In new sci-fi novels, artificial intelligence causes problems and the moon somehow turns into cheese
Cold Eternity
S.A. Barnes
Tor Nightfire, 304 pages, $38.99
S.A. Barnes has become the go-to name for creepy SF-horror, and 'Cold Eternity' follows previous books like 'Dead Silence' and 'Ghost Station' in going off-planet to tell a techno-ghost story.
The main character is a young woman named Halley who is on the run from the political powers-that-be, who are also her former employers. Desperate, she takes a job as a sort of security guard on board the Elysian Fields, an ancient spaceship filled with cryo-chambers. It's a lousy gig, but the ship makes a good place to hide from the authorities — at least until things start taking a turn for the weird and Halley finds herself facing off against a next-generation evil.
Barnes does this kind of thing very well, and there are parts of 'Cold Eternity' that are genuinely suspenseful and scary. Halley's backstory is complicated, though, and there are too many pages devoted to a romance angle with an AI. It's a chillingly effective read, but one that also makes you wish there was a little less of it.
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'Rose/House,' by Arkady Martine, Tordotcom, $27.99.
Rose/House
Arkady Martine
Tordotcom, 128 pages, $27.99
Rose House is the name of a structure built out in the Mojave Desert by a famous architect who designed it as both his masterpiece and the final repository of his crystallized remains. As things kick off, the resident AI that runs Rose House, and that 'is' Rose House in a deeper sense, calls the local police to let them know that there's a dead body inside, which is something that should be impossible since there's only one person who has been given access to the building and she's out of the country.
What follows is a spin on the classic 'locked room' murder mystery. It's also a ghost story, as the AI (which is 'not sane' in the best Hill House tradition) haunts Rose House in complicated ways. Multiple layers of what happened are revealed to the pair of women allowed inside: the detective investigating and the building's legal heir. This all makes for a great buildup, and if the payoff isn't quite on the same level, it's at least something different and unexpected.
'Where the Axe Is Buried,' by Ray Nayler, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $37.
Where the Axe Is Buried
Ray Nayler
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 336 pages, $37
Though this is only his third novel, Ray Nayler has already established himself as a must-read for intelligent, near-future speculative fiction.
'Where the Axe Is Buried' is a political thriller set in a New Cold War version of Europe where Russia is ruled by a president who can live forever in a series of new bodies into which his consciousness can be ported, and artificial intelligence programs called prime ministers run a 'rationalized' Western Europe.
Unfortunately, technology has not set us free, and both sides are post-ideological authoritarian surveillance states — places where insect-sized drones carry messages of hope or death, and when you look out into the streets, the street is always looking back at you. There are underground resistance movements, though, and scientists, spies and politicians trying to tear down the system and build something better.
It's a complicated story that hops around a lot among many characters in many places, but Nayler's world-building is top notch, creating a plausible and deeply realized vision of the future that also feels scarily close to home.
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'When the Moon Hits Your Eye,' by John Scalzi, Tor, $39.99.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye
John Scalzi
Tor, 336 pages, $39.99
The premise is everything: suddenly, and all at once, the moon turns into cheese.
Indeed, not only the moon itself, but all the moon rocks on display in museums and in private collections here on Earth.
Of course, Luna's transformation into Caseus (Latin for 'cheese') is ridiculous. At first, none of the characters in John Scalzi's latest can believe it's happened. But the novel works by taking the great cheesification event literally, though not seriously. If the moon were to turn into cheese, we're led to ask, what would happen next?
Each chapter tells the story of a different character, progressing daily until the book has covered a full lunar cycle. The question each section asks is how politicians, scientists, business leaders, the media and the broader public are affected, and how they might respond to such a bizarre event.
This is just an entertainment, with little hard science and not a lot of deep thinking behind it, but it's all good fun in Scalzi's typically playful hands.
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Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
House Republicans include a 10-year ban on US states regulating AI in ‘big, beautiful' bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans surprised tech industry watchers and outraged state governments when they added a clause to Republicans' signature ' big, beautiful ' tax bill that would ban states and localities from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade. The brief but consequential provision, tucked into the House Energy and Commerce Committee's sweeping markup, would be a major boon to the AI industry, which has lobbied for uniform and light touch regulation as tech firms develop a technology they promise will transform society. However, while the clause would be far-reaching if enacted, it faces long odds in the U.S. Senate, where procedural rules may doom its inclusion in the GOP legislation. 'I don't know whether it will pass the Byrd Rule,' said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, referring to a provision that requires that all parts of a budget reconciliation bill, like the GOP plan, focus mainly on the budgetary matters rather than general policy aims. 'That sounds to me like a policy change. I'm not going to speculate what the parliamentarian is going to do but I think it is unlikely to make it,' Cornyn said. Senators in both parties have expressed an interest in artificial intelligence and believe that Congress should take the lead in regulating the technology. But while lawmakers have introduced scores of bills, including some bipartisan efforts, that would impact artificial intelligence, few have seen any meaningful advancement in the deeply divided Congress. An exception is a bipartisan bill expected to be signed into law by President Donald Trump next week that would enact stricter penalties on the distribution of intimate 'revenge porn' images, both real and AI-generated, without a person's consent. 'AI doesn't understand state borders, so it is extraordinarily important for the federal government to be the one that sets interstate commerce. It's in our Constitution. You can't have a patchwork of 50 states,' said Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican. But Moreno said he was unsure if the House's proposed ban could make it through Senate procedure. The AI provision in the bill states that 'no state or political subdivision may enforce any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems.' The language could bar regulations on systems ranging from popular commercial models like ChatGPT to those that help make decisions about who gets hired or finds housing. State regulations on AI's usage in business, research, public utilities, educational settings and government would be banned. The congressional pushback against state-led AI regulation is part of a broader move led by the Trump administration to do away with policies and business approaches that have sought to limit AI's harms and pervasive bias. Half of all U.S. states so far have enacted legislation regulating AI deepfakes in political campaigns, according to a tracker from the watchdog organization Public Citizen. Most of those laws were passed within the last year, as incidents in democratic elections around the globe in 2024 highlighted the threat of lifelike AI audio clips, videos and images to deceive voters. California state Sen. Scott Wiener called the Republican proposal 'truly gross' in a social media post. Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, authored landmark legislation last year that would have created first-in-the-nation safety measures for advanced artificial intelligence models. The bill was vetoed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fellow San Francisco Democrat. 'Congress is incapable of meaningful AI regulation to protect the public. It is, however, quite capable of failing to act while also banning states from acting,' Wiener wrote. A bipartisan group of dozens of state attorneys general also sent a letter to Congress on Friday opposing the bill. 'AI brings real promise, but also real danger, and South Carolina has been doing the hard work to protect our citizens,' said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, a Republican, in a statement. 'Now, instead of stepping up with real solutions, Congress wants to tie our hands and push a one-size-fits-all mandate from Washington without a clear direction. That's not leadership, that's federal overreach.' As the debate unfolds, AI industry leaders are pressing ahead on research while competing with rivals to develop the best — and most widely used —AI systems. They have pushed federal lawmakers for uniform and unintrusive rules on the technology, saying they need to move quickly on the latest models to compete with Chinese firms. Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, testified in a Senate hearing last week that a 'patchwork' of AI regulations 'would be quite burdensome and significantly impair our ability to do what we need to do.' 'One federal framework, that is light touch, that we can understand and that lets us move with the speed that this moment calls for seems important and fine,' Altman told Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican. And Sen. Ted Cruz floated the idea of a 10-year 'learning period' for AI at the same hearing, which included three other tech company executives. 'Would you support a 10-year learning period on states issuing comprehensive AI regulation, or some form of federal preemption to create an even playing field for AI developers and employers?' asked the Texas Republican. Altman responded that he was 'not sure what a 10-year learning period means, but I think having one federal approach focused on light touch and an even playing field sounds great to me.' Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, also offered measured support for 'giving the country time' in the way that limited U.S. regulation enabled early internet commerce to flourish. 'There's a lot of details that need to be hammered out, but giving the federal government the ability to lead, especially in the areas around product safety and pre-release reviews and the like, would help this industry grow,' Smith said. It was a change, at least in tone, for some of the executives. Altman had testified to Congress two years ago on the need for AI regulation, and Smith, five years ago, praised Microsoft's home state of Washington for its 'significant breakthrough' in passing first-in-the-nation guardrails on the use of facial recognition, a form of AI. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Ten GOP senators said they were sympathetic to the idea of creating a national framework for AI. But whether the majority can work with Democrats to find a filibuster-proof solution is unclear. 'I am not opposed to the concept. In fact, interstate commerce would suggest that it is the responsibility of Congress to regulate these types of activities and not the states,' said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican. 'If we're going to do it state by state we're going to have a real mess on our hands,' Rounds said. —————— O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. AP writers Ali Swenson in New York, Jesse Bedayn in Denver, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California contributed to this report.
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
A musical from Tomson Highway, dancing skateboarders among NAC's upcoming lineup
A long-awaited musical from playwright Tomson Highway, a '90s take on 'Macbeth' and skateboarding stunts are among the spectacles bound for the National Arts Centre. Canada's multidisciplinary home for the performing arts released a 2025-26 lineup Thursday that includes the return of holiday favourites including Handel's 'Messiah' by the NAC Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's 'Nutcracker' in December. In between are dance, orchestral, pop music and drama productions from new voices and established veterans. Here's a look at some of the highlights. THEATRE Highway brings the third instalment of his 'Rez Cycle' to NAC's Indigenous Theatre program, with the world première of his musical 'Rose.' The 2003 play is set on the Wasaychigan Hill Reserve in 1992, and revisits several characters from 'The Rez Sisters' and 'Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing.' The story here centres on Emily Dictionary and her biker pals 'as they fight to reclaim their community.' NAC says the musical has never been staged 'due to its scale and ambition.' In the English Theatre lineup, artistic director Nina Lee Aquino directs two world premières: 'Copperbelt' by Natasha Mumba, a co-production with Soulpepper Theatre about the daughter of a powerful African family caught between ambition and the cost of success; and the eco-thriller 'cicadas,' created by David Yee and Chris Thornborrow and co-produced by Tarragon Theatre, in which a very strange house sinks into the earth. The English Theatre lineup also includes Marie Farsi's stage adaptation of 'Fifteen Dogs,' André Alexis's Giller Prize-winning novel about a group of dogs suddenly granted human consciousness. The French Theatre season closes with Shakespeare's 'Macbeth,' directed by Quebec visionary Robert Lepage. The original Stratford Festival production, created in collaboration with Lepage's company Ex Machina, set the action amid the biker wars of the 1990s. ORCHESTRA Music director Alexander Shelley's final season with the NAC Orchestra opens with Giacomo Puccini's opera 'Tosca' and boasts an all-Canadian edition of the Great Performers series, including Toronto's Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Quebec City-based chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy and recitals by Calgary-born pianist Jan Lisiecki and Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes. Soloists include violinists Hilary Hahn and Joshua Bell, cellist Bryan Cheng, and pianists Lang Lang, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Hélène Grimaud. DANCE Danish choreographer Mette Ingvartsen unleashes what NAC describes as a 'zany' production dubbed 'Skatepark,' in which skateboarding thrill-seekers encounter a group of dancers. Also, Guillaume Côté and Lepage present a dance version of 'Hamlet,' the Royal Winnipeg Ballet offers up a surreal 'Hansel & Gretel' and the National Ballet of Canada presents a new work, 'Procession,' from choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. POPULAR MUSIC AND VARIETY The Pops lineup will see singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright hit the stage Oct. 15, followed by Ariane Moffatt on Oct. 16 and Choir! Choir! Choir! on Nov. 23. There's also a tribute to Aretha Franklin featuring Broadway star Capathia Jenkins and soul singer Ryan Shaw, Troupe Vertigo fuses acrobatics and symphonic music, and live concerts of film scores from 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.' International artists include the Manchester-based instrumental trio Gogo Penguin on Oct. 17, the Soweto Gospel Choir on Nov. 29 and an onstage conversation and food demonstration with British chef, restaurateur and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi on March 1, 2026. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
Toronto Star
04-05-2025
- Toronto Star
A meteor shower will peak over Toronto skies early Tuesday. Here's what you need to know about the ‘shooting stars'
Should the weather permit, stargazers across Canada will be treated to the Eta Aquarids meteor shower throughout the month of May — with the annual phenomenon peaking early Tuesday morning. At its height, observers could potentially see up to 50 fast-moving meteors every hour on a dark night, according to NASA. But here in the Northern Hemisphere, viewers are more likely to see 10 to 15 per hour, said the agency's Bill Cooke. British Columbia Canada-linked team finds Saturn has 128 more moons, leaving Jupiter in cosmic dust The discovery by a team that includes current and former UBC astronomers, brings Saturn's total to 274. British Columbia Canada-linked team finds Saturn has 128 more moons, leaving Jupiter in cosmic dust The discovery by a team that includes current and former UBC astronomers, brings Saturn's total to 274. Although it's only now approaching its peak, the meteor shower began around April 20 and is expected to last until May 21. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Here's what you need to know. What is the Eta Aquarids meteor shower? The Eta Aquarids gets its name from the constellation Aquarius, where the meteors will appear to radiate from. As a result, the event will be more visible from the southern hemisphere, where Aquarius will appear higher in the sky. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, Aquarius will not emerge above the horizon until the early morning — around 3 a.m. EST in Toronto, according to Time and Date. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteors will largely appear as 'Earthgrazers' — long meteors that appear to 'skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon' due to how low in the sky Aquarius will be, NASA's website reads. Europe Scientists find possible chemical signs of life on a faraway planet LONDON (AP) — Astronomers have found possible chemical signs of life on a distant planet outside our solar system, though they caution more wo… Europe Scientists find possible chemical signs of life on a faraway planet LONDON (AP) — Astronomers have found possible chemical signs of life on a distant planet outside our solar system, though they caution more wo… Given the high speeds of these meteors, travelling at an average 65 kilometres a second, the shooting stars may be able to carve glowing trails in the sky that last several seconds to minutes. The Eta Aquarids are the result of space debris shed from Halley's comet as it carves its path through the inner solar system — meaning stargazers will technically get a sneak peak of the comet before it can next be seen in 2061. How to watch the Eta Aquarids meteor shower from Toronto The Aquarius constellation will rise over the eastern horizon in Toronto just before 3 a.m., before moving high into the southeastern sky towards the break of dawn. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Viewers won't need special equipment to see the phenomenon — just a clear night sky and, ideally, a dark viewing spot away from city lights. Toronto's light pollution may drown out less bright shooting stars. The best time to watch a meteor shower is just before dawn, when the moon is low in the sky. Unfortunately, the moon will be nearly two-thirds full on Tuesday, which will likely reduce visibility. The weather might also complicate things. On Monday night there's a 40 per cent chance of showers, with cloud cover overnight, according to Environment Canada's forecast. Tuesday morning will be cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers. 'Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,' according to NASA. 'After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors.' With files from the Associated Press
