Alita Battle Angel and the future of Sci-fi

It was a movie I've been excited to see. I wanted to compare it to A.I. Insurrection, and though Alita is set some 500 years in the future, and A.I. Insurrection is just 150 years from now, the two stories have a similar theme of sentient robots. Alita's are cyborgs in that they include the brain and some flesh of humans who are interchangeable with whatever robotic design humanity can imagine. In A.I. Insurrection, sentience comes from recycled souls inhabiting the intelligent software of Host robots who serve humanity in every role possible.

It was fun for me to imagine my book(s) on the big screen because of the incredible digital FX. There's simply nothing you can imagine they can't put up on the screen. Alita's storyline is formulaic but satisfying. Not at all difficult to predict. I think, in the end, it's an action movie staged in the far future whereas A.I. Insurrection, which also includes plenty of action, might interest a more seasoned Sci-fi fan. That said I quite enjoyed Alita. Looks like they've set themselves up for a sequel if not a trilogy.

Alita investigated some of what a human might experience as a cyborg but not to the extent you would expect. Of course, it's only a 2-hour movie and the Manga surely investigated all of that in much more depth. A.I. Insurrection offers the reader a bit more as the Host robots experience sentience as an unexpected result of an upgraded code which catches them by surprise.

Regardless, if you enjoyed the Manga Alita or the movie, you might find yourself enjoying A.I. Insurrection. With the second book of the series available in March of 2019, it's the perfect time to get caught up in the near-future science fiction.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

HEAL on Netflix and the Hello Me Series of Children's Books

Have you watched HEAL on Netflix yet? If you have then you already know what it’s about and probably should look into some books which support the idea that science and spirituality are one and the same. Science is catching up in realizing its connection to the spiritual or mental realm, and in HEAL, we see that. Books like If a Tree Falls in the Forest and E=Me are two books developed in 2014 which essentially tell the story through graphic illustrations and clear language how science is not at odds with spirituality, but rather its greatest champion.

HEAL reveals stories from spiritual leaders, physicians and those with chronic illnesses about the power of thought affecting our physical bodies and even circumstances which occur around us or to us. This isn’t new thinking. The same information has been passed down thousands of years through practices like meditation and religious thought. What you think creates your reality. If you’re sick, consider practising meditation as well as seeing your doctor.  Science is proving the power of the mind to affect the body. HEAL on Netflix offers a window into that truth.

I always wonder what if when I think about how much more confident or healthy a life I’d have led had I been brought up with meditation and Yoga and positive thinking practices. Not to say I had a bad childhood. Not at all. But being raised Christian left me feeling guiltier about everything rather than grateful for everything. I decided in my early 20’s that organized religion was more a way to rule than to teach. And what they taught was done in such a way that it left a negative impression rather than a positive one. Heaven and Hell is Christianity’s biggest mistake. You can’t give people hope by preaching fear. It’s in no one’s best interest. Teach with love.

If you believe in this line of thought and if you have children, or even if you don’t, I’d urge you to pick up the Hello Me series of two books to promote positive thought in your kids. If they lack the life tools to put their dreams into action, I worry we’re failing them from the start.

Michael Poeltl is a multi-genre author whose books - both fiction and non-fiction -  investigate the relationship between science and spirituality.

Go in peace.