They originally wanted to read and discuss, but they endured the discomfort in their eyes and read on their mobile phones to satisfy their cravings. How could they have time to chat with others.
After the book club ended, Jesse Kurten couldn't wait to return to his dormitory. He quickly opened his Kindle and synchronized the "I, Robot" he had purchased before.
Jesse, Mike, and Belinda are loyal fans of science fiction novels. They have read quite a few English novels, but after coming to China to study abroad, they found it very difficult to read a Chinese novel.
Even if they have passed the language test, these dense square characters are still a headache, like a heavenly book. None of them can understand the recently popular "I, Robot", so they can only find friends to help them speak it. translate.
“This is what truly outstanding science fiction works should be like, convincing, scary and touching!”
But Jesse typed quickly on the keyboard with both hands, "Hi, guys, I found a great science fiction novel, "I, Robot". You can see the first chapter on Amazon for trial reading. You just need to Take a look at the three rules of robots at the front and you will know whether you should buy it or not!"
"The author is definitely a genius. God, I almost missed this novel! Looking at the writing style, I thought I was reading a science fiction novel written by European and American writers. There is no sign of translation at all, but the three laws of robots are so classic It’s impossible not to have heard of something like this.”
When the people around saw them reading eagerly, no one bothered them. Lin Han, Zheng Yutong, Xiao Liu and others all knew this feeling. After a long drought, there is a sweet rain!
It's just that Lucy, a Chinese girl, doesn't have outstanding English translation skills, so a lot of things were lost in the translation process, but the part that was successfully translated has amazed them all.
The reading club got better and better with the chatter of discussions. Everyone was vying to express their thoughts. There was always endless things to say when people with similar interests got together.
"Hahaha, this is an interesting statement. I think so too. Anyway, this science fiction book looks relaxed and magical. It is almost a master-level work and can be called a classic. Have you noticed that although it is about robots, it has this view of the universe? It’s very, very huge, with a long history of the Galactic Empire. The friendship between Bailey and Daniel, the relationship between humans and robots, I still have the urge to watch it again after watching it from beginning to end.”
SFFworld is the abbreviation of science fiction forum world. This forum is filled with science fiction enthusiasts. They have different identities. There are students like Jesse, engineers, professors, astronomers, chemistry teachers, physicists, and aerospace experts. Staff etc.
After having this idea, Jesse opened the forum he uses most often, SFFworld. This is the largest gathering place for science fiction readers in Europe and the United States. There are tens of thousands of active people every day. There are many sections and a reasonable structure. Many novels are passed down by word of mouth from here. Then it became popular.
Originally, he looked down upon Chinese science fiction works. There was not even a science fiction book here that he could remember the name of. It seemed that the development of science fiction novels here was particularly slow, and people here preferred to read kongfu novels.
Another boy with glasses said in agreement: "Many people on the Internet are looking for loopholes in the three major developments of robots, but they don't know that the author is the one who really finds the loopholes. He proposes a rule himself, and then finds the loopholes and writes This novel. It’s like watching lower creatures making noise and not wanting to disturb them.”
As an exchange student from Columbia University in the United States to Peking University, Jesse has grown up with science fiction books and has read all kinds of science fiction classics. However, more than a week ago, he heard about some science fiction books that he didn’t know until he came to China. friends are discussing a science fiction book.
Now after Lin Han told them that they could buy the English version, they all held their mobile phones and started reading. They had been looking forward to it for so long and finally got spiritual food.
At the same time, he checked his Kindle and entered the three rules of robots from the beginning of the novel into the post, and then waited quietly.
Jesse was talking to himself, thinking of the novel with a purchase count of 3 on the Amazon page, and he felt like he was being buried, "It should be seen by more people!"
Lin Han had been listening carefully at this time, and he found that almost all of this group of science fiction enthusiasts praised him without any malice. At most, they just complained about his writing style, which was harmless.
It was Lin Han's turn to speak. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't praise himself, so he hesitated and said: "The language style is very plain and plain, without gorgeous descriptions or exaggerated shaping. The story is relatively simple but exciting enough, and the writing style is also good." Need to experience it.”
"This is not just a collection of short stories. As the memories of the robot psychologist unfold, the stories progress layer by layer, analyzing the various logical connections inherent in the three laws and the various possibilities derived from them in a profound and profound way. thorough."
Reading a book on a palm-sized mobile phone makes his eyes a little uncomfortable, so a larger Kindle is more suitable. At this time, he has finished reading the second chapter of the short story, and he is still shocked.
"Let's ignore them for now and talk about our own feelings. I think nine stories are used to integrate a brief history of the development of robots. The core of each story comes from the logical conflict of the three laws of robots. In the novel, women Scientists used paradox to force a robot to death, and now we are studying machine ethics, also developing from this prisoner's dilemma, right?"
Zheng Yutong also started to join the discussion at this time: "There are so many robots out there, which one do you like best? There are robots that never get tired of hearing the Cinderella story a thousand times, there are robots that are obsessed with human emotions and like to read novels, and there are robots that are rational. Robots that focus on reasoning and feel good about themselves, robots that can think and preach and create sects, each one is so cute."
But once, when he heard Lucy telling him the three laws of robots in English, Jesse, who was experienced in reading, was immediately conquered, and then begged his friend to simply translate it for him.
…
"This style of setting up an axiom system and then pushing it within the system is absolutely authentic science fiction. It can't be harder. Especially the two wild partners are so funny. The psychology of robots is the whole book. As for the main line, I have been constantly thinking about how robots should survive under the three laws."
These people are standard old bookworms and have very strict requirements for any science fiction book. It is very difficult to conquer their taste.
"It's amazing to write down the Three Laws of Robotics in so many ways. The end of each question is just the beginning of another question. These nine short stories are actually closely logically connected, which made me excited."
Even though he didn't understand the language, that genius idea still left a deep mark on his mind. Now that he saw the real English version, Jesse felt that his soul was shaking.
"What a coincidence, I'm the same way, I'm so excited. Domestic science fiction can also be written at this level. I didn't sleep all night and read the book."
The popularity of Kindle is still relatively high. Some books are too expensive to buy in paper version, so they can consider electronic versions, so Jesse and others waited to download them to Kindle again after returning home, so as not to hurt their eyes.