# Alex Gude

> Technology, data science, machine learning, and more!

## Blog Posts
- [The Nine Must-Have Datasets for Investigating Recommender Systems](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-recommender-systems-datasets.md): Do you want to play around with recommender systems, but you don't have any data? Don't worry, there are tons of great, open source datasets for recommender systems!
- [Python2Vec: Word Embeddings for Source Code](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-python2vec.md): Parsing source code is easy; just let the interpreter do it! But what if you want to recommend code snippets? Then you need word embeddings, like my Python2Vec!
- [Double-checking FiveThirtyEight's 2016 Primary Predictions](https://alexgude.com/blog/double-checking-538.md): How well did FiveThirtyEight do in predicting the primary results? I Double-check FiveThirtyEight's Polls Plus model by comparing its predictions to the outcomes of the 2016 primaries.
- [Lab41 Reading Group: Generative Adversarial Nets](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-generative-adversarial-nets.md): What cost function would you use to determine if a picture looks real? How about one learned by another network! Find out more with my summary of Generative Adversarial Networks!
- [Further Double-checking FiveThirtyEight's 2016 Primary Predictions](https://alexgude.com/blog/re-double-checking-538.md): Is FiveThirtyEight's Polls Plus model biased against any candidate? I continue my double-checking their model by looking at each candidate individually.
- [Dragon Farkle: Simulating the End Game](https://alexgude.com/blog/simulating-dragon-farkle.md): How many soldiers do you need to successfully defeat the dragon in Dragon Farkle, and how likely to succeed is your attack? I find out by simulating a game of Dragon Farkle!
- [SAT2Vec: Word2Vec Versus SAT Analogies](https://alexgude.com/blog/sat2vec.md): Could Word2Vec pass the SAT analogies section and get accepted to a good college? I take a pre-trained model and find out!
- [Lab41 Reading Group: Deep Networks with Stochastic Depth](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-stochastic-depth.md): Dropout successfully regularizes networks by dropping nodes, but what if we went one step further? Find out how stochastic depth improves your network by dropping whole layers!
- [Lab41 Reading Group: Deep Compression](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-deep-compression.md): Deep learning is the future, but how can I fit a battery-drain, half-gigabyte network on my phone? You compress it! Come find out how deep compression saves space and power!
- [Lab41 Reading Group: Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-resnet.md): Inception, AlexNet, VGG... There are so many network architectures, which one should you be using? The one everyone else is: ResNet! Come find out how it works!
- [WhereTo.Photo: Using Data Science to Take Great Photos](https://alexgude.com/blog/whereto-photo.md): Where is the best spot to take a photo in San Francisco? Learn how I answered this question with my Insight Data Science project!
- [Jupyter Notebooks: Not for Development](https://alexgude.com/blog/jupyter-not-for-development.md): Jupyter Notebooks are great for a lot of things; development of code is not one of them.
- [Lab41 Reading Group: Skip-Thought Vectors](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-skipthought-vectors.md): Word embeddings are great and should be your first stop for doing word based NLP. But what about sentences? Read on to learn about skip-thought vectors, a sentence embedding algorithm!
- [Introducing 'SWITRS to SQLite'](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-to-sqlite.md): The State of California stores information about all the traffic collisions in the state in the SWITRS database; this script lets you convert it to SQLite for easy querying!
- [SWITRS: On What Days Do People Crash?](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-crashes-by-date.md): What day of the year has the most car crashes? The fewest? Find out as I look at California's crash data! Hint: they're both holidays!
- [Lab41 Reading Group: Swapout: Learning an Ensemble of Deep Architectures](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-swapout.md): Want to train a network but unsure about dropout vs. stochastic depth? Should you use a ResNet? Stop worrying and use Swapout; it does all that and more!
- [Eldar: A Bright, High-contrast Color Scheme for Vim](https://alexgude.com/blog/vim-eldar.md): Check out Eldar, my custom Vim color scheme based on elflord. It is a bright, high-contrast theme that looks great in the terminal or GUI!
- [Software Testing for Data Science](https://alexgude.com/blog/software-testing-for-data-science.md): Much of data science involves writing code; for data cleaning, parsing, and modeling. Software tests can ensure that your code does what you think it does!
- [SWITRS: On What Days Do Motorcycles Crash?](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-motorcycle-crashes-by-date.md): Motorcycles riders are a different breed, born to chase excitement! So when do they crash? Using California's SWITRS data I find out! I'll give you a hint: it is not on the way to their 9-5!
- [SWITRS: Car Crashes After Daylight Saving Time](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-daylight-saving-time-accidents.md): Daylight saving time leaves us drowsy and cranky at work, but it also leads to an increase in traffic collisions! Find out exactly how many more there are with this analysis!
- [Visualizing Multiple Data Distributions](https://alexgude.com/blog/distribution-plots.md): Need to compare a set of distributions of some variable? Histograms are OK, but try something fancier! Read on to learn about box, strip, swarm, and violin plots!
- [Caltrain Visual Schedule](https://alexgude.com/blog/caltrain-visual-schedule.md): In 1878, Marey published a famous visual train schedule based on work by Ibry. What would it look like for Silicon Valley's Caltrain? Come find out!
- [Fate Dice Statistics](https://alexgude.com/blog/fate-dice-statistics.md): My friends and I played a Fate RPG for over two years. During that time we rolled a lot of dice and developed a lot of superstitions, but were any of them correct?
- [Object Localization without Deep Learning](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-object-localization-without-deep-learning.md): Finding objects in images can be hard if you have only a little data. In this post I examine a few approaches that work with few training examples!
- [Matching Cars with Siamese Networks](https://alexgude.com/blog/lab41-matching-cars-with-siamese-networks.md): Matching the same object across separate images is tough, but Siamese networks can learn to do it pretty well! Read on for details.
- [Fate Dice Intervals](https://alexgude.com/blog/fate-dice-intervals.md): What does a "normal" distribution of rolls from a fair set of Fate dice look like? There are a lot of ways to estimate it. In this post I'll go through four methods.
- [Tech Interviews: Respect Everyone's Time](https://alexgude.com/blog/interviews-respect-time.md): Interviewing is notoriously agonizing for both the candidate and the company! But it could be much better! Here I propose one guiding principle to make it easier on everyone.
- [Updated Caltrain Visual Schedule](https://alexgude.com/blog/caltrain-visual-schedule-updates.md): In July, Caltrain updated their weekend schedule to allow time to do track work, so I updated my Marey/Ibry/Serjev visual schedules to see how it changed!
- [How Fast Does a Raspberry Pi Reboot?](https://alexgude.com/blog/raspberry-pi-reboot-times.md): My Raspberry Pis have to reboot every evening to avoid a memory leak. As they say, when you have a memory leak, make animated plots to see how fast they reboot!
- [Fate Dice: Statistics Testing Is Hard](https://alexgude.com/blog/blue-fate-dice-retest.md): A few months ago I tested my Fate dice for biases. Now, I retest the "biased" set and see if it really is unlucky! Unfortunately, things aren't so clear...
- [Should I Get a PhD?](https://alexgude.com/blog/should-i-get-a-phd.md): In 2009, having little or no money in my purse, I thought I would go to graduate school in physics. But was it the right idea? And should you follow in my footsteps?
- [Rise and Fall of Popular Names](https://alexgude.com/blog/popular-names.md): The popularity of baby names rises and falls based on the tastes of each generation of parents. Are their preferences the same for boy's names as for girl's names? I plot the trends to find out!
- [The Typical Successful Career Starts with Rejection](https://alexgude.com/blog/a-career-starts-with-rejection.md): When I applied for graduate school I was rejected, not by a few good grad schools, but by all of them! But thanks to a little kindness, I was able to continue onward.
- [Making Animations Quickly with Matplotlib Blitting](https://alexgude.com/blog/matplotlib-blitting-supernova.md): Animating plots is great way to show how some quantity changes in time, but they can be slow to generate in matplotlib! Thankfully, blitting makes animating much faster! Learn how to here!
- [My PhD Thesis, In Short](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-phd-thesis.md): I graduated from the University of Minnesota in June, 2015. I wrote an esoteric thesis about Z boson decay, which I explain here.
- [Python Patterns: max Instead of if](https://alexgude.com/blog/python-patterns-max-not-if.md): I often have to loop over a set of objects to find the one with the greatest score. You can use an if statement and a placeholder, but there are more elegant ways!
- [Improving An Old Supernova Plot](https://alexgude.com/blog/supernova-plot-improvements.md): I learned to use matplotlib more than ten years ago. Around that time, I made a plot of supernova 2002cx for Wikipedia, but it was not terribly good. So this year, I updated it!
- [Should I Go To Insight Data Science?](https://alexgude.com/blog/should-i-go-to-insight.md): Insight promises an easy transition from academia to a career in data science or machine learning, but is it the right program for you? I have a few words of advice offered from experience.
- [My Son's Language Development](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-sons-words.md): My son is a little over two and unfortunately he has two huge nerds for parents. We tracked every word he's spoken to watch his language development, and now you can join us!
- [My Academic Bully at CERN](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-academic-bully.md): Getting my PhD was mostly a great experience, but one woman made my life hell for a short time at CERN. It's tough to write about, but I thought I owed it to myself and others.
- [SWITRS: Car Crashes After Daylight Saving Time Ends](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-daylight-saving-time-end-accidents.md): Daylight saving time leads to more traffic collisions, but what about when DST ends? Some researchers have found that it does lead to more crashes, so I take a look using California's SWITRS data.
- [Python Patterns: Named Tuples](https://alexgude.com/blog/python-patterns-namedtuple.md): Sometimes I need to store an ordered dataset, but reference specific members from it. Named tuples in Python provide a clean way to do this!
- [Python Patterns: Enum](https://alexgude.com/blog/python-patterns-enum.md): Things often come in sets of specific items, like states, Pokémon, or playing cards. Python has an elegant way of representing them using enum.
- [SWITRS: On What Days Do Cyclists Crash?](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-bicycle-crashes-by-date.md): California crash data doesn't just cover cars, it covers bikes too! This time we look at when cyclists crash in California.
- [Data Science Salaries](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-salaries.md): How do data scientist salaries vary by experience and location? Read on to find out!
- [Python Patterns: @total_ordering](https://alexgude.com/blog/python-patterns-total-ordering.md): Your classes can make use of the rich Python comparison operators just like the built-in classes. Here I'll show you how to do it while minimizing boilerplate.
- [The Gender Pay Gap in Data Science Salaries](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-salaries-by-gender.md): How do the salaries of women data scientists compare to those of men? This month we explore pay by gender and location.
- [Wayback Machine Archiver: Backup Pages with Python](https://alexgude.com/blog/wayback-machine-archiver.md): The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine tries to keep a complete copy of the internet. With this script, you can submit pages for effortless indexing.
- [Improving Wikipedia's Hour Record Plot](https://alexgude.com/blog/hour-record-plot-improvements.md): I love Wikipedia, I love cycling, and I love data! So today, I improve Wikipedia's Hour Record Plot! Come take a look!
- [Plotting the 2019 Tour de France](https://alexgude.com/blog/2019-tour-de-france-plot.md): The Tour de France is a sporting event decided by mere minutes; to see exactly how those minutes were earned, read on for my plots!
- [Using Travis Build Stages to Test Multiple Python Versions and Publish to Pypi](https://alexgude.com/blog/python-pypi-and-travis-staging.md): Often when building packages, we want to test against multiple versions of the language, and then build the package once. I will show you how to accomplish this using Travis Stages.
- [Interview Question: What Machine Learning Metric to Use](https://alexgude.com/blog/machine-learning-metrics-interview.md): One of my favorite questions to ask in an interview is "What metric should you use to decide if your model works?". Read on to find out what a good answer looks like!
- [Improving Wikipedia's Tour de France Prize Money Plot](https://alexgude.com/blog/tdf-prize-money-plot-improvements.md): Time to improve another plot from Wikipedia. This time I tackle one showing the prize money in the Tour de France over time!
- [Get Things Done by Tracking Them](https://alexgude.com/blog/getting-things-done.md): As I've gotten more senior as a data scientist, I've found I have to keep track of more and more things. This is how I do it!
- [My Second Son's Language Development](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-second-sons-words.md): My second son is a little over two years old. We tracked every word he's spoken to watch his language development, and now you can observe it too!
- [Comparison of My Two Sons' Language Development](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-sons-language-development-comparison.md): Being a nerd dad, I recorded all the words my first two sons spoke as they learned them. Now, I compare their language development rate!
- [My Terribly Clever(ly Terrible) Code](https://alexgude.com/blog/cleverly-worst-code.md): When I was young and naive I tried to write very clever code. Here is one of the worst examples.
- [Jupyter Notebook Templates for Data Science](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-notebook-templates.md): Jupyter notebooks are great for data exploration; jumpstart your work with this library of useful notebook templates!
- [A Review of Nookdesk's Standing Desk](https://alexgude.com/blog/nookdesk-review.md): I bought a Nookdesk standing desk now that I'm working from home; I like it! Read on for a detailed review.
- [Machine Learning Deployment: Shadow Mode](https://alexgude.com/blog/machine-learning-deployment-shadow-mode.md): Deploying machine learning models is hard; Shadow Mode is one way to make testing a little easier.
- [Jupyter Notebook Templates for Data Science: Plotting](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-plotting-notebook-template.md): Jumpstart your visualizations with this Jupyter plotting notebook!
- [Python Patterns: Map and Filter](https://alexgude.com/blog/python-patterns-map-filter.md): For loops are great, but I am a big fan of replacing them with simple functions. Python provides a couple of building blocks.
- [Data Science Interviews During the 2020 Pandemic](https://alexgude.com/blog/interviewing-for-data-science-positions-in-2020.md): In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself looking for a data science job for the third time in my life. This post covers what I learned.
- [Plotting the 2020 Tour de France](https://alexgude.com/blog/2020-tour-de-france-plot.md): The Tour de France is a race decided by mere minutes; to see exactly how those minutes were earned, read on for my plots!
- [Introducing the SWITRS SQLite Hosted Dataset](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-sqlite-hosted-dataset.md): California traffic collision data has been hard to get, that's why I am now curating and hosting it! Come take a look!
- [Data Science Interview Practice: Data Manipulation](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-interview-prep-data-manipulation.md): I often get asked how to practice data science interviews, so here is a practice dataset with a set of questions to answer. Good luck!
- [Data Science Interview Practice: Machine Learning Case Study](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-interview-prep-case-study.md): A common interview type for data scientists and machine learning engineers is the ML case study. Read on for an example of how I solve them!
- [Making Custom Markdown for Github Pages](https://alexgude.com/blog/custom-markdown-for-github-pages.md): I love Markdown, I take all my notes in it and write my blog in it. But sometimes you want to create new syntax; read on to find out how!
- [Jupyter Notebook Templates for Data Science: Plotting Time Series](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-timeseries-plotting-notebook-template.md): Jumpstart your time series visualizations with this Jupyter plotting notebook!
- [Where to Host Public Datasets?](https://alexgude.com/blog/where-to-host-public-datasets.md): When I released the SWITRS dataset, I had to find a place to host a 5 Gig dataset. Here is what I learned.
- [The Data Science Split: <br>From Unicorns to Teams](https://alexgude.com/blog/the-data-science-split.md): When data science started the job covered everything from setting up databases to running experiments to making models. But finding Unicorns was impossible; something had to give.
- [The Data Science Spectrum: <br>From Analyst to Machine Learning](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-job-spectrum.md): Data science has left the era of the Unicorn and entered the era of the team, but that means there is now a whole spectrum of data science jobs. Here is what they do.
- [SWITRS: Increase In Traffic Fatalities After COVID-19 Lock Down](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-covid-19-lockdown-fatal-traffic-collisions.md): California was put under a stay-at-home order in March, 2020. As expected, traffic volume decreased, but what happened to rate of fatal accidents? They skyrocketed!
- [Plotting the 2021 Tour de France](https://alexgude.com/blog/2021-tour-de-france-plot.md): The 2021 Tour de France turned out much differently from last year's edition! See exactly how it unfolded in this post.
- [SWITRS: Differences in Vehicle Collision Rates by Manufacturer During COVID-19](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-ford-vs-toyota-during-covid-19.md): California was put under a stay-at-home order in March, 2020. Toyota drivers stayed home, Ford drivers did not; why?!
- [Data Science, Compensation, and Asking for Money](https://alexgude.com/blog/data-science-asking-for-more-money.md): Advice about data science salaries and examples from my career of negotiating your offer.
- [The Pyramid and the Spire: Management and Individual Contributor Tracks](https://alexgude.com/blog/management-vs-ic-the-pyramid-and-the-spire.md): Data science has left the era of the Unicorn and entered the era of the team, but that means there is now a whole spectrum of data science jobs. Here is what they do.
- [My Third Son's Language Development](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-third-sons-words.md): We tracked my third son's language development word by word. Here, in plots, is how he learned to speak. Take a look!
- [Comparison of My Three Sons' Language Development](https://alexgude.com/blog/all-my-sons-language-development-comparison.md): I recorded the words my sons spoke as they learned our various languages and now I compare how each developed! Read on to find out how each son learned.
- [Comparing Pre- and Post-sale Estimates of the Price of a House](https://alexgude.com/blog/online-realtor-estimate-comparison.md): Can Zillow and Redfin predict prices accurately? I look at a house sold in my neighborhood and compare the sale price to the price predicted by Zillow and Redfin before they knew it was for sale.
- [Gatekeeper Teams of the Overwatch League](https://alexgude.com/blog/overwatch-league-gatekeeper-teams.md): In the Overwatch League, a "gatekeeper" team is one that beats all the lower ranked teams but can't beat higher ranked teams. I use match data to determine which teams are each season's gatekeeper.
- [Comparing Zillow and Redfin Price Estimates in Time](https://alexgude.com/blog/online-realtor-estimate-timeseries.md): How do Zillow and Redfin's home price estimates change in time? I use a recently sold house in my neighborhood to find out. Come check it out!
- [Vim: I still love hjkl](https://alexgude.com/blog/i-still-love-hjkl.md): A lot of Vim users think you grow out of using hjkl for movement. After 17 years, I haven't. Here's why.
- [A Career Involves Luck: My Annotated Resume](https://alexgude.com/blog/my-luck-resume.md): My career has been a great success so far and a lot of that success has been due to luck. In this post I catalog all the lucky breaks I can remember in the form of a resume.
- [Comparing Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com Price Estimates in Time](https://alexgude.com/blog/online-realtor-estimate-timeseries-detailed.md): How do various online brokers' home price estimates change in time? I use a recently sold house near my neighborhood to find out. Come check it out!
- [Plotting the 2022 Tour de France](https://alexgude.com/blog/2022-tour-de-france-plot.md): The 2022 Tour de France saw a new winner, Jonas Vingegaard! See how he won in this post!
- [Computing Machine Learning Features in Real-time](https://alexgude.com/blog/realtime-machine-learning-features.md): Models often derive great value from real-time features, but computing them is hard because it has to be done quickly. Here is one way I have done it successfully.
- [Using Scikit-learn Pipelines with Pandas Dataframes](https://alexgude.com/blog/using-sklearn-pipelines-with-pandas-dataframes.md): Pandas and scikit-learn are two important libraries for building machine learning models. Here is how to get them to work together.
- [SWITRS: On What Days Do Drivers Hit Pedestrians?](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-pedestrian-incidents-by-date.md): Being a pedestrian is dangerous in a world built for automobiles. In this post explore how pedestrian-involved collisions have trended in time. Take a look!
- [SWITRS: Pedestrian Safety on Halloween](https://alexgude.com/blog/switrs-pedestrian-incidents-on-halloween.md): Halloween can be a dangerous time for pedestrians. In this post, I explore the statistics on pedestrian-vehicle collisions, including when these incidents are most likely to occur.
- [AI, Artists, and Technology](https://alexgude.com/blog/ai-artists-and-technology.md): AI generated art took off with the open-source release of Stable Diffusion, leaving some artists worried. As an artist and machine learning engineer, here is my take.
- [How I Write with ChatGPT](https://alexgude.com/blog/how-i-write-with-chatgpt.md): OpenAI's ChatGPT is viewed as entertaining but not useful because it makes up facts. But I find it incredibly valuable for writing. Here is how I use it.
- [When Are Large Language Models Useful?](https://alexgude.com/blog/good-uses-for-large-language-models.md): Large language models (LLMs) are incredibly valuable tools, but they're not for everything. Here's a simple rule to know when to use them and when to avoid them.
- [Claude Solves SAT Analogies](https://alexgude.com/blog/claude-sat-analogies.md): Word2Vec failed to solve SAT analogies, can modern language models do better? A small test of Anthropic's Claude LLM.
- [Machine Learning Deployment: <br>Return Actions, Not Scores](https://alexgude.com/blog/machine-learning-return-actions-not-scores.md): A poorly designed machine learning model API will leave you trapped. Properly hiding your implementation will make life much easier!
- [A 1850-mile Review of the RadWagon 3](https://alexgude.com/blog/radwagon-long-term-review.md): The RadWagon electric cargo bike was a savior during lockdown family rides, but frustrating maintenance and support issues disappoint. Read on for my in-depth review.
- [Using Large Language Models To Clean Data](https://alexgude.com/blog/large-language-models-for-data-cleaning.md): Manually fixing messy data is tedious and slow. But thankfully, LLMs are pretty good at piecing together mangled text. Read on to find out how!
- [My Favorite Books of 2023](https://alexgude.com/blog/favorite-books-of-2023.md): After abandoning social media in 2023, I read books instead. Read on for my favorites.
- [Steelcase Gesture Review: A Disappointing Upgrade](https://alexgude.com/blog/steelcase-gesture-review.md): I spent eight months with the highly-rated Steelcase Gesture, only to be disappointed. In this review, I break down why this expensive ergonomic chair didn't work for me.
- [My Favorite Books of 2024](https://alexgude.com/blog/favorite-books-of-2024.md): In 2024, I read 46 books and joined a sci-fi book club. From sequels to classics, here are my favorite reads of the year.
- [How I Write with Large Language Models](https://alexgude.com/blog/how-i-write-with-llms-revised.md): OpenAI's ChatGPT 3.5 transformed my writing process when it came out. After years of experience using it, I've further refined my method of using LLMs. This post explains how.
- [How I Code With LLMs](https://alexgude.com/blog/how-i-write-code-with-llms.md): Over the past few years, I've experimented with coding alongside large language models. This post shares how I integrate them into my workflow.
- [LLMs Make Python Scripts Free](https://alexgude.com/blog/llms-make-python-free.md): I used to spend hours writing and saving little Python scripts. Now, with LLMs, I can get the same code in under a minute. Python scripts, and small programs in general, are effectively free.
- [A Letter to my Alma Mater](https://alexgude.com/blog/a-letter-to-my-alma-mater.md): In a stunning failure of courage, UC Berkeley has turned over the personal information of students and staff to the federal government. This decision is a profound betrayal of the university's legacy, particularly the Free Speech Movement. This is my letter to the administration.
- [My Favorite Books of 2025](https://alexgude.com/blog/favorite-books-of-2025.md): 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.

## Book Reviews
- [_The Three-Body Problem_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_three_body_problem.md) by Liu Cixin --- ★☆☆☆☆: The Three-Body Problem was recommended as a exciting, hard-scifi book full of new ideas. I was eager to read it, having just gotten back into fiction. I bought it for my flight from Melbourne to San Francisco and I threw it in the airport trash as I got off the plane.
- [_Pandora's Star_](https://alexgude.com/books/pandoras_star.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★★★☆: I couldn’t put Pandora’s Star down! It is a sci-fi book that reads more like a thriller. There were always new mysteries that just a few more pages promised the answers to.
- [_Judas Unchained_](https://alexgude.com/books/judas_unchained.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★★★☆: The sequel to Pandora’s Star, Judas Unchained continues right where the last one left off, but with the action ramped up to 11. The various storylines and loose threads come together one by one until it’s the good guys racing against the bad guys for the fate of the universe.
- [_Consider Phlebas_](https://alexgude.com/books/consider_phlebas.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★☆☆☆: I’ve been meaning to read Banks’s the Culture series for more than two decades, so I was excited to finally get started. Unfortunately, Consider Phlebas was not a great introduction.
- [_The Dreaming Void_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_dreaming_void.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★★☆☆: The Dreaming Void, by Peter F. Hamilton, is set in the same universe as the Commonwealth Saga, but saying that isn’t quite strong enough: it is really a sequel. You pretty much must read the Commonwealth Saga first because half of the characters return, and every major plot point from the earlier books is spoiled in this one.
- [_The Temporal Void_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_temporal_void.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★☆☆☆: The second book in Hamilton’s The Void Trilogy, The Temporal Void, continues to advance the story, but like many middle books in a trilogy, it does so slowly. Much of this slowness is due to multiple, massive, 200-page chapters following Edeard in the Void.
- [_The Evolutionary Void_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_evolutionary_void.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★☆☆☆: The final book in Hamilton’s The Void Trilogy, The Evolutionary Void, wraps up the series well, but a little too quickly. All the characters and storylines arrive where they’re needed and then the story is over.
- [_Hyperion_](https://alexgude.com/books/hyperion/review-2023-10-17.md) by Dan Simmons --- ★★★★☆: Hyperion was not at all the book I expected. To give you an idea of how much I misjudged it, about a third of the way through I would have rated it two stars and almost put it down, about two-thirds of the way through I was solidly at three stars, and by the end I was up to four. It was not the all-time great I was promised, but it was very good.
- [_The Fall of Hyperion_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_fall_of_hyperion/review-2023-10-27.md) by Dan Simmons --- ★★★★★: The Fall of Hyperion is a sequel that outshines its predecessor. It is everything I was expecting from Hyperion and more! A true masterpiece.
- [_There Is No Antimemetics Division (Original Edition)_](https://alexgude.com/books/there_is_no_antimemetics_division_original.md) by qntm --- ★★☆☆☆: There Is No Antimemetics Division is a book based in the SCP universe. It explores the idea of anti-memes—ideas that either can’t be thought, quickly drop out of your memory when you stop focusing on them, or are dangerous to think—and how you might contain a force you literally can’t remember.
- [_Blindsight_](https://alexgude.com/books/blindsight.md) by Peter Watts --- ★★★★★: Blindsight is a hard sci-fi novel about first contact with aliens in the near future. A crew of four transhumans and a vampire are sent on a spaceship to investigate an anomaly in the solar system after a swarm of alien probes scan Earth.
- [_The Quantum Thief_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_quantum_thief.md) by Hannu Rajaniemi --- ★☆☆☆☆: The Quantum Thief is a sci-fi novel following the adventures of the gentleman thief Jean le Flambeur as he navigates a futuristic solar system to reclaim his lost memories and pull off an impossible heist.
- [_The Fractal Prince_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_fractal_prince.md) by Hannu Rajaniemi --- ★★☆☆☆: The Fractal Prince is the second book in the Jean le Flambeur series. While the first book, The Quantum Thief, left me underwhelmed, the second book more than lived up to the hype.
- [_The Causal Angel_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_causal_angel.md) by Hannu Rajaniemi --- ★★☆☆☆: The Causal Angel is the last book in the Jean le Flambeur series trilogy. We finally learn le Flambeur was hired to steal the Kaminari Jewel, a Zoku gem with the power to alter reality.
- [_Chevalier_](https://alexgude.com/books/chevalier.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★☆☆☆: Chevalier is a modern reimagining of 1980’s mech sci-fi like Battletech, Gundam, and Macross. It’s a quick, action-packed read—not very deep but highly entertaining—that focuses on making mechs feel like realistic battlefield tech, not magic.
- [_Ymir_](https://alexgude.com/books/ymir.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★★☆☆: Ymir is the second book in the War Horses series, keeping Chevalier’s action and quick pacing while adding more backstory, character development, and a more complex plot.
- [_Serpent Valley_](https://alexgude.com/books/serpent_valley.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★★★☆: Serpent Valley, the third book in the War Horses series, is another quick, action-packed read—but without the flaws holding back its predecessors. Easily my favorite of the series so far!
- [_The Abyss Beyond Dreams_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_abyss_beyond_dreams.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★★☆☆: The Abyss Beyond Dreams starts off The Chronicle of the Fallers, another series in Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth universe. Though billed as space opera, it often reads more as urban fantasy since most of the story occurs on the planet Bienvenido inside the Void where steam engines are their most advanced technology.
- [_Night Without Stars_](https://alexgude.com/books/night_without_stars.md) by Peter F. Hamilton --- ★★★☆☆: Night Without Stars is the second book in The Chronicle of the Fallers. It is action packed, with great pacing, and complex characters. It is my new favorite Peter F. Hamilton book.
- [_The Shadow of the Torturer_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_shadow_of_the_torturer.md) by Gene Wolfe --- ★★★★☆: The Shadow of the Torturer is the first installment in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows the life of Severian, a torturer and executioner on a dying Earth. The pacing is slow, but Wolfe’s worldbuilding is fantastic, crafting a setting that pulls the reader in.
- [_The Claw of the Conciliator_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_claw_of_the_conciliator.md) by Gene Wolfe --- ★★★☆☆: The Claw of the Conciliator is the second book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It picks up right where The Shadow of the Torturer leaves off, following Severian as he makes his way towards Thrax.
- [_The Sword of the Lictor_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_sword_of_the_lictor.md) by Gene Wolfe --- ★★★★☆: The Sword of the Lictor is the third book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows Severian after he reaches Thrax and is exiled for a second time.
- [_The Citadel of the Autarch_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_citadel_of_the_autarch.md) by Gene Wolfe --- ★★★★☆: The Citadel of the Autarch is the fourth book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows Severian as he reaches the front in the war against the Ascians and assumes the role of Autarch.
- [_The Urth of the New Sun_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_urth_of_the_new_sun.md) by Gene Wolfe --- ★☆☆☆☆: The Urth of the New Sun is the fifth and final book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows Severian as he leaves Urth to save mankind and returns to witness its destruction and rebirth.
- [_Redwall_](https://alexgude.com/books/redwall.md) by Brian Jacques --- ★★★☆☆: Redwall, by Brian Jacques, is the first book in the Redwall series. It tells the story of Mathias, a mouse who follows his destiny to become the warrior of Redwall Abbey and defeat the evil rat Cluny the Scourge.
- [_The Player of Games_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_player_of_games.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★★: The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks’s, is the second novel in the Culture series. It tells the story of Jernau Morat Gurgeh, a master game player who is recruited to play Azad, an incredibly complex game that serves as the basis for the Empire of Azad’s entire government.
- [_Use of Weapons_](https://alexgude.com/books/use_of_weapons.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★★: Use of Weapons is the third novel in the Culture series by Iain M. Banks. It tells the story of a man called Cheradenine Zakalwe, who works for the Culture’s Special Circumstances division.
- [_The State of the Art_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_state_of_the_art.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★☆☆: The State of the Art is a collection of short stories by Iain M. Banks. It contains some stories related to the Culture universe and some general science fiction tales. Although it has been considered utopian fiction, it comes across as rather bleak.
- [_Excession_](https://alexgude.com/books/excession.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★☆: Excession, by Iain M. Banks, is the fourth novel and fifth book in the Culture series. It follows the reaction of the Culture and other civilizations to an “excession”: an “Outside Context Problem”—something mysterious, unpredictable, and enormously powerful.
- [_Dog Soldier_](https://alexgude.com/books/dog_soldier.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★★☆☆: Dog Soldier, by Scott Warren, is the fourth book in the War Horses series. It concludes the Cinto DaSelva campaign and further develops the setting’s backstory.
- [_Mossflower_](https://alexgude.com/books/mossflower.md) by Brian Jacques --- ★★★☆☆: Mossflower is the second book in the Redwall series. It chronicles the arrival of Martin the Warrior in Mossflower Woods and how he saves the woodlanders from the evil wildcat queen, Tsarmina.
- [_The Dragon's Banker_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_dragons_banker.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★☆☆☆: The Dragon’s Banker is a standalone novel by Scott Warren. It tells the story of Sailor Kelstern, a banker in a fantasy world who, as the title suggests, is hired by a dragon.
- [_The Colonel_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_colonel.md) by Peter Watts --- ★★★★★: The Colonel is a short story that serves as a bridge between Blindsight and Echopraxia. It follows Colonel Keaton—the father of Siri Keaton—as he investigates whether the Bicameral hivemind poses a threat to baseline humans.
- [_Echopraxia_](https://alexgude.com/books/echopraxia.md) by Peter Watts --- ★★★★★: Echopraxia, by Peter Watts, is the second book in the Firefall series, unfolding at roughly the same time as Blindsight. It follows parasitologist Daniel Brüks, who gets unwillingly dragged into a conflict between multiple transhuman factions, travels to the Icarus station orbiting the sun, and eventually back to Earth.
- [_Flowers for Algernon_](https://alexgude.com/books/flowers_for_algernon.md) by Daniel Keyes --- ★★☆☆☆: Flowers for Algernon is a Hugo and Nebula award-winning novel about Charlie Gordon, a man with intellectual disabilities who undergoes surgery to enhance his cognitive abilities. While it is a beautifully crafted narrative, it failed to hold my attention.
- [_House of Suns_](https://alexgude.com/books/house_of_suns.md) by Alastair Reynolds --- ★☆☆☆☆: House of Suns is a standalone hard sci-fi book by Alastair Reynolds. It tells the story of the Gentian Line, a family of clones who are betrayed, nearly wiped out, and must unravel what happened.
- [_The Tainted Cup_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_tainted_cup.md) by Robert Jackson Bennett --- ★★★★☆: The Tainted Cup is a fantasy detective novel set in a world where humanity is on the brink of destruction from giant Kaiju. It follows investigators Dinios Kol and Ana Dolabra as they try to solve the murder of an engineer and uncover a conspiracy that runs far deeper.
- [_Childhood's End_](https://alexgude.com/books/childhoods_end.md) by Arthur C. Clarke --- ★★★★☆: Childhood’s End is a classic sci-fi novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It is about first contact between humans and the mysterious Overlords, and the end of the human race.
- [_Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions_](https://alexgude.com/books/flatland_a_romance_of_many_dimensions.md) by Edwin A. Abbott --- ★★★☆☆: Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is a satirical short novel by Edwin A. Abbott, critiquing the rigid class hierarchy of Victorian England through the lens of geometry.
- [_Eater_](https://alexgude.com/books/eater.md) by Gregory Benford --- ★★★☆☆: Eater is a hard sci-fi novel by Gregory Benford. It follows a group of astrophysicists who discover a sentient black hole that is headed straight towards Earth.
- [_Mattimeo_](https://alexgude.com/books/mattimeo.md) by Brian Jacques --- ★★★★☆: Mattimeo is the third book in the Redwall series. It begins with the kidnapping of the abbey children by Slagar the cruel and follows Mathias as he tries to save them.
- [_Dragon's Egg_](https://alexgude.com/books/dragons_egg.md) by Robert L. Forward --- ★★★★☆: Dragon’s Egg is a hard sci-fi novel by Robert L. Forward. It is the story of first contact between humans and the Cheela: beings who live on a neutron star.
- [_Starquake_](https://alexgude.com/books/starquake.md) by Robert L. Forward --- ★★★☆☆: Starquake is the second book in the Cheela series by Robert L. Forward. It follows the Cheela as they rescue the humans and rebuild after a devastating starquake.
- [_Mission of Gravity_](https://alexgude.com/books/mission_of_gravity.md) by Hal Clement --- ★★☆☆☆: Mission of Gravity is a sci-fi adventure story set on the planet Mesklin—a massive, rapidly rotating world with gravity much higher than Earth’s. It follows Barlennan, a Mesklinite, as he sails the Bree across the planet in search of a lost human rocket ship.
- [_Star Light_](https://alexgude.com/books/star_light.md) by Hal Clement --- ★★☆☆☆: Star Light is the sequel to Mission of Gravity, and continues the theme of Human–Mesklinite exploration, this time focusing on a large star-like planet.
- [_Close to Critical_](https://alexgude.com/books/close_to_critical.md) by Hal Clement --- ★★☆☆☆: Close to Critical is the second book in the Mesklin series. It tells the story of a spaceship carrying the children of two ambassadors that crashes on an inhospitable planet, forcing humans to collaborate with the primitive native aliens to rescue them.
- [_We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_](https://alexgude.com/books/we_are_legion_we_are_bob.md) by Dennis E. Taylor --- ★★★☆☆: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is a pop sci-fi book, the first in the Bobiverse series. It follows Bob Johansson, who dies, gets his brain frozen, and awakens to find himself press-ganged into piloting a von Neumann probe.
- [_For We Are Many_](https://alexgude.com/books/for_we_are_many.md) by Dennis E. Taylor --- ★★★☆☆: For We Are Many is the second book in the Bobiverse series. It focuses on the Others storyline while also continuing many of the side stories begun in We Are Legion (We Are Bob).
- [_All These Worlds_](https://alexgude.com/books/all_these_worlds.md) by Dennis E. Taylor --- ★★★☆☆: All These Worlds is the third book in the Bobiverse series. It continues the story of the war with the genocidal Others started in For We Are Many.
- [_A Fire Upon The Deep_](https://alexgude.com/books/a_fire_upon_the_deep.md) by Vernor Vinge --- ★★★★★: A Fire Upon The Deep is a sci-fi novel by Vernor Vinge. It tells the story of the Blight—a galactic-scale, transcendent evil—and the humans racing to stop it.
- [_Mariel of Redwall_](https://alexgude.com/books/mariel_of_redwall.md) by Brian Jacques --- ★★★☆☆: Mariel of Redwall is the fourth book in the Redwall series. It follows Mariel as she plots her revenge against the searat pirate Gabool, who attempted to kill her and her father, Joseph the Bellmaker.
- [_Heaven's River_](https://alexgude.com/books/heavens_river.md) by Dennis E. Taylor --- ★★☆☆☆: Heaven’s River is the fourth book in the Bobiverse series. It starts a new storyline and changes the way the stories are told.
- [_Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories_](https://alexgude.com/books/valuable_humans_in_transit_and_other_stories.md) by qntm --- ★★★☆☆: Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by qntm.
- [_Gun, with Occasional Music_](https://alexgude.com/books/gun_with_occasional_music.md) by Jonathan Lethem --- ★★☆☆☆: Gun, with Occasional Music is a sci-fi, hardboiled detective novel set in near-future Oakland, California. It follows Conrad Metcalf, a private inquisitor, as he tries to solve the murder of Maynard Stanhunt.
- [_The Last Policeman_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_last_policeman.md) by Ben H. Winters --- ★★★☆☆: The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters is an apocalyptic detective novel set in Concord, New Hampshire. It follows Detective Palace as he tries to solve a murder six months before an asteroid is set to wipe out civilization.
- [_Countdown City_](https://alexgude.com/books/countdown_city.md) by Ben H. Winters --- ★★☆☆☆: Countdown City, by Ben H. Winters, is the second novel in The Last Policeman series. In it, Detective Palace searches for a missing person as the world continues to deteriorate.
- [_World of Trouble_](https://alexgude.com/books/world_of_trouble.md) by Ben H. Winters --- ★★☆☆☆: World of Trouble, by Ben H. Winters, is the third and final novel in The Last Policeman series. It follows Detective Palace as he uncovers his sister’s involvement in a mysterious plot just days before the world’s end.
- [_Inversions_](https://alexgude.com/books/inversions.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★★: Inversions, by Iain M. Banks, is the sixth book in the Culture series, but it is very different from typical Culture novels: there are no spaceships and almost no advanced technology. Instead, it follows Culture citizens DeWar and Vosill as they manipulate a medieval society.
- [_Look to Windward_](https://alexgude.com/books/look_to_windward.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★★: Look to Windward, by Iain M. Banks, is the seventh book in the Culture series. It explores the aftermath of the Idiran–Culture War and Chelgrian civil war.
- [_Salamandastron_](https://alexgude.com/books/salamandastron.md) by Brian Jacques --- ★★★★☆: Salamandastron is the fifth book in the Redwall series. It tells the story of two parallel conflicts: the siege of Salamandastron by Ferahgo the Assassin and a devastating plague at Redwall Abbey.
- [_Matter_](https://alexgude.com/books/matter.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★☆☆: Matter, by Iain M. Banks, is the eighth book in the Culture series. It begins with a tale of betrayal in an early-industrial kingdom housed within a shellworld, and ends with the unleashing of a cosmic horror.
- [_The Left Hand of Darkness_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_left_hand_of_darkness.md) by Ursula K. Le Guin --- ★★★☆☆: The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin, is her Hugo and Nebula award-winning novel about the planet of Winter. It follows Genly Ai, an envoy from the Ekumen, as he attempts to bring this androgynous world into galactic civilization.
- [_The Nameless City_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_nameless_city.md) by H. P. Lovecraft --- ★★★☆☆: The Nameless City is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft set in the Cthulhu Mythos. It follows an unnamed narrator who discovers a mysterious ancient city and ventures deep beneath its surface.
- [_Surface Detail_](https://alexgude.com/books/surface_detail.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★★: Surface Detail, by Iain M. Banks, is the ninth book in the Culture series. It follows Lededje Y’breq as she seeks revenge for her own murder, set against the backdrop of a galactic conflict over virtual hells.
- [_Grand Melee_](https://alexgude.com/books/grand_melee.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★★☆☆: Grand Melee, by Scott Warren, is the fifth book in the War Horses series. In it, the Chevaliers take a break from wartime contracts to participate in a massive mech tournament.
- [_Wild Seed_](https://alexgude.com/books/wild_seed.md) by Octavia E. Butler --- ★★★★☆: Wild Seed, by Octavia E. Butler, is the first book in the Patternist series, though it was the fourth to be published. It tells the origin story of Doro—a malevolent spirit—and Anyanwu—an immortal woman.
- [_Mind of My Mind_](https://alexgude.com/books/mind_of_my_mind.md) by Octavia E. Butler --- ★☆☆☆☆: Mind of My Mind, by Octavia E. Butler, is the second book in the Patternist series. It tells the origin story of the Patternists.
- [_Clay's Ark_](https://alexgude.com/books/clays_ark.md) by Octavia E. Butler --- ★★☆☆☆: Clay’s Ark, by Octavia E. Butler, is the third book in the Patternist series. It follows Eli Doyle, an astronaut, after he has returned to earth with an alien infection and attempts to contain it.
- [_Patternmaster_](https://alexgude.com/books/patternmaster.md) by Octavia E. Butler --- ★★★☆☆: Patternmaster, by Octavia E. Butler, is the fourth and final book in the Patternist series. It follows the Patternist brothers, Teray and Coransee, as they fight each other to become the new Patternmaster.
- [_The Hydrogen Sonata_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_hydrogen_sonata.md) by Iain M. Banks --- ★★★★★: The Hydrogen Sonata, by Iain M. Banks, is the tenth and final book in the Culture series. It explores the last days of the Glitz people as they prepare to Sublime.
- [_Stand on Zanzibar_](https://alexgude.com/books/stand_on_zanzibar.md) by John Brunner --- ★☆☆☆☆: Stand on Zanzibar, by John Brunner, is a Hugo-winning, New Wave science fiction novel that explores overpopulation, corporate power, and societal collapse.
- [_A Memory Called Empire_](https://alexgude.com/books/a_memory_called_empire.md) by Arkady Martine --- ★★★★☆: A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine, is the first book in the Teixcalaan series. It follows Mahit Dzmare, an ambassador from the space station Lsel, as she tries to save her home from being annexed by the Teixcalaanli empire.
- [_A Desolation Called Peace_](https://alexgude.com/books/a_desolation_called_peace.md) by Arkady Martine --- ★★★★☆: A Desolation Called Peace, by Arkady Martine, is the second book in the Teixcalaan series. It tells the story of Mahit and Three Seagrass trying to stop the war between the Teixcalaanli Empire and a mysterious alien race.
- [_Martin the Warrior_](https://alexgude.com/books/martin_the_warrior.md) by Brian Jacques --- ★★☆☆☆: Martin the Warrior is the sixth book in the Redwall series. It’s Martin’s origin story, following him as he’s enslaved by—and eventually leads an uprising against—the tyrant Badrang.
- [_A Drop of Corruption_](https://alexgude.com/books/a_drop_of_corruption.md) by Robert Jackson Bennett --- ★★★☆☆: A Drop of Corruption, by Robert Jackson Bennett, is the second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. This time, Din and Ana track down a murderer in the northern Kingdom of Yarrow whose brilliance is almost a match for Ana’s own.
- [_Metropolitan_](https://alexgude.com/books/metropolitan.md) by Walter Jon Williams --- ★★★★☆: Metropolitan, by Walter Jon Williams, is the first book in the Metropolitan series. It is the story of Aiah, a young woman who discovers an illegal source of magical plasm, and how it draws her into conflict with the world.
- [_City on Fire_](https://alexgude.com/books/city_on_fire.md) by Walter Jon Williams --- ★★☆☆☆: City on Fire, by Walter Jon Williams, is the second book in the Metropolitan series. It picks up right as the smoke clears in Caraqui after the revolution, leaving Aiah and Constantine to figure out how to govern.
- [_All Systems Red_](https://alexgude.com/books/all_systems_red.md) by Martha Wells --- ★★★☆☆: All Systems Red, by Martha Wells, is the first book in The Murderbot Diaries. It introduces us to Murderbot as it saves a team of scientists.
- [_Artificial Condition_](https://alexgude.com/books/artificial_condition.md) by Martha Wells --- ★★★★☆: Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells, is the second book in The Murderbot Diaries. It follows Murderbot as it digs into its past and, once again, saves some scientists.
- [_Rogue Protocol_](https://alexgude.com/books/rogue_protocol.md) by Martha Wells --- ★★★☆☆: Rogue Protocol, by Martha Wells, is the third book in The Murderbot Diaries. It follows Murderbot as it investigates a GrayCris terraforming station and, you guessed it, ends up saving a group of humans.
- [_Exit Strategy_](https://alexgude.com/books/exit_strategy.md) by Martha Wells --- ★★★★☆: Exit Strategy, by Martha Wells, is the fourth book in The Murderbot Diaries. It wraps up the GrayCris storyline as Murderbot returns to save its friends.
- [_Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory_](https://alexgude.com/books/home_habitat_range_niche_territory.md) by Martha Wells --- ★★★☆☆: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory, by Martha Wells, is a short story from The Murderbot Diaries, set between Exit Strategy and Network Effect. It shows us Murderbot and Mensah adjusting to their new situation after the GrayCris storyline.
- [_Destination Moon_](https://alexgude.com/books/destination_moon.md) by Hergé --- ★★★★☆: Destination Moon, by Hergé, is the sixteenth book in The Adventures of Tintin. It’s the first part of a two-book story arc where Tintin, Haddock, and Calculus prepare for a mission to the moon.
- [_Shards of Earth_](https://alexgude.com/books/shards_of_earth.md) by Adrian Tchaikovsky --- ★☆☆☆☆: Shards of Earth, by Adrian Tchaikovsky, is the first book in The Final Architecture series. It follows Idris, Solace, and the crew of the Vulture God as the Architects return and restart their genocidal campaign against humanity.
- [_Tintin in the Congo_](https://alexgude.com/books/tintin_in_the_congo.md) by Hergé --- ★☆☆☆☆: Tintin in the Congo, by Hergé, is the second book in The Adventures of Tintin. In it, Tintin travels to the Belgian Congo and uncovers a diamond-smuggling ring.
- [_Bolo: Annals of the Dinochrome Brigade_](https://alexgude.com/books/bolo_annals_of_the_dinochrome_brigade.md) by Keith Laumer --- ★★★☆☆: Bolo: Annals of the Dinochrome Brigade, by Keith Laumer, is the first book in the Bolo series. It is a collection of seven novellas and short stories, all featuring Bolos.
- [_Rogue Bolo_](https://alexgude.com/books/rogue_bolo.md) by Keith Laumer --- ★★★☆☆: Rogue Bolo, by Keith Laumer, is the second book in the Bolo series. It’s a collection of two novellas featuring the sentient tanks.
- [_Eyes of the Void_](https://alexgude.com/books/eyes_of_the_void.md) by Adrian Tchaikovsky --- ★☆☆☆☆: Eyes of the Void, by Adrian Tchaikovsky, is the second book in The Final Architecture series. It takes place during the new war with the Architects, as Idris and the crew of the Vulture God discover where the Architects come from.
- [_Honor of the Regiment_](https://alexgude.com/books/honor_of_the_regiment.md) by S. M. Stirling, S. N. Lewitt, J. Andrew Keith, Todd Johnson, Mike Resnick, Barry N. Malzberg, Christopher Stasheff, Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, David Drake --- ★★★☆☆: Honor of the Regiment is the tenth book in the Bolo series. It’s an anthology of Bolo stories written by ten different authors. The stories range from high-action military tales to more thoughtful pieces on the role of sentient war machines in society, all while treating the Bolos as central characters.
- [_The War of the Worlds_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_war_of_the_worlds.md) by H. G. Wells --- ★★★☆☆: The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells, is a landmark science fiction novel. It takes place in late Victorian England as an unnamed narrator witnesses a terrifying invasion by Martians with advanced weaponry.
- [_Explorers on the Moon_](https://alexgude.com/books/explorers_on_the_moon.md) by Hergé --- ★★★★☆: Explorers on the Moon, by Hergé, is the seventeenth book in The Adventures of Tintin. It’s the second part of a two-book arc in which Tintin, Haddock, and Calculus land on the Moon.
- [_Network Effect_](https://alexgude.com/books/network_effect.md) by Martha Wells --- ★★★★☆: Network Effect, by Martha Wells, is the fifth book in The Murderbot Diaries. It’s the first full-length novel in the series and features Murderbot getting kidnapped by ART to rescue its crew.
- [_Disco Elysium_](https://alexgude.com/books/disco_elysium.md) by Robert Kurvitz, Helen Hindpere, Argo Tuulik, Cash DeCuir, Olga Moskvina, Siim Sinamäe --- ★★★★★: Disco Elysium, written by Robert Kurvitz et al., is a role-playing game produced by ZA/UM. It’s the story of Harrier “Harry” Du Bois, a man who wakes up with no memories and has to solve a murder while learning who he is.
- [_Cigars of the Pharaoh_](https://alexgude.com/books/cigars_of_the_pharaoh.md) by Hergé --- ★★☆☆☆: Cigars of the Pharaoh, by Hergé, is the fourth book in The Adventures of Tintin. It follows Tintin as he explores Egypt and India and uncovers an opium-smuggling ring.
- [_Lords of Uncreation_](https://alexgude.com/books/lords_of_uncreation.md) by Adrian Tchaikovsky --- ★☆☆☆☆: Lords of Uncreation, by Adrian Tchaikovsky, is the third and final book in The Final Architecture series. In it, humanity takes the war into Unspace to destroy the Architects and their Originator masters.
- [_Roadside Picnic_](https://alexgude.com/books/roadside_picnic.md) by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky --- ★★★★☆: Roadside Picnic, by brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, is a Soviet sci-fi novel. It’s essentially four short stories—each presented as a chapter—about the life of Redrick “Red” Schuhart, a “stalker” who illegally enters an alien-contaminated Zone to retrieve items for the black market.
- [_The Unconquerable_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_unconquerable.md) by S. M. Stirling, S. N. Lewitt, Shirley Meier, Christopher Stasheff, Karen Wehrstein, Todd Johnson, William R. Forstchen --- ★★★★☆: The Unconquerable is the eleventh book in the Bolo series. As an anthology from seven different authors, it serves as a direct follow-up to the previous collection. The stories continue some established character arcs while also introducing new enemies, new ideas about Bolo capabilities, and the galaxy-altering conflict that would define the end of the Concordiat era.
- [_Not Till We Are Lost_](https://alexgude.com/books/not_till_we_are_lost.md) by Dennis E. Taylor --- ★★★☆☆: Not Till We Are Lost, by Dennis E. Taylor, is the fifth book in the Bobiverse series. It sets up the Quiniverse, introduces a Skippy AI, and explores the discovery of wormhole travel.
- [_The Blue Lotus_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_blue_lotus.md) by Hergé --- ★★★☆☆: The Blue Lotus, by Hergé, is the fifth book in The Adventures of Tintin. It continues the story started in Cigars of the Pharaoh, ending with Tintin busting an opium ring in China.
- [_A Mote in Shadow_](https://alexgude.com/books/a_mote_in_shadow.md) by A. N. Alex --- ★★★★★: A Mote in Shadow is A. N. Alex’s debut novel. It follows two down-on-their-luck outsiders dragged into a war between shadowy mercenary groups: exobiologist Chaeyoung No, whose disagreement with the scientific establishment leaves her in no position to question a too-good-to-be-true offer to fund her research expedition; and space hauler Frederik Obialo, who is more than willing to take a dangerous job if it brings him closer to his dream of giving his daughter a permanent home.
- [_Hyperion_](https://alexgude.com/books/hyperion.md) by Dan Simmons --- ★★★★★: Hyperion is Dan Simmons’s masterpiece. It is the first book in his Hyperion Cantos. It follows seven pilgrims as they travel to the Time Tombs on Hyperion to petition the Shrike. Along the way, each tells their own story, weaving together history, myth, and prophecy to tell of the impending downfall of man.
- [_The Triumphant_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_triumphant.md) by Linda Evans, Robert R. Hollingsworth, David Weber --- ★★★★★: The Triumphant is the twelfth book in the Bolo series. It’s an anthology of Bolo stories written by three different authors. They explore the emotional bond between a Bolo and the people around them, and the dangers of caring too much about a machine built for war.
- [_The Sirens of Titan_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_sirens_of_titan.md) by Kurt Vonnegut --- ★★☆☆☆: The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a satirical science fiction novel about the richest man in America, Malachi Constant. It follows his unwilling and absurd journey from Earth to Mars, Mercury, and finally Titan, exploring questions about free will, the purpose of human history, and the nature of religion along the way.
- [_Last Stand_](https://alexgude.com/books/last_stand.md) by S. M. Stirling, David Weber, John Mina, William R. Forstchen, Robert Greenberger, William H. Keith Jr., Todd Johnson, Steve Perry, John DeCamp, Mark Thies, Linda Evans --- ★★★☆☆: Last Stand is the thirteenth book in the Bolo series. It features ten stories by eleven authors, many of whom are new. Their stories explore themes of Bolos going rogue, the distant future of the setting, and new details about the Final War with the Melconians.
- [_The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_moon_is_a_harsh_mistress.md) by Robert A. Heinlein --- ★★★☆☆: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert A. Heinlein, is a Hugo Award-winning classic of libertarian science fiction. It chronicles the revolt of a lunar penal colony against its terrestrial rulers, a revolution orchestrated by a small group of rebels and their self-aware computer.
- [_On Basilisk Station_](https://alexgude.com/books/on_basilisk_station.md) by David Weber --- ★★★☆☆: On Basilisk Station by David Weber is the first book in the long-running military science fiction epic, the Honor Harrington series. It introduces Commander Honor Harrington, a brilliant naval officer exiled to a remote star system with an aging ship and a demoralized crew. There, she must enforce the law and uncover a smuggling plot that proves to be the opening move in an interstellar war.
- [_A Canticle for Leibowitz_](https://alexgude.com/books/a_canticle_for_leibowitz.md) by Walter M. Miller Jr. --- ★★★★☆: A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr., is the first book in the Saint Leibowitz series. It is a fix-up novel consisting of three parts: Fiat Homo, Fiat Lux, and Fiat Voluntas Tua. The story follows the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz as they preserve the remains of humanity’s knowledge after an atomic war.
- [_There Is No Antimemetics Division_](https://alexgude.com/books/there_is_no_antimemetics_division.md) by qntm --- ★★★★★: There Is No Antimemetics Division, by qntm, is a book about researchers trying to control dangerous antimemes—ideas that can’t be thought—and how you might combat a foe you can’t even remember exists.
- [_The Darfsteller_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_darfsteller.md) by Walter M. Miller Jr. --- ★★★☆☆: The Darfsteller, by Walter M. Miller Jr., is a Hugo Award-winning novelette about the obsolescence of the human artist. It follows Ryan Thornier, a former stage idol reduced to working as a janitor in a theater now run entirely by robots and an AI director, as he schemes to take the stage one last time.
- [_Monday Begins on Saturday_](https://alexgude.com/books/monday_begins_on_saturday.md) by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky --- ★★☆☆☆: Monday Begins on Saturday, by brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, is a Soviet sci-fi novel about scientist-magicians working at the National Institute for the Technology of Witchcraft and Thaumaturgy (NITWITT), where they study fairy-tale creatures and magic items.
- [_This Is How You Lose the Time War_](https://alexgude.com/books/this_is_how_you_lose_the_time_war.md) by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone --- ★★☆☆☆: This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, is a story about two agents—Red and Blue—working for opposite factions from the far future, changing the past in an attempt to wipe out the other side.
- [_The Fall of Hyperion_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_fall_of_hyperion.md) by Dan Simmons --- ★★★★★: 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.
- [_Endymion_](https://alexgude.com/books/endymion.md) by Dan Simmons --- ★★★☆☆: 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.
- [_The Rise of Endymion_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_rise_of_endymion.md) by Dan Simmons --- ★★★☆☆: 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.
- [_Sunstone Imperative_](https://alexgude.com/books/sunstone_imperative.md) by Scott Warren --- ★★★☆☆: 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.
- [_Red Rising_](https://alexgude.com/books/red_rising.md) by Pierce Brown --- ★★☆☆☆: Red Rising, by Pierce Brown, is the first book in the Red Rising Trilogy. It follows Darrow, a Red miner on Mars who discovers his entire caste has been enslaved, and joins a revolution by infiltrating the Gold ruling class.
- [_The Honor of the Queen_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_honor_of_the_queen.md) by David Weber --- ★★★☆☆: The Honor of the Queen, by David Weber, is the second book in the Honor Harrington series. Harrington must forge an alliance with Grayson, a planet of religious conservatives who don’t believe women belong in uniform, while Haven plots to stop her.
- [_The Short Victorious War_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_short_victorious_war.md) by David Weber --- ★★★★☆: The Short Victorious War, by David Weber, is the third book in the Honor Harrington series. Harrington takes command of the battlecruiser Nike as the People’s Republic of Haven makes its move and a revolution brews in Nouveau Paris.
- [_Field of Dishonor_](https://alexgude.com/books/field_of_dishonor.md) by David Weber --- ★★★☆☆: Field of Dishonor, by David Weber, is the fourth book in the Honor Harrington series. It reduces the scale of the narrative, trading fleet battles for political maneuvering and personal grudges.
- [_Accelerando_](https://alexgude.com/books/accelerando.md) by Charles Stross --- ★★☆☆☆: Accelerando, by Charles Stross, is a hard sci-fi fix-up novel. Originally published as 9 separate stories, it follows 3 generations of the Macx family as they upload, fork, merge, and scatter across a solar system slowly being converted into computronium.
- [_Ubik_](https://alexgude.com/books/ubik.md) by Philip K. Dick --- ★☆☆☆☆: Ubik, by Philip K. Dick, is a 1969 science fiction novel about a prudence organization that hires out anti-psis and anti-precogs to protect people’s and corporations’ privacy. Everything begins to fall apart when they’re lured into a too-good-to-be-true job where their boss is murdered. Suddenly, reality starts deteriorating, with objects reverting to older versions, and the characters start dying one by one.
- [_The Wind in the Willows_](https://alexgude.com/books/the_wind_in_the_willows.md) by Kenneth Grahame --- ★★★★☆: The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, follows Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Toad in a story of bucolic life in the English countryside: playing around in boats, long summers, and the pull of home.
- [_I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter_](https://alexgude.com/books/i_sexually_identify_as_an_attack_helicopter.md) by Isabel Fall --- ★★★★★: I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter, by Isabel Fall, is a novelette about a pilot whose gender is reassigned to “attack helicopter” to make her a better soldier. It follows Barb as she bombs a high school, wrestles with what she’s become, and asks what gender even is.
- [_Neuromancer_](https://alexgude.com/books/neuromancer.md) by William Gibson --- ★★★★★: Neuromancer, by William Gibson, is the first book in the Sprawl series, and one of the founding texts of cyberpunk. In it, Case, a hacker who can’t jack in anymore, and street samurai Molly Millions are hired by a mysterious ex-special forces agent to pull off a heist.
- [_Snow Crash_](https://alexgude.com/books/snow_crash.md) by Neal Stephenson --- ★★★★☆: Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson, is a satirical cyberpunk novel set in a near-future America where the federal government has collapsed and everything—pizza, religion, neighborhoods, national defense—is run by competing franchises. It follows Hiro Protagonist, a hacker and pizza delivery driver, and Y.T., a teenage skateboard courier, as they uncover a conspiracy to reprogram the human mind.
- [_Count Zero_](https://alexgude.com/books/count_zero.md) by William Gibson --- ★★★★★: Count Zero, by William Gibson, is the second book in the Sprawl series. It follows three strangers—a teenage hacker on his first run, a mercenary hired to extract a defecting scientist, and an art dealer tracking down mysterious boxes—as they’re pulled into a struggle between zaibatsus, the ultra-rich, and something stranger.
- [_Fahrenheit 451_](https://alexgude.com/books/fahrenheit_451.md) by Ray Bradbury --- ★★★☆☆: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a classic novel about the homogenization of mass media and our collective flight from intellectual challenge. It follows Guy Montag, a fireman who burns books for a living, as he slowly realizes he must stop.

## Optional
- [How I Write with Large Language Models (My Draft)](https://alexgude.com/blog/how-i-write-with-llms-revised/first-draft.md): OpenAI's ChatGPT is viewed as entertaining but not useful because it makes up facts. But I find it incredibly valuable for writing. Here is how I use it.
- [How I Write with Large Language Models (LLM Draft)](https://alexgude.com/blog/how-i-write-with-llms-revised/llm-draft.md): OpenAI's ChatGPT is often seen as merely entertaining because it sometimes makes up facts. But I find it incredibly valuable for writing. Here's how I use it.
- [A. N. Alex](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/a_n_alex.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by A. N. Alex.
- [Adrian Tchaikovsky](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/adrian_tchaikovsky.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
- [Alastair Reynolds](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/alastair_reynolds.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Alastair Reynolds.
- [Amal El-Mohtar](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/amal_el-mohtar.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Amal El-Mohtar.
- [Andrew Keith](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/andrew_keith.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Andrew Keith.
- [Argo Tuulik](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/argo_tuulik.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Argo Tuulik.
- [Arkady Martine](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/arkady_martine.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Arkady Martine.
- [Arkady Strugatsky](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/arkady_strugatsky.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Arkady Strugatsky.
- [Arthur C. Clarke](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/arthur_c_clarke.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Arthur C. Clarke.
- [Barry N. Malzberg](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/barry_n_malzberg.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Barry N. Malzberg.
- [Ben H. Winters](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/ben_h_winters.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Ben H. Winters.
- [Bobiverse](https://alexgude.com/books/series/bobiverse.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Bobiverse series.
- [Bolo](https://alexgude.com/books/series/bolo.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Bolo series.
- [Book Reviews](https://alexgude.com/topics/book-reviews.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude where he shares his book reviews.
- [Boris Strugatsky](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/boris_strugatsky.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Boris Strugatsky.
- [Brian Jacques](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/brian_jacques.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Brian Jacques.
- [Book Reviews: By Author](https://alexgude.com/books/by-author.md): Alexander Gude's (short) book reviews, sorted by author.
- [Book Reviews: By Award](https://alexgude.com/books/by-award.md): Alexander Gude's (short) book reviews, grouped by awards the books have won.
- [Book Reviews: By Rating](https://alexgude.com/books/by-rating.md): Alexander Gude's (short) book reviews, grouped by rating and ranked within each group.
- [Book Reviews: By Series](https://alexgude.com/books/by-series.md): Alexander Gude's (short) book reviews, sorted by series.
- [Book Reviews: By Title](https://alexgude.com/books/by-title.md): Alexander Gude's (short) book reviews, sorted by title.
- [California Traffic Data](https://alexgude.com/topics/california-traffic-data.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude using SWITRS traffic data from California.
- [Career Advice](https://alexgude.com/topics/career-advice.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about his career and advice regarding a career in data science and machine learning.
- [Cash DeCuir](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/cash_decuir.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Cash De Cuir.
- [Charles Stross](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/charles_stross.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Charles Stross.
- [Cheela](https://alexgude.com/books/series/cheela.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Cheela series.
- [Childhood Language](https://alexgude.com/topics/childhood-language.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about childhood language development using data.
- [Christopher Stasheff](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/christopher_stasheff.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Christopher Stasheff.
- [Claude SAT Analogy Results](https://alexgude.com/blog/sat2vec/claude_results.md): The results of running Anthropic's large language model Claude on SAT analogies.
- [Commonwealth Saga](https://alexgude.com/books/series/commonwealth_saga.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Commonwealth Saga series.
- [Cthulhu Mythos](https://alexgude.com/books/series/cthulhu_mythos.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Cthulhu Mythos series.
- [Culture](https://alexgude.com/books/series/culture.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Culture series.
- [Cycling](https://alexgude.com/topics/cycling.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about bikes, cycling, the Tour de France, etc.
- [Dan Simmons](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/dan_simmons.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Dan Simmons.
- [Daniel Keyes](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/daniel_keyes.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Daniel Keyes.
- [Data Science](https://alexgude.com/topics/data-science.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about data science and data science tools.
- [Data Visualization](https://alexgude.com/topics/data-visualization.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about data visualization, plotting, etc.
- [David Drake](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/david_drake.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by David Drake.
- [David Weber](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/david_weber.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by David Weber.
- [Dennis E. Taylor](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/dennis_e_taylor.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Dennis E. Taylor.
- [Edwin A. Abbott](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/edwin_a_abbott.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Edwin A. Abbott.
- [Elysium](https://alexgude.com/books/series/elysium.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Elysium series.
- [Firefall](https://alexgude.com/books/series/firefall.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Firefall series.
- [Fun and Games](https://alexgude.com/topics/fun-and-games.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about gaming and other fun stuff!
- [Gene Wolfe](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/gene_wolfe.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Gene Wolfe.
- [Generative AI](https://alexgude.com/topics/generative-ai.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about Generative AI.
- [Gregory Benford](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/gregory_benford.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Gregory Benford.
- [H. G. Wells](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/h_g_wells.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by H. G. Wells.
- [H. P. Lovecraft](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/h_p_lovecraft.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by H. P. Lovecraft.
- [Hainish Cycle](https://alexgude.com/books/series/hainish_cycle.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Hainish Cycle series.
- [Hal Clement](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/hal_clement.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Hal Clement.
- [Hannu Rajaniemi](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/hannu_rajaniemi.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Hannu Rajaniemi.
- [Helen Hindpere](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/helen_hindpere.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Helen Hindpere.
- [Hergé](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/hergé.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Hergé.
- [Hermes](https://alexgude.com/topics/hermes.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude for Lab41's project Hermes, a recommender system test bed.
- [Honor Harrington](https://alexgude.com/books/series/honor_harrington.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Honor Harrington series.
- [Hyperion Cantos](https://alexgude.com/books/series/hyperion_cantos.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Hyperion Cantos series.
- [Iain M. Banks](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/iain_m_banks.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Iain M. Banks.
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Book Reviews](https://alexgude.com/books.md): Alexander Gude's (short) book reviews, with the most recently read at the top.
- [Topics](https://alexgude.com/topics.md): Alex Gude's writings organized by topic.
- [Interview Prep](https://alexgude.com/topics/interview-prep.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about preparing for data science and machine learning interviews.
- [Interviewing](https://alexgude.com/topics/interviewing.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about job interviewing.
- [Isabel Fall](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/isabel_fall.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Isabel Fall.
- [Jean le Flambeur](https://alexgude.com/books/series/jean_le_flambeur.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Jean le Flambeur series.
- [John Brunner](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/john_brunner.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by John Brunner.
- [John DeCamp](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/john_decamp.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by John DeCamp.
- [John Mina](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/john_mina.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by John Mina.
- [Jonathan Lethem](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/jonathan_lethem.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Jonathan Lethem.
- [Jupyter](https://alexgude.com/topics/jupyter.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about Jupyter.
- [Karen Wehrstein](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/karen_wehrstein.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Karen Wehrstein.
- [Keith Laumer](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/keith_laumer.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Keith Laumer.
- [Kenneth Grahame](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/kenneth_grahame.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Kenneth Grahame.
- [Kurt Vonnegut](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/kurt_vonnegut.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Kurt Vonnegut.
- [Lab41](https://alexgude.com/topics/lab41.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude for Lab41's blog on Deep Learning, Machine Learning, and Data Science.
- [Large Language Models](https://alexgude.com/topics/large-language-models.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about large language models (LLMs).
- [Larry Dixon](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/larry_dixon.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Larry Dixon.
- [Linda Evans](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/linda_evans.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Linda Evans.
- [Linktree](https://alexgude.com/linktree.md): Important links for Alex Gude.
- [Liu Cixin](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/liu_cixin.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Liu Cixin.
- [Machine Learning Engineering](https://alexgude.com/topics/machine-learning-engineering.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about putting machine learning in production.
- [Machine Learning](https://alexgude.com/topics/machine-learning.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about machine learning and machine learning tools.
- [Mark Thies](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/mark_thies.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Mark Thies.
- [Martha Wells](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/martha_wells.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Martha Wells.
- [Max Gladstone](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/max_gladstone.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Max Gladstone.
- [Mercedes Lackey](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/mercedes_lackey.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Mercedes Lackey.
- [Mesklin](https://alexgude.com/books/series/mesklin.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Mesklin series.
- [Metropolitan](https://alexgude.com/books/series/metropolitan.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Metropolitan series.
- [Mike Resnick](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/mike_resnick.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Mike Resnick.
- [My Projects](https://alexgude.com/topics/my-projects.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about the things he has built, both software and hardware.
- [Neal Stephenson](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/neal_stephenson.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Neal Stephenson.
- [Octavia E. Butler](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/octavia_e_butler.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Octavia E. Butler.
- [Olga Moskvina](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/olga_moskvina.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Olga Moskvina.
- [OMEMO Fingerprints](https://alexgude.com/omemo-fingerprints.md): Alex Gude's OMEMO fingerprints and QR codes for secure messaging.
- [Opinions](https://alexgude.com/topics/opinions.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude where he shares his opinions on things.
- [Papers](https://alexgude.com/papers.md): A list of papers by Alexander Gude covering machine learning, high energy particle physics, and supernova cosmology! Check them out!
- [Patternist](https://alexgude.com/books/series/patternist.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Patternist series.
- [Pelops](https://alexgude.com/topics/pelops.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude for Lab41's project Pelops, matching cars with neural networks.
- [Peter F. Hamilton](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/peter_f_hamilton.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Peter F. Hamilton.
- [Peter Watts](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/peter_watts.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Peter Watts.
- [Philip K. Dick](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/philip_k_dick.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Philip K. Dick.
- [Pierce Brown](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/pierce_brown.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Pierce Brown.
- [The Terribly Clever(ly&nbsp;Terrible) Code](https://alexgude.com/blog/cleverly-worst-code/the-code-itself.md): The actual worst code I have ever written.
- [LLM Data Cleaning Prompt](https://alexgude.com/blog/llm-data/prompt.md): The prompt for my SWITRS Make mapping.
- [Python](https://alexgude.com/topics/python.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about Python.
- [qntm](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/qntm.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by qntm.
- [Ray Bradbury](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/ray_bradbury.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Ray Bradbury.
- [Reading Group](https://alexgude.com/topics/reading-group.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude reviewing machine learning papers.
- [Red Rising Trilogy](https://alexgude.com/books/series/red_rising_trilogy.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Red Rising Trilogy series.
- [Redwall](https://alexgude.com/books/series/redwall.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Redwall series.
- [Remembrance of Earth's Past](https://alexgude.com/books/series/remembrance_of_earth_s_past.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Remembrance of Earth's Past series.
- [SAT2VEC Results](https://alexgude.com/blog/sat2vec/results.md): The results of running a pretrained Word2Vec model on SAT analogies. Spoiler alert: It isn't getting into a good college!
- [Resume](https://alexgude.com/resume.md): Alexander Gude's Resume. Alex is a machine learning engineer.
- [Robert A. Heinlein](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/robert_a_heinlein.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Robert A. Heinlein.
- [Robert Greenberger](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/robert_greenberger.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Robert Greenberger.
- [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/robert_jackson_bennett.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- [Robert Kurvitz](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/robert_kurvitz.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Robert Kurvitz.
- [Robert L. Forward](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/robert_l_forward.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Robert L. Forward.
- [Robert R. Hollingsworth](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/robert_r_hollingsworth.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Robert R. Hollingsworth.
- [S. M. Stirling](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/s_m_stirling.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by S. M. Stirling.
- [Saint Leibowitz](https://alexgude.com/books/series/saint_leibowitz.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Saint Leibowitz series.
- [Scott Warren](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/scott_warren.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Scott Warren.
- [Shadow of the Leviathan](https://alexgude.com/books/series/shadow_of_the_leviathan.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.
- [Shariann Lewitt](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/shariann_lewitt.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Shariann Lewitt.
- [Shirley Meier](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/shirley_meier.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Shirley Meier.
- [Siim Sinamäe](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/siim_sinamäe.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Siim Sinamäe.
- [Software Development](https://alexgude.com/topics/software-development.md): All of the articles written by Alex Gude about software development, testing, Python, etc.
- [Sprawl](https://alexgude.com/books/series/sprawl.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Sprawl series.
- [Steve Perry](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/steve_perry.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Steve Perry.
- [Teixcalaan](https://alexgude.com/books/series/teixcalaan.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Teixcalaan series.
- [The Adventures of Tintin](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_adventures_of_tintin.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Adventures of Tintin series.
- [The Book of the New Sun](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_book_of_the_new_sun.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Book of the New Sun series.
- [The Chronicle of the Fallers](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_chronicle_of_the_fallers.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Chronicle of the Fallers series.
- [The Final Architecture](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_final_architecture.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Final Architecture series.
- [The Last Policeman](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_last_policeman.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Last Policeman series.
- [The Murderbot Diaries](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Murderbot Diaries series.
- [The Void Trilogy](https://alexgude.com/books/series/the_void_trilogy.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the The Void Trilogy series.
- [Todd McCaffrey](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/todd_mccaffrey.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Todd McCaffrey.
- [Twitter Disavow](https://alexgude.com/twitter-disavow.md): Alex Gude deleted @alex_gude on Twitter (and his three bots) on 2024-11-10.
- [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/ursula_k_le_guin.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- [Vernor Vinge](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/vernor_vinge.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Vernor Vinge.
- [Walter Jon Williams](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/walter_jon_williams.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Walter Jon Williams.
- [Walter M. Miller Jr.](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/walter_m_miller_jr.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by Walter M. Miller Jr..
- [War Horses](https://alexgude.com/books/series/war_horses.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the War Horses series.
- [William Gibson](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/william_gibson.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by William Gibson.
- [William H. Keith Jr.](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/william_h_keith_jr.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by William H. Keith Jr..
- [William R. Forstchen](https://alexgude.com/books/authors/william_r_forstchen.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written by William R. Forstchen.
- [Zones of Thought](https://alexgude.com/books/series/zones_of_thought.md): Alex Gude's reviews of books written in the Zones of Thought series.
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page2.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page3.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page4.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page5.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page6.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page7.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page8.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page9.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page10.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!
- [Writings](https://alexgude.com/blog/page11.md): Posts from Alexander Gude on technology, data science, machine learning, and anything else I find interesting. Updated just often enough! Come on in!