Customer Reviews

Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and the Religion in the Matrix (Smart Pop series)

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Lets face it. If you're reading this review, The Matrix was more than just a movie to you. Something that you saw in it made you question, if even for a moment, the nature of reality as you have always understood it. And if you're willing to entertain that tantalizing 'splinter in your mind' awhile longer, you need to read this book.
All of the essays in this book are thought-provoking and well written, with authors ranging from prominent members of the science fiction community, to theologians, to computer scientists. All have been similarly affected by this truly remarkable movie, and all take you on their own personal tour of The Wachowski's mindbending dystopia.
Essay content ranges from comparisons of Neo with Christ and Buddha, to whether we are in fact living inside a simulated world. The two finest essays in this book (in my opinion) are by techologists themselves, one by Ray Kurzweil and another by Sun Microsystems' Bill Joy, each with a very in-depth examination of the technology behind The matrix, albeit with two very different visions of humanity's future once our technology catches up with that depicted in the movie.
If The Matrix made you question the nature of the world around you, even a little, you need to read this book. You may not like it when you discover just how far down the rabbit hole goes, but at least you might be on the right track to freeing your mind.

"Taking the Red Pill" is, as its title implies, a collection of essays that explore the scientific, philosophical, and religious content of the groundbreaking science fiction film "The Matrix". There are fourteen essays, each by a different author, and a glossary of Matrix terms as well as short bios of the contributing authors in the back of the book. The essays address a wide range of topics as they relate directly to the film: the nature of reality, the evolution of artificial intelligence, postmodern theory, Judeo-Christian symbolism, Buddhist metaphors, and the science behind the Matrix' technology. The last three essays don't discuss the film itself, but express ideas about emerging technologies which may make a Matrix-like world of human-machine interdependence a reality in our future. Editor Glenn Yeffeth has given us contributors with opposing views in many cases, so many of the essays are grouped in pairs so that we can read them in a point-counterpoint style. The very fact that "The Matrix" can be interpreted as representing both Socialist and Capitalist, Monotheist and Pantheist, Postmodernist and Crass Commercial ideals may provide the greatest insight into the film's genius and staying power. My only criticism of the book is that, among its many interesting essays, there are none that analyze the film's meaning in and of itself, as opposed to discussing its relationship to various external religious and philosophical doctrines. "The Matrix" borrows from and alludes to numerous esteemed schools of thought, but it is the film's own fascinating, complex, and thought-provoking conditions that make "The Matrix" resonate so powerfully with its audience. "The Matrix" has a philosophical identity of its own. That said, the essays that are included in this collection are thoughtful and enlightening. I recommend "Taking the Red Pill" to fans of "The Matrix " who would like to delve further into the film's iconography and implications.

THE MATRIX is arguably one of the best done, most profound movies of our time, conveying concepts of depth and wisdom in a format that appeals to a broad range of fans, and entertains as well. Only a few films manage to do this, STAR WARS, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, and LORD OF THE RINGS are among the scant examples. There is so much packed into this movie that many viewers might miss what is really there, only having fun and enjoying the spectacular FX work.

While that is not a bad thing, it would be a shame to miss all the depths hidden behind the fun, so the authors in this book have analyzed it on several levels. On a scientific front, the hows of THE MATRIX are examined, explaining the mind boggling concepts that when probed can be seen as frightening possibilities, even probabilities. However, the book's real impact is when it gets into the philosophy and religious aspects of the whole thing. It is shown to be parabolic to not only the Christian religion, but to Jews and Buddists as well. Allegories are explained and critiqued in depth.

***** If you have never seen the movie, like me, you will be prompted automatically to go out and rent it. Much of the book, despite the helpful glossary in the back, will make little sense without having seen MATRIX. After seeing it, and reading the book, learning how plausible it might be, then you will wonder about what is real. Isn't that a question that has tormented the greatest thinkers of time? This is a book not to be missed if you have a critical, yet open mind. *****

There was a reason that cyberpunk's quick-paced revival resonated with audiences, something more than Neo and Trinity's sexy androgyny, the cool effects and apocalyptic story. Audiences left the theater literally blown away; people heatedly discussed "The Matrix" in the car on their way home.

As I sat in the theater seat nearly four years ago, the screen flashing before me, I got the sense that I was on to something big. There's so much going on, so much packed into the film -- how can you even begin to address it, compartmentalize, etc?

Taking the Red Pill picks up all the threads woven into the film and gives them a good tug. The result? A vibrant plentitude of interpretation springs to view. The book is accessible. It's funny and riveting, and filled to the brim with a diversity of approaches. The intellectual vigorous debate renewed my excitement for "The Matrix."

Every essay in this book will shed new light on the way you view this world. It is so well researched, written, and edited that I'm hard pressed to find another book that I would rate so highly. There are theories presented here that will have you talking to anyone who will listen about the almost unreal possibilities these authors present. They are the top people in their respective fields and were not chosen because they just had cool ideas. They were chosen because they know what they're talking about. I can say this with some authority as one of my good friends is basically 2nd in command at the publishing company. So, do not hesitate to pick up this book and gain unbelievable new insights.

I'm an admitted Matrix junkie, and having just read this book, it's gotten even worse. If you're a newbie to philosophy, yet are a Matrix fan, get this book. It's mostly in essay form, from various writers/philosphers, and relates sci-fi literature, popular culture, and human perception to the story of The Matrix. Read it, it will open your eyes.

I enjoyed this book. But honestly it could have been better. "The Matrix" is a striking film--in my opinion one of the best movies of the decade. To me, the most gripping thing about the movie is the implicit parallel between the unreality of the parasite-controlled Matrix and the commercially-shaped Matrix of our American culture. What the average joe experiences as reality is a false world. It's a created set of impressions that don't match reality very closely, but do serve the commercial interests that foster them. Like the movie Matrix, the parasitic "matrix" of our time exploits us. It extracts our money, time, and energy to its own ends. The essays in this book were good. But the editor seemed to sidestep any serious commercial or political issues. Maybe he was hesitant to take them on. Or maybe he just didn't get it.

This anthology does a great job pulling interesting commentary on the movie together. In some ways it's more enjoyable than the movie itself. It has something of a religious bias, but so did the movie. Recommended if you're in the mood for deep thought lite.

I just finished reading this book, and WOW! With some real tought-provoking writings by some great sci-fi authors, this book is great for anyone interested in science fiction, infact, I recommend it to everyone. It covers the basic ideas behind the Matrix, along with many interesting topics, such as AI and the future evolution of robots.

Enjoy the science and philosophy of the first Matrix movie with such greats as Robert J. Sawyer, David Gerrold, and Ray Kurzweil. Chapters on machine intelligence, ethics, and our future. Truly fun and mind expanding if a tad outdated now that the other movies are out.
So, which pill would you take?