# Home

# Hi there!

I'm **Alex Gude**, a machine learning engineer with a passion for plots and
algorithms, as well as cycling and photography. I got my start in the tech
industry at [Insight Data Science][insight], after previously working as a
high energy particle physicist at CERN and a [cosmologist][scp] at Lawrence
Berkeley Labs.

[insight]: https://web.archive.org/web/20200508104948/https://insightfellows.com/data-science
[scp]: http://supernova.lbl.gov

I write about whatever catches my attention [here on this site][blog]; mostly
that means data science, machine learning, deep learning, and software
development. Follow me on [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/alexgude.com) for real-time thoughts, and check out my
[Github page](https://github.com/agude)
for code---bug reports and pull requests are always welcome!

[blog]: /blog/

## Recent Writings

I write [articles][blog] about machine learning, data science, and technology,
as well as [book reviews][books]. You can find a sample of my most recent
writings below:

[books]: /books/

- [Sunstone Imperative](/books/sunstone_imperative/): Sunstone Imperative, by Scott Warren, is the sixth book in the War Horses series. Returning to the action-packed roots of the earlier books, it drops the Chevaliers into the middle of a raid against a Wyking stronghold to open the gates for a full-scale invasion.
- [The Rise of Endymion](/books/the_rise_of_endymion/): The Rise of Endymion, by Dan Simmons, is the fourth and final book in the Hyperion Cantos. It concludes the journey of Aenea and Raul as they race to unlock the secret of the Void Which Binds before the Pax can silence them. It resolves the mysteries of the Shrike and the TechnoCore while arguing that the Church’s immortality is a trap: to truly live, humanity must be willing to die.
- [Endymion](/books/endymion/): Endymion, by Dan Simmons, is the third book in the Hyperion Cantos. It follows a new cast of characters—Aenea, Raul, and Bettik—as they flee the oppressive forces of the Pax via a raft on the River Tethys. Set centuries after the earlier books, the story reveals a galaxy reshaped by the Church and its dark covenant of immortality.
- [My Favorite Books of 2025](/blog/favorite-books-of-2025/): I read 45 books in 2025, diving deep into sci-fi classics and modern hits. From the Hyperion Cantos and the final Culture novel to the philosophical action of Murderbot, plus one literary masterpiece that is actually a video game, here are my absolute favorites of the year.
- [The Fall of Hyperion](/books/the_fall_of_hyperion/): The Fall of Hyperion, by Dan Simmons, is the second book in the Hyperion Cantos, but really it’s the second half of Hyperion. It brings the seven pilgrims’ story to an end and depicts the war between the TechnoCore, the Ousters, and the Hegemony.