Review of Universal Basic Income: Ragnarok

[Guda Lydia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Universal Basic Income: Ragnarok" by Gregory Sulface.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

‘The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.’- Isaac. Universal Basic Income: Ragnarok by Gregory Sulface is a collection of thought-provoking poems that portray a clear picture of the unfortunate way we operate and interact with each other. The poems discuss topics like government and corporate corruption, mental health issues, data and data privacy issues, climate, and other systemic concerns. All these are in deep and abstract discussions and arguments.

‘Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing’ by Orwell is among the several quotes within each poetry piece that provoke reflection and add weight to the poems. The quotes are from real-life historical figures like Socrates, artists, and iconic fictional characters like Dr. House and Raymond Reddington. Each poem is profound and systematically highlights the problems we face, leaving one in deep thoughts about life and existence.

Gregory opted for a unique style for the poems, where his thoughts are in a conversation format rather than the typical stanzas. The conversations are mainly between three or four parties, and the dominant characters are Anonymous, Dr. Blind, and a third or fourth character. The characters are realistic, and one can even deduce personalities from them like Anonymous, who constantly tells the blunt truth. The author also employs wordplay and phrases with double meaning and draws comparisons and metaphorical lessons from the fictitious world, like the concept of ‘knowhere’ in Guardians of the Galaxy.

My favorite aspect of the read is the graphic page backgrounds that maintain a science and technology theme throughout the book. Each poem and page has a different background within the scientific world, from robotics to space exploration and a simple depiction of human life and reality. This makes the read engaging and captures the reader’s attention. However, the poet heavily draws his arguments and illustrations from science fiction television series like The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, and many more. Consequently, readers who do not know these shows or the genre may find the book a bit difficult to read or comprehend.

I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors, evidence of the book’s exceptional and excellent editing. The language employed is relatively simple but with significant cases of complex words and phrases. For instance, some sentences are in symbolic language, and words like keratotomy refraction require some research to comprehend the meaning. Overall, Universal Basic Income: Ragnarok creatively highlights issues that ail the world and why. It induces reflection on a personal, social, and global level. I recommend it to readers who appreciate drawing lessons from both real and fictional scientific advancements and are ready to perceive the unfortunate reality we have created. Therefore, I give the book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. However, the book relates best to readers familiar with a variety of science fiction series and shows.

******
Universal Basic Income: Ragnarok
View: on Bookshelves

[Urvashi Tripathi]

As you said, each poem and page has a different background of scientific world, I'm excited to give it a try. As all poems show's more reality of todays world, I hope I'll love reading this book. And I want to know, author's work on The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor. Thank you for your amazingly written review.

[Asma Aisha Ansari]

This sounds like a book to be read and re-read. I've added it to my 'want to read' list already.
Your review is both captivating and enlightening. Thanks for writing such a great review

[Khushboo Barwar]

I think of poetry as a way to escape the reality. I don’t think I would find corporate corruption, data privacy, governmental affairs, that captivating. Thanks for the review.