Monday, October 30, 2017

Trump: How Low Can He Go?


Trump has hit a new low in his job approval ratings. As the Washington Post notes:
On Sunday evening, a poll from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump’s approval rating had hit a new low, sinking to 38 percent. More worrisome for the president? Since September, the drop was biggest among independents, whites and whites without a college degree — key components of the coalition that won Trump the White House. NBC and the Journal also reported that the 38 percent rating was lower than any other president had seen at a similar point in their first terms in the modern era.

On Monday, new data from Gallup reiterated that same message. In Gallup’s daily tracking poll, which looks at three days of national polling, Trump’s approval rating hit a new low of 33 percent and his disapproval a new high of 62 percent. The net approval — those who approve minus those who disapprove — hit a new low at minus-29.
The decline among working class whites is particularly noteworthy. Without strong support from these voters, Trump is in big trouble. This is a trend to watch.  

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Science Fiction Saturday: SF Masterworks Series


The SF Masterworks series is a fantastic SF series put out by the English publisher Gollancz, generally of books published 1950 and later. Pretty much everything in the series--up to 162 books now--is excellent and many are outright classics. It's a very, very well-selected series; you really can't go wrong reading almost anything in it.

Here's a portion of the  list. Just throw a dart at it and start reading. (Note: all books in the series and more info on each book can be found in this illustrated list from the Worlds Without End site.)


TitleAuthorOriginally PublishedISBNMasterworks Published
The Forever War *Joe Haldeman1974978-0-575-09414-72010
I Am Legend *Richard Matheson1954978-0-575-09416-12010
Cities in Flight *James Blish1950–1962978-0-575-09417-82010
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? *Philip K. Dick1968978-0-575-09418-52010
The Stars My Destination *Alfred Bester1956978-0-575-09419-22010
Babel-17 *Samuel R. Delany1966978-0-575-09420-82010
Lord of Light *Roger Zelazny1967978-0-575-09421-52010
The Fifth Head of Cerberus *Gene Wolfe1972978-0-575-09422-22010
Gateway *Frederik Pohl1977978-0-575-09423-92010
The Rediscovery of Man *Cordwainer Smith1950–1966978-0-575-09424-62010
Inverted WorldChristopher Priest1974978-0-575-08210-62010
Cat's Cradle **Kurt Vonnegut1963978-0-575-08195-62010
Childhood's End **Arthur C. Clarke1953978-0-575-08235-92010
The Island of Doctor Moreau **H. G. Wells1896978-0-575-09516-8 (hb) / 978-1-473-21799-7 (pb)2010 (hb) / 2017 (pb)
DhalgrenSamuel R. Delany1974978-0-575-09099-62010
The Time Machine * **H. G. Wells1895978-0-575-09517-5 (hb) / 978-1-473-21797-3 (pb)2010 (hb) / 2017 (pb)
HelliconiaBrian Aldiss1982–1985978-0-575-08615-92010
The Food of the Gods **H. G. Wells1904978-0-575-09518-2 (hb) / 978-1-473-21801-7 (pb)2010 (hb) / 2017 (pb)
The Body SnatchersJack Finney1955978-0-575-08531-22010
The Female ManJoanna Russ1975978-0-575-09499-42010
ArslanM. J. Engh1976978-0-575-09501-42010
The Difference EngineWilliam Gibson and Bruce Sterling1990978-0-575-09940-12011
The PrestigeChristopher Priest1995978-0-575-09941-82011
GreybeardBrian Aldiss1964978-0-575-07113-12011
SiriusOlaf Stapledon1944978-0-575-09942-52011
HyperionDan Simmons1989978-0-575-09943-22011
CityClifford D. Simak1952978-0-575-10523-22011
Hellstrom's HiveFrank Herbert1973978-0-575-10108-12011
Of Men and MonstersWilliam Tenn1968978-0-575-09944-92011
R.U.R. and War with the NewtsKarel Čapek1921 & 1936978-0-575-09945-62011
The AffirmationChristopher Priest1981978-0-575-09946-32011
Floating WorldsCecelia Holland1975978-0-575-10823-32011
Rogue MoonAlgis Budrys1960978-0-575-10800-42012
Dangerous VisionsHarlan Ellison1967978-0-575-10802-82012
Odd JohnOlaf Stapledon1935978-0-575-07224-42012
The Fall of HyperionDan Simmons1990978-0-575-09948-72012
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy**Douglas Adams1979978-0-575-11534-72012
The War of the Worlds * **H. G. Wells1898978-0-575-11535-4 (hb) / 978-1-473-21802-4 (pb)2012 (hb) / 2017 (pb)
SynnersPat Cadigan1991978-0-575-11954-32012
Sarah CanaryKaren Joy Fowler1991978-0-575-13136-12012
AmmoniteNicola Griffith1992978-0-575-11823-22012
The Continuous Katherine MortenhoeD. G. Compton1973978-0-575-11831-72012
FrankensteinMary Shelley1818978-0-575-09960-92012
Roadside Picnic *Arkady and Boris Strugatsky1972978-0-575-09313-32012
Riddley Walker **Russell Hoban1980978-0-575-11951-22012
Doomsday BookConnie Willis1992978-0-575-13109-52012
Unquenchable FireRachel Pollack1988978-0-575-11854-62012
The Caltraps of TimeDavid I. Masson1968978-0-575-11828-72012
Engine SummerJohn Crowley1979978-0-575-08281-62013
Take Back PlentyColin Greenland1990978-0-575-11952-92013
Slow RiverNicola Griffith1995978-0-575-11825-62013
The Gate to Women's CountrySheri S. Tepper1988978-0-575-13104-02013
The Sea and SummerGeorge Turner1987978-0-575-11869-02013
The Invisible Man * **H. G. Wells1897978-0-575-11537-8 (hb) / 978-1-473-21798-0 (pb)2013 (hb) / 2017 (pb)
A Canticle for Leibowitz **Walter M. Miller1960978-0-575-07357-92013
WaspEric Frank Russell1957978-0-575-12904-72013
To Say Nothing of the DogConnie Willis1997978-0-575-11312-12013
The Gods ThemselvesIsaac Asimov1972978-0-575-12905-42013
This Is the Way the World EndsJames Morrow1985978-0-575-08118-52013
The First Men in the Moon * **H. G. Wells1901978-0-575-11538-5 (hb) / 978-1-473-21800-0 (pb)2013 (hb) / 2017 (pb)
The DeepJohn Crowley1975978-0-575-08264-92013
Time is the Fire: The Best of Connie WillisConnie Willis2013978-0-575-13114-92013
No Enemy But TimeMichael Bishop1982978-0-575-09311-92013
Double StarRobert A. Heinlein1956978-0-575-12203-12013
Revelation SpaceAlastair Reynolds2000978-0-575-12906-12013
Random Acts of Senseless ViolenceJack Womack1995978-0-575-13230-62013
TransfigurationsMichael Bishop1979978-0-575-09309-62013
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe **Douglas Adams1980978-1-473-20066-12013
The Door Into SummerRobert A. Heinlein1957978-0-575-12072-32013
Life, the Universe and Everything **Douglas Adams1982978-1-473-20067-82013
Dr. Bloodmoney *Philip K. Dick1965978-1-473-20168-22014
Half Past HumanT. J. Bass1971978-0-575-12962-72014
The Long TomorrowLeigh Brackett1955978-0-575-13156-92014
The GodwhaleT. J. Bass1974978-0-575-12993-12014
Jem *Frederik Pohl1980978-1-473-20170-52014
The Shrinking Man *Richard Matheson1956978-1-473-20169-92014
A Case of Conscience *James Blish1958978-1-473-20543-72014
Her Smoke Rose Up ForeverJames Tiptree, Jr1990978-1-473-20324-22014
Stand on Zanzibar *John Brunner1968978-1-473-20637-32014
Mission of Gravity *Hal Clement1954978-1-473-20638-02014
The Word for World Is ForestUrsula K. Le Guin1976978-1-473-20578-92015
Downward to the Earth *Robert Silverberg1970978-1-473-21192-62015
Hard to Be a GodArkady and Boris Strugatsky1964978-1-473-20829-22015
Night LampJack Vance1996978-1-473-20892-62015
Life During Wartime *Lucius Shepard1987978-1-473-21193-32015
Nova *Samuel R. Delany1968978-1-473-21191-92015
Monday Begins on SaturdayArkady and Boris Strugatsky1965978-1-473-20221-42015
Dark Benediction *Walter M. Miller1951978-1-473-21194-02015
The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass RoseUrsula K. Le Guin1975 and 1982978-1-473-20576-52015
Dying of the LightGeorge R. R. Martin1977978-1-473-21252-72015
A Fire Upon the DeepVernor Vinge1992978-1-473-21195-72016
NorstriliaCordwainer Smith1975978-1-473-21253-42016
LimboBernard Wolfe1952978-1-473-21247-32016
The Day of the Triffids **John Wyndham1951978-1-473-21267-12016
FairylandPaul J. McAuley1995978-1-473-21516-02016
The Chrysalids **John Wyndham1955978-1-473-21268-82016
The Man Who Fell to EarthWalter Tevis1963978-1-473-21311-12016
Always Coming HomeUrsula K. Le Guin1985978-1-473-20580-22016
Feersum Endjinn **Iain M. Banks1994978-1-473-20251-12016
A Deepness in the SkyVernor Vinge1999978-1-473-21196-42016
Starship Troopers **Robert A. Heinlein1959978-1-473-21748-52016
The Midwich Cuckoos **John Wyndham1957978-1-473-21269-52016
Swastika NightMurray Constantine1937978-1-473-21466-82016
China Mountain ZhangMaureen F. McHugh1992978-1-473-21462-02016
The Book of the New Sun Volume 1: Shadow and ClawGene Wolfe1980–1981978-1-473-21649-52016
The Book of the New Sun Volume 2: Sword and CitadelGene Wolfe1982–1983978-1-473-21200-82016
The Left Hand of DarknessUrsula K. Le Guin1969978-1-473-22162-82017
Neuromancer **William Gibson1984978-1-473-21737-92017
The Shape of Things to ComeH. G. Wells1933978-1-473-22165-92017
The Doomed CityArkady and Boris Strugatsky1975978-1-473-22228-12017
Raising the StonesSheri S. Tepper1990978-1-473-22265-62017
The EmbeddingIan Watson1973978-1-473-22267-02017