the Damned in the days when cyborgs were first being introduced. Now she must choose between her conscience and her desire for vengeance... In a different world, Lady Catherine "Cat" Carletto would never have left her pampered life behind. But when Princess Ophelia became Empress Ophelia in a coup that claimed the lives of the princess's brother and all who supported him, including the Carletto family, Cat had to hide--or die. She became Legionnaire Andromeda McKee, and now she's a battle-scarred veteran who knows how to kill. Summoned to Earth to receive the Imperial Order of Merit from the empress herself, Andromeda learns that she isn't the sole surviving Carletto--her uncle Rex is not only still alive but also the leader of a resistance group determined to overthrow Ophelia. Caught up in a web of intrigue, Andromeda realizes that the moment is coming when her revenge will be at hand. But will she be able to act, or will she be betrayed by those she has come to trust?
Andromeda's Choice: A Novel of the Legion of the Damned (Legion of the Damned: Before the Fall #2)
by William C. DietzAndromeda McKee rebuilt her life in the violent embrace of the Legion of the Damned in the days when cyborgs were first being introduced. Now she must choose between her conscience and her desire for vengeance...In a different world, Lady Catherine “Cat” Carletto would never have left her pampered life behind. But when Princess Ophelia became Empress Ophelia in a coup that claimed the lives of the princess’ brother and all who supported him, including the Carletto family, Cat had to hide—or die.She became Legionnaire Andromeda McKee, and now she’s a battle-scarred veteran who knows how to kill. Summoned to Earth to receive the Imperial Order of Merit from the empress herself, Andromeda learns that she isn’t the sole surviving Carletto—her uncle Rex is not only still alive but also the leader of a resistance group determined to overthrow Ophelia.Caught up in a web of intrigue, Andromeda realizes that the moment is coming when her revenge will be at hand. But will she be able to act, or will she be betrayed by those she has come to trust?
Andromeda's Fall
by William C. DietzHundreds of years in the future, much has changed. Advances in medicine, technology, and science abound. Humanity has gone to the stars, found alien life, and established an empire. But some things never change... All her life, Lady Catherine Carletto--Cat--has lived for the next party, the next lover, the next expensive toy. Until, in a bloodthirsty power grab, Imperial Princess Ophelia and her cadre of synth assassins murder her brother, the emperor, and go on to purge the galaxy of his friends and allies--including Cat's family. Now Cat is on the run. And, like countless others before her, she finds sanctuary among the most dangerous of society's misfits--the Legion. Cat becomes Andromeda McKee: a woman with a mission--to bring down Empress Ophelia--or die trying.
Andromeda's Fall: A Novel of the Legion of the Damned (Legion of the Damned: Before the Fall #1)
by William C. Dietz“Andromeda’s Fall is one of the most interesting futuristic novels.”—SF SiteHundreds of years in the future, much has changed. Advances in medicine, technology, and science abound. Humanity has gone to the stars, found alien life, and established an empire.But some things never change...All her life, Lady Catherine Carletto (called Cat) has lived for nothing but the next party, the next lover, the next expensive toy. Until, in a bloodthirsty power grab, Imperial Princess Ophelia and her cadre of synth assassins murder her brother the emperor, and go on to purge the galaxy of his friends and supporters—including Cat’s family. The Carlettos are known to be staunch supporters of the emperor and Carletto Industries has been in the forefront of his pet project—developing cybernetic technology for use by the masses.Now Cat, one of the last surviving Carlettos, is on the run. And, like countless others before her, she finds her sanctuary among the most dangerous of society’s misfits.Welcome to the Legion.Cat Carletto vanishes, and in her place stands Legion recruit Andromeda McKee. A woman with a mission—to bring down Empress Ophelia—or die trying.
Andromeda's War
by William C. Dietz"Returning to his Legion of the Damned universe, Dietz illustrates why he's a master of the genre" (RT Book Reviews). And in Andromeda's War, his heroine will face her ultimate test--as a battle-scarred legionnaire and as an innocent young woman who once lost everything...Now a platoon leader, Legionnaire Andromeda McKee seems to have successfully left behind her true identity of Lady Catherine "Cat" Carletto, one of the last two surviving members of the Carletto family targeted for death by Empress Ophelia.After failing at her one shot at vengeance, Andromeda had been questioning her own resolve. But now her uncle has been killed in a government raid back on Earth, leaving her as the last Carletto standing--and the family's only chance for justice...A chance that comes when the empress's ship crashes on a hostile planet and Andromeda is assigned to head up the rescue mission. As a legionnaire, Andromeda McKee has countless kills under her belt. But when faced with her greatest enemy, it will be Cat Carletto who has to pull the trigger on the one who really matters...
Andromeda's War: A Novel of the Legion of the Damned (Legion of the Damned: Before the Fall #3)
by William C. DietzIn Andromeda’s War, Dietz’ heroine will face her ultimate test—as a battle-scarred legionnaire and as an innocent young woman who once lost everything...Now a platoon leader, Legionnaire Andromeda McKee seems to have successfully left behind her true identity of Lady Catherine “Cat” Carletto, one of the last two surviving members of the Carletto family targeted for death by Empress Ophelia.After failing at her one shot at vengeance, Andromeda had been questioning her own resolve. But now her uncle has been killed in a government raid back on Earth, leaving her as the last Carletto standing—and the family’s only chance for justice...A chance that comes when the empress’ ship crashes on a hostile planet and Andromeda is assigned to head up the rescue mission.As a legionnaire, Andromeda McKee has countless kills under her belt. But when faced with her greatest enemy, it will be Cat Carletto who has to pull the trigger on the one who really matters...
Andromeda: A Novel
by Therese BohmanWorking her way up at a storied Stockholm publisher, a young woman develops an ambiguous, shifting relationship with her boss, in this shrewd novel about the tension between tradition and modernity, and expectations and reality.The publishing house is anchored like a ship along Stockholm&’s main street, a large, bright building with an impressive rooftop terrace. The facade is a grid of wood and granite; flags with a cursive R sway in the wind. R as in Rydéns.A young woman starts as an intern at this venerated institution, and over many years gains more and more responsibility for its authors and books. All under the supervision of Gunnar, publishing director of the most prestigious imprint behind the finest literature, Andromeda.Over time their work relationship transforms into something neither of them can truly define. Perhaps built on mutual trust? Or is it something else?
Andromenda Clark, North Pole Explorer (Fountas & Pinnell LLI Gold #Level O)
by Anne W. PhillipsAndromeda Clark, North Pole Explorer Author: Anne W. Phillips
Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher: A Grain of Truth
by Jacek RembisGeralt&’s encounter with a beast reveals the truth behind fairy tales in this graphic novel adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's original short story.Geralt takes a short cut down a beaten path, where he makes a grim discovery of two corpses. Backtracking their trail, he&’s led to a derelict mansion secured with elevated walls and a gate—mysterious and ramshackle, yet adorned with a rare elegance Geralt could not ignore. He is met with the mansion&’s owner—not quite human, but a beast with the faculties of a man. With Geralt unfazed by his monstrous appearance and displays of aggression, the beast invites him inside. A kind but wary host, he shares stories of his family, his life . . . and his curse. If the weight of his misdeeds could condemn him to the body of a beast—a retribution spoken of only in fairy tales, could there be another grain of truth in these tales of fantasy—one that could help him elude his fate and lead him to salvation? This graphic novel is the first in a series of adaptations from Sapkowski's acclaimed short story collection The Last Wish! Script adaptation by Jacek Rembiś (Frostpunk) with art by Jonas Scharf (Bone Parish, War for the Planet of the Apes).
Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher: The Lesser Evil
by Andrzej Sapkowski Jacek RembisA tragic tale of passion, vindication, and the root of evil is presented in this graphic novel adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's original short story.In search of a reward, Geralt brings the carcass of a slain creature to a small town where he is told it may be of use to the local sorcerer—but the mage isn&’t who he is alleged to be.In hiding for his life, he requests Geralt&’s help in slaying the monster who seeks to murder him—a young woman said to have been born under the Curse of the Black Sun—a prophecy of inborn evil. He declares that she is more a monster than the creature presented before him. Geralt later encounters the woman, who asserts that it is the sorcerer who is the true monster—committing unspeakable crimes at the behest of his superstitious beliefs. With the boundaries blurred between the evil that is done and the evil done in return, Geralt is met with a quandary. The face of evil is ever-changing and his verdict, whether by choice or by force, can only lead to tragedy.This graphic novel is the second in a series of adaptations from Sapkowski's acclaimed short story collection The Last Wish!