Category: Inspiration

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Some Serious Reading on How the Veil, Or Augmented Reality Will Shape Humanity

“This is the most comprehensive and useful guide into Augmented Reality I have ever seen. Not only did I learn a lot, I will apply it to our work.”

Let’s design for the best of humanity and the best of technology.

Augmented Reality (AR) blurs the boundary between the physical and digital worlds. In AR’s current exploration phase, innovators are beginning to create compelling and contextually rich applications that enhance a user’s everyday experiences. In this book, Dr. Helen Papagiannis — a world-leading expert in the field — introduces you to AR: how it’s evolving, where the opportunities are, and where it’s headed.

If you’re a designer, developer, entrepreneur, student, educator, business leader, artist, or simply curious about AR’s possibilities, this insightful guide explains how you can become involved with this exciting, fast-moving technology.

— STEFAN SAGMEISTER, DESIGNER AND COFOUNDER SAGMEISTER & WALSH INC.

About the author

Dr. Helen Papagiannis

Dr. Helen Papagiannis is internationally recognized as a leading expert in Augmented Reality (AR). Her work spans over a decade in the field as a researcher, designer, and technology evangelist. She is the former Chief Innovation Officer at Infinity Augmented Reality Inc. (New York and Tel Aviv), and was a Senior Research Associate at York University’s Augmented Reality Lab (Toronto).

Dr. Papagiannis’s presentations and exhibitions include TEDx (Technology, Entertainment, Design), ISMAR (International Society for Mixed and Augmented Reality), and ISEA (International Symposium for Electronic Art). Her TEDx 2011 talk was featured among the Top 10 Talks on AR, and in 2016 she was a finalist for the prestigious World Technology Award. Prior to her augmented life, Dr. Papagiannis was a member of Bruce Mau Design where she was project lead on “Massive Change: The Future of Global Design”, a groundbreaking exhibition and best-selling book (Phaidon, 2004) examining the new inventions and technologies changing the world.

Read more: www.arstories.com

It’s not just about augmenting reality, it’s about augmenting humanity.

You’ll explore how:

  • Computer vision, machine learning, cameras, sensors, and wearables change the way you see the world 
  • Haptic technology syncs what you see with how something feels
  • Augmented sound and hearables alter the way you listen to your environment
  • Digital smell and taste augment the way you share and receive information
  • New approaches to storytelling immerse and engage users more deeply 
  • Users can augment their bodies with electronic textiles, embedded technology, and brain-controlled interfaces 
  • Human avatars can learn our behaviors and act on our behalf

Get it on Amazon COM

Get it on Amazon UK

Get it on iTunes

Get it on Google Play books

Also a great article of the top 8 uses of AR in 2018.

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Binge-Worthy Reads: Future Fiction, A Collection of the Finest Sci-Fi From Around the World

If you like thought-provoking science fiction hand-picked from all around the world, then this collection of short stories is for you.

Future Fiction is an Italian house that picks out authors and translates their stories in English. We’ve posted about them before and we will do so again, because it seems they’re here to stay and we really like what they’re bringing to the international scene.

Tor called these: 

(…)thirteen incredible tales from all around the globe that will not only introduce you to worlds you may not be familiar with but also expand your horizons and the horizons of the science fiction field itself.

Strange Horizons has a thorough review if you want to read an analysis of the stories. Here are some snippets:

Future Fiction: New Dimensions in International Fiction. Edited by Rosarium’s Bill Campbell and Future Fiction‘s Francesco Verso, this collection brings together speculative fiction that was originally published by Verso’s Italian press. Represented here are India, Greece, Zimbabwe, China, Italy, the US, Canada, the UK, Russia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Cuba. Of these twelve stories, four are translations: “Creative Surgery” by Clelia Farris (translated from the Italian by Jennifer Delare), “The Quantum Mommy” by Michalis Manolios (translated from the Greek by Manolis Vamvounis), “Tongtong’s Summer” by Xia Jia (translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu), and “Grey Noise” by Pepe Rojo (translated from the Spanish by Andrea Bell).

There’s speculative fiction, and then there’s speculative fiction that’s been kicked up several levels. You’ll find the latter when you read stories like James Patrick Kelly’s “Bernardo’s House,” Farris’s “Creative Surgery,” Tendai Huchu’s “Hostbods,” and Efe Tokunbo’s absolutely brilliant “Proposition 23.”

Some of the stories, including Kelly’s “Bernardo’s House,” Carlos Hernandez’s “The International Studbook of the Giant Panda,” Manolios’s “The Quantum Mommy,” Huchu’s “Hostbods,” Rojo’s “Grey Noise,” and Tokunbo’s “Proposition 23,” focus on the complex and often troubling intersection of humans and machines.

Here’s a shot of a very happy Michalis Manolios only moments after he got the book in his hands for the first time.

The book is available in both paperback and ebook version. Shelf it on Goodreads.

Get Future Fiction on Amazon US

Get Future Fiction on Amazon UK

Get it on Amazon IT

Get it on Kobo

Get it on Barnes and Noble

Get it on Google Play Books

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I Give You Permission To Have a Black Achilles In Your Story

If the script doesn’t contain at least one BBC joke, I’ll be sorely disappointed for a perfectly wasted opportunity.

Here’s something that should put your mind at ease:

I, George Saoulidis, give you permission to have a black/asian/latinx/whatever Achilles in your story. I also retroactively give you permission to have any possible combination of skin colour/sexuality/hero name from the Greek epics.

How the fuck can I possibly give permission for something like that, you might ask?

Exactly.

That’s my point. The same way that it’s nobody’s business to give you permission to do something like this, nobody can stop you from doing it either.

The Greek epics do not belong to me, you, or any other Greek in the world. They belong to everybody. So much so that the words “public domain” are too puny to describe them. They’re infused into our culture, shaped the very pathways in our brains. They have inspired endless creators for literal millennia (pause and let that sink in for a moment.)

So, do you want to take a popular myth and make it your own? Are you inspired by Odysseus or Achilles or Zeus and want to see yourself in their shoes, and you also happen to not be white and male? Do you want to cosplay as them, write about them, make films and games and VR experiences about them? Do you want to create and have found inspiration in the most influential and badass mythology of all time?

By all means, go for it.

That won’t mean that I’ll like your story. It won’t mean I’ll spend money on your story. If it objectively sucks, I’ll happily tear you a new one. Or worse, I’ll just ignore it. But if the story is good, if your vision is great, if your interpretation is modern and touches the souls of those around you, then go for it.

Nobody’s stopping you. Not me. Certainly not Homer.

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Mythographers we Love: String Demons

What if Lady Gaga attended a Greek country fair? What if a Greek folk song steps into the realm of heavy metal?

You’d get String Demons, and their new album Rise of Strings.

Konstantinos and Lydia Boudounis are doing their own thing and remixing from all over the soundscape.

You can get their album from all major services, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, Deezer, Tidal:

Get the Rise of Strings Album

I especially like their “Pirates” music piece. It’s not on the album but you can listen to it on Youtube:

String Demons Website

 

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7 Principles on How to be Invincible, by a Metal Prometheus

Photos taken by Alexandra Alexiou, credit Aherusia Theatrical team.

So I went to see a show unlike any other. It’s by a folk metal band called Aherusia (You can find them on Facebook here.)

It was a mix of Greek folk music, with ancient Greek theatre, under the thrashing of electric guitars. The music is made for the stage and the play is made for the music. You can’t have one without the other, but unfortunately, the show has only limited nights in Athens, so you’ll have to make do with just the digital download. Listen with the app below and get the album.

pliskinfemto on bandcamp: Truly God-tier metal with emotional and epic guitar riffs like you’ve never heard before. Never expected anyone to blend hellenic folk with black metal so well. Aherusia keep getting better with each album they release and have already earned their place next to the top metal bands of Greece. Favorite track: Ocean.

Or if you prefer Youtube:

Aherusia’s third album is an ambitious and profound concept based on the Promethean myth. A definite bold step forward for the band, who streamlines their sound while maintaining its core characteristics.

If you’ve noticed, I’m running quite a few of these articles under the category “Mythographers we Love.” There are a lot of people doing new things, reimagining mythology all the time, presenting new mythographies. So I’ll do my best to share some of them with you.

Recorded live in the studio, Prometheus sounds extremely lively and pulsating. Its lyrics written in common Hellenistic script lend the verses an authentic aura of antiquity. Accept this gift of fire.

Find Aherusia on Bandcamp

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Binge-Worthy Reads: Drakon

I met Mr. Caskabel yesterday. He’s like me, working on both the Greek and English markets (USA). He’s also helping out budding authors in Athens, running a printing press, so many things.

This is his book series, Drakon. It has been praised by everyone I know, so check it out. It is bloody, dirty, sexy, powerful. If you liked Game of Thrones, you’ll like this too. If you are squeamish, hoo boy, click away now.

There’s a 4 book series on Amazon. That should be enough for you to binge on.

What they said about Drakon:

“A quick-paced, exhilarating story that, after only the first volume, is already epic.” — Kirkus Reviews


“If you like dark fantasy, this is a fantastic installment.”


“Fast-paced and full of action, but it is the first-person narrative that makes it so powerful.”


“No magic or strange creatures, just people brainwashed by powerful stories full of symbolism and dark beauty.”


“The first in a new high fantasy series, Caskabel introduces us to his protagonist (Da-Ren) through the grueling and cruel coming of age gauntlet called The Sieve that will lead him to find his place in the culture. Caskabel has built an elaborate mythology and religion that he skilfully weaves into his story as we watch Da-Ren survive.”


“This book took me to a place that was dark, mysterious and new.”


“A haunting, captivating book that immerses you in its lyricism only to drown you in its barbarism a couple of pages later.”


“The Hunger Games and Maze Runner meets Genghis Khan.”


“DRAKON travels you to a magic world of bravery, treachery, and love. The book does not just create a new universe of characters and norms: it also takes you there.”

I Wanna Start Reading Drakon

Read on Amazon UK

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Slow Up

The novel Slow Up has a lot of things going on. While knowing these is not a necessity in enjoying the story, a deep background in the possible technologies and techniques involved will make it a much better read.

10. Rapid Serial Visual Representation

Can you read it?

It’s a speed-reading trick where text is parced into single point. Some speed readers like it, others do not.

Here’s an online tool to try it out.

9. Most of the IT Scenes Are Inspired by my Own Job at Wind Telecommunications HQ

Most of the tickets came in at a frantic pace, just like in the novel.

The scenes have nothing to do with real persons and situations. But the feeling of an uphill battle, that Sisyphean task of fixing hundreds of computers every day is there in Galene’s job.

8. For More on Nootropics, Check Out Reddit

Nootropics are real and have measurable effects. If you want to try them out, consult an expert. There is a lot of info online, but don’t push yourself too hard. Again, consult a doctor, not the marketing brochure.

Nothing is like the movie Limitless of course, that was a magic pill with insane powers. Real nootropics help you focus, help with creativity, memory.

Read up about Nootropics on Reddit.

7. Polyphasic Sleep is Real But You Should Take it Slow

 

Going directly at Uberman will most probably make you a zombieman.

We’ve all heard about geniuses who simply skipped sleep like Leonardo Da Vinci. That is not actually possible, of course, they only took short naps, powernaps as they call them now, to help their brain recharge.

My opinion is that getting good sleep is more important that gaining a few drowsy hours. I’ve seen that sleep deprivation cuts down on creative thinking. And there are serious medical risks involved.

Again, Reddit has a nice beginner library on polyphasic sleep.

6. The Cybathlon is a Sports Event for Augmented People Where Doping and Pushing the Limits is Kind of the Whole Point

Credits: Angel Giuffria, Bionic Actress. Cybathlon. The Spartan Race. Oscar Pistorius.

The logical next step in athletic events is to have augmented races. Some augmentations actually give an advantage over other athletes, like in swimming. Especially with world-powers sending out troops at stupid wars and having young veterans come back disabled all the time, the day where augmentations are common-place is today.

The Cybathlon is not quite an Olympic-level event yet. But it showcases what can be done, and it won’t be long before augmented athletes can compete side-by-side with regular ones, like Pistorius did in the Summer Olympics of 2012. Yes, we know what he did afterwards, that’s not the point.

You can watch the scene mentioned by Gregoris in the novel, where the winner shows unprecedented evgenis amilla (fair game spirit) and swaps out his number with Oscar’s so he can be the winner:

5. Humans With Amplified Intelligence Could Be More Powerful Than AI

Artificial intelligence is all well and good, but there are those who believe that we can expand the limits of our intellect and reach amazing levels.

Frankly, a merge of mind and machine where a trained user can hook up and amplify his intelligence for short amounts of time is what we consider most plausible.

Another archetype of this is the Mentat from Dune. Human Computers that crave information and can help with decisions.

Wacky hair is a must

From David Lynch’s Dune, we got the Mentat Mantra (It’s not from the Frank Herbert novels but fits so well it got adopted instantly):

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the juice of sapho that thoughts acquire speed,
the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning.
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

And now you’ll say it too.

4. Mean Girls is a Must Watch

Mean Girls quotes can be applied to any situation

Nuff said. Watch it.

3. Unlike Wanted’s Turning Bullets, Turning Arrows Are Real

It seems crazy but it’s true. An expert archer can shoot turning arrows around corners.

2. You Can Speed up Online Videos, Audiobooks and Video Files for Faster Input

It might seem weird at first, but the mind adapts very quickly.

Here are some tools with pitch correction:

Chrome plugin for online videos.

Video file speed control with VLC

Audible Narration speed control

1. The Tech is Real: Artificial Wombs

It looks adorable. The real-live version, not so much.

External wombs are being researched and seem to work just fine. There are many real medical conditions where external wombs would be suitable. Of course, that opens up a can of worms, since humans could be raised from prime genetic material without people knowing. It’s almost like a dystopian sci-fi story.

Slow Up is Available to Read Now

Limitless meets Black Mirror in this novel that pushes the limits of a couple’s minds.

When Galene meets a man who’s only goal in life is to make his mind go faster, she ends up falling for him. But will she manage to keep the relationship going at the top of the glass tower, when in reality she’s too much of a slob and is bogged down with all her unfinished goals, when their age difference becomes too much of a problem, and when his work places them in the sights of an unforgiving huntress?

Do you want to know what’s next for the computer geek Galene? Do you wanna meet Artemis? Then read this bittersweet story in a world where thinking too swiftly can get you killed.

Read Slow Up

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Stephen Fry’s Long Awaited Mythos Is Finally Here

We have no affiliation with either Mr. Fry or the publisher.

I simply waited for this retelling for so long. If you can’t remember where you know Stephen Fry from, it’s from the Harry Potter audiobooks. Or the dozen shows on BBC.

Intelligent, witty, provocative, I simply love most of his work. And with this book, he definitely takes the scepter of Mythographer of the Year.

What? What about Neil Gaiman and his Norse Mythology? Who fucking cares?

And the Mythos book is out and it only costs…

$30 FUCKING DOLLARS with European taxes.

Thank you, Penguin publishing house. Screw you for being utterly clueless about this century.

I’ll buy it, but simply because I’m a fan of Mr. Fry.

Let’s listen to a Greek myth in 60 seconds cause I’m angry now:

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Do You Miss Old-School Science Fiction? Then Check Out These Little Beauties

There’s a project out there, that is quite interesting. Future Fiction translates sci-fi stories from selected authors around the world and makes them available in English (And Italian, apparently).

Finding the books on Amazon is a mess, to be honest. You can start with a search on Kindle here. Or you can buy directly from the Future Fiction website.

The one I want to point out to you is the one containing two excellent shorts by my mentor, Michalis Manolios. Mentor is a strong word when you’ve had as many beers together as we’ve had, but it’s accurate. I think it was 2010, maybe 2009 when he read my stories, pushed me forward and told me I could do this, and do it well. I was fascinated with fantasy back then, but my true calling has been science fiction apparently. I shifted towards sci-fi and I honed my craft every year. The results seem to be good, as shown by reader reactions and sales numbers.

So, Michalis has two of his best short stories translated into English. They are not my favourite but they are definitely good. The stories in that Greek collection are pretty mindblowing, and these two fit the bill. Aethra and Quantum Mommy.

Read this now


I Wanna Get My Mind Blown

The rest of the volumes are either a single novella or two short stories from authors around the world. It’s a shame that we don’t have access to these stories, and that’s what I like about Future Fiction, they bring these unreachable gems to English, thus making them available to us. Some authors you’ve never heard of, naturally, others are quite well known in their countries.

Everything in the collection has the feel of old-school sci-fi, like the books I have in my bookcase. The covers, the stories, the atmosphere is a way to go back to that time when science fiction showed us what was possible instead of just shoving dystopian warnings at us. Which I’m guilty of, obviously.

Check out some of the volumes:

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The Myth of Cupid and Psyche

Psyche was born so beautiful that she was worshipped as a new incarnation of Venus, the goddess of love. But human lovers were too intimidated to approach her, and Apollo recommended her father abandon her on a crag where she would marry “a cruel and savage, serpent-like winged evil.”

It evolved into modern storytelling.

But Psyche’s story ended up being much more interesting. Brendan Pelsue shares the myth of Cupid and Psyche in this excellent video from TED-ed: