Arc glows. It has been created to give insights on technologies and possible futures that hover on the horizon like mirages. Arc gives cultural significance and intellectual weight to the dizzying array of tech-advancements that rapidly alter immediate perceptions literally, figuratively and indefinitely; Arc keeps pace and a discerning eye.
From the makers of New Scientist comes digital tome Arc, specializing in ‘new fact and fiction’. Arc is substantial – Issue 1.2 is 160 pages in total, downloadable in numerous formats and a slick collectible copy; it’s no TL;DR affair, though. This publication brims with quality and verve, impassioned and accessible on a wide range of scientific forward thinking matter. Well-knowns like Margaret Atwood and Bruce Sterling sit alongside hand-selected Science Fiction new-comers. It’s a cornucopia of rich, uncanny narratives and each article is relatable, contemporary and not condescending in the least.
To whet your appetite, the tumblr drip-feed of ‘Arc behind the scenes’ is a good taster, which MONOLITH strongly recommends.
A brief skim of the content confirms that Arc is studded with literary gems – exclusive angles on existing monoliths of fantasy and science fiction are a particular draw. I was caught up with Adam Roberts in unearthing J.R.R. Tolkein’s remarkably fresh paper on beasts in literature and their problematic legacy in film. Paul Choudhury’s delightfully thorough exploration of Primer, Alex Carruth’s labyrinthian time travel masterpiece, piqued interest and set a standard for Arc 1.2 to hold up.
The publication isn’t all cinematic upheaval, though: amongst the fiction and cultural analysis, there’s substance in it’s focus on economic, political and world-views, but a buoyancy in the wit of their delivery, a play even. Which is, incidentally, the theme of issue 1.2.
Get Issues 1.1 and 1.2 in various formats including collectible Print editions at www.newscientist.com/arc.
To keep posted on updates, follow @arcfinity on Twitter and arcfinity.tumblr.com
All images taken from arcfinity.tumblr.com
