GoodReads.com is taking off as a social reading and recommendation platform.

This seems like a good opportunity to remind the thinkers and Hive Minds at QuizAxeHatRack they might want to check into the novel, Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson (Life isn’t all Snowcrash). Not only will the Hive get exposed to neat topics like Van Eck phreaking but a really neat chapter going on about RIST.

“RIST is a bit-pattern designator is a random series of bits used to uniquely identify a RIST. For example, the organism traditionally designed as Earth (Terra, Gaia)has been assigned the designator 0577. This Web site is maintained by 11A4 which is a hive mind. RIST 11A4 assigns bit-pattern designators with a pseudo-random number generator. This departs from the practice used by that so-disant ”hive mind” known to itself as the East Bay Area Hive Mind Project but designated (in the system of RIST 11A4) as RIST E772. This ”hive mind” resulted from the division of ”Hive Mind One” (designated in the system of RIST 11A4 as RIST 4032) into several smaller ”hive minds” (the East Bay Area Hive Mind Project, the San Francisco Hive Mind, Hive Mind 1A, the Reorganized San Francisco Hive Mind, and the Universal Hive Mind) as the result of irreconcilable contradiction between several different semantic memes that competed for mind-share. One of these semantic memes asserted that bit-pattern designators should be assigned in numerical order, so that (for example) Hive Mind One would be designated RIST 0001 and so on. Another meme asserted that numbers should be organized in order of importance, so that (for example) the RIST conventionally known as the planet Earth would be RIST 0001. Another semantic meme agreed with this one but disagreed as to whether the counting should begin with 0000 or 0001.Within both the 0000 and 0001 camps, there was disagreement about what RIST should be assigned the first number : some asserted that Earth was the first and most important RIST, others that some larger system (the solar system, the Universe, God) was in some sense more inclusive and fundamental.

A hive mind is a social organization of RISTs that are capable of processing semantic memes (”thinking”). These could be either carbon-based or silicon-based. RISTs who enter a hive mind surrender their independent identities (which are mere illusions anyway). For purposes of convenience, the constituents of the hive mind are assigned bit-pattern designators. The genetic part of the memomes share 99% of it’s contents with the data set produced by the Human Genome Project. This should not be construed as endorsing the concept of of speciation (i.e., that the continuum of carbon-based life forms can or should be arbitrarily partitioned into paradigmatic species) in general, or the theory that there is a species called ”homo spaiens” in particular. Also, The semantic part of the memomes are still unavoidably contaminated with many primitive viral memes, but these are being gradually and steadily supplanted by new semantic memes generated ab initiao by rational processes. ”

Good read…

Popularity: 2% [?]

Share This

To spare you a lengthy background story check out TheGridLive.com for photos, and some additional clues. (Yes Stone…you are on the right track.) The story line below is the first arc, or perhaps a prologue. More to come as we prepare the official Primula Rasa blog.

To quote TheGridLive.com on the Primula Rasa Second Life build…

What happens when a well known, experienced and multi-talented Second Life avatar squares off against a well known real-world security and e-commerce guru whose connections go all the way to film? Something is brewing in SpellCaster next to Primula Rasa, first mentioned here. “Tensions mount as Federated Funds are cutoff. Techno Wizards, Spell Casters, and Magicians collide, cast and spread their fiery magic, armed with the arcane tools, runes, relics and stones thought long forgotten.” Are you ready to choose sides?

If only I was as formidable as Timeless Prototype…This is not quite a virtual war, think of this simulation more as two schools of thought locked in contest. Currently the sims (islands) are not complete, but moving steadily, however feel free to tour around the beta status (or if you have any input, grand ideas and are skilled at execution- let us know- via notecard- IMs in world are obviously to many to manage.). More answers are to come…for now here is the introduction.

Message to Recipients

You have been selected, if you so choose, to participate, as much as you wish, in an epic experiment and you will be asked to make a selection…choosing either the side of science (Prototypers- lead by Timeless Prototype or the Chevalians- lead by Corwin Chevalier)- these are actual avatars who also serve as character archetypes. The experience is ongoing and will span four sims or more during an unknown length of time.
The project is is still under beta build status now. At this point you need take no action, but if you choose just let either individual General or their aids of your interest. This is a primarily non-violent simulation, in real-time, using symbols, song, art and immersion to model different ways educators and businesses can utilize 3D worlds. Goals are to study system dynamics, micro-transactions and other aspects of 3D media immersion.

Back Story Credits: Corwin Chevalier, Vladimir Petrichor

The Prototypers and the Chevaliens have traveled to this world (Delphic) to study the evolution of knowledge as it occurs in “less advanced” people capable of developing “functional” intelligence, in an effort to further their own understanding of how the “great civilizations” of the universe came to be.

In essence, they seek to discover clues as to “how” and “why” they have advanced to such a high stage in evolution, while so many others remain nothing more than what some would consider primitives…or animals at best. A ruling was put forth by the Council of the Galactic Consortium of Lemnus in order to end the rivalry that, based on Seldone Entropical Theory, could cause serious unrest and economic upheaval.

This task, upon completion, would determine which of the two schools of thought would be next in line to lead all advanced life of the known metaverse and access to the rare and precious Genetadox vaccine. The Consortium power structure, by law, must change hands once a millennium. These laws were enacted through the passing of the Genetic Longevity Caste Act due to the much longer life spans granted after genome mapping was completed and stem cell mining was legalized leading to the creation of Genetadox. Also, perhaps, in the process, solve one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

(Pragulus Rex, the prolific philosopher, interjects that as human, we must often wonder and debate as to how we have developed our self proclaimed intellectual superiority over that of other life forms. It might be reasonable to believe that species more advanced than our own, e.g. intellectually, would be even further removed from this knowledge as it pertains to their own species.)

As the two competing power houses via for control of the next 100 years, the Chevaliens and Prototypers are well known for their sometimes greatly opposing viewpoints as to what the true determining aspects of knowledge may be. Not to mention the winning party would gain access to the rare Genetadox vaccine granting that group an abnormally long life span.

Well known for their unsurpassed technological advancements, the Prototypers, archetypal scientists, eagerly hypothesize that it is the advancement of logic and scientific deduction that comprise the true semblance of knowledge. Long have they held to the theory of the Great Algorithm of the Universe, and believe that this research will bring them leaps and bounds closer to writing the final proofs needed to explain it all.

The Chevaliens are believers and crusaders…in every essence of the word. Their faith and mystical approach to the universe has led them to uncover secrets that cannot be imagined or understood by outsiders. It is supposedly drawn from the lore of Earth’s ancient Sumer and a deity named Tiamiat. Tiamiat is a dragon and one of their primary power symbols. In their eyes the mind is more than a collection of neurons and cranial fluid capable of incredible calculation, but perhaps the vessel for things less tangible and supernatural. They believe that while science is worthy a chivalric “moral code” and spreading of this code is more important above all else. Not even one’s death should stop its replication and some say that the code can be modified to ensure it can survive.

For both, a singularity exists. Every answer often uncovers twice as many questions…whether the means to such answers are those of science or mysticism.

And so, the two parties sought out a primitive place of proper potential- Project Primula Rasa in the far flung Delphic System. Working hand in hand with one another, yet competing all the same…as they via to be the one party who could discover the answers to the origins of knowledge would gain control over the consortium and therefore the funding and political power of the entire metaverse as a whole and longevity.
Small, pink and vaguely simian were their candidates- or so believed. Simple tool users- still living in caves, or huts, spear fishing, and having just discovered the basic secrets of fire…a perfect specimen with which to begin their study over the evolution of knowledge. Yet life on Primula Rasa wasn’t quite that simple…

Pragulus Rex

Additional notations of Pragulus Rex postulate the theory that as thinking beings evolve from their base and primitive state, they first past through a period of “knowledge through faith”. During this stage of intellectual evolution a species will invariably determine the things that are “known” through intense belief in facets of reality that cannot be directly proven.

To some this may seem a simple example of primitive ignorance, however, during this stage a species will also be much more capable of attuning to the less explainable and tangible aspects of existence.

As the species progresses, it is likely, though not absolute, that they will develop a greater logical understanding of the world around them. Such logical understanding often leads to a drastic waning of belief in things that cannot be proven in a logical manner. Logic coincides with a sense of skepticism that in turn generates doubt toward aspects of reality not displayed physically as “fact”. Such skepticism, while useful in many ways and often the driving force behind many scientific discoveries, will usually lead to a deterioration of “faith” both among individuals and the populace at large.

Some would argue that such deteriorating senses of belief in things that cannot be proven can eventually lead to stagnation and corruption of that which may or may not exist as a “soul”.

It is at this point in the evolution of knowledge within a given species of thinking beings, that a crossroad is reached. While rarely an “active” decision, the path will then be set for it to continue its evolution through a means of logic in things that can be proven, or belief in that which cannot.

Few, if any, beings show a capacity to balance the two…as is evidence by the aeon’s of competition between the superlative masters of the respective thought processes. Were a group of beings truly capable of mastering and balancing both forms of knowledge, it is quite possible that their intellect and achievements would dwarf that of all other known species.

The Third Group

“…a possible mastery of balance between the superlative disciplines of knowledge could lead to a complete understanding of the universe as a whole.”
Pragalus Rex circa 227189

The above quote perhaps illustrates the defining concept of those oft shunned members of the Primula Rasa project, though it may have had nothing to do with their development.

Though we will refer to these individuals hereafter as a “group”, this is a reference only in the slightest sense of the word. Not possessed of an organized structure in themselves, they hold a distinct commonality in the fact they are detached from their origins among the ranks of the Prototypers and Chevaliens. This is not the result of any criminal punishment in any classic sense, but simply a separation from their organizations due to a lack of conviction toward the systems in which they were initially raised.

(*To human understanding, this may seem similar to the concept of losing one’s religion as would an Amish follower who has made the choice to follow the ways of the “english”. Though, this may not make sense in areas that have no Amish population.*)

The Prototypers and Chevaliens, being the generally accepted masters of their respective paths in the pursuit of all knowledge, began the Primula Rasa project with the intention of discovering clues that would lead them to a more complete understanding of the universe. This undertaking occurred in a somewhat competitive manner, as each group hoped to demonstrate that their own path to understanding was superior to that of the other. However, being greatly advanced beings in every sense of the idea, this competition was quite genial and research proceeded in a fashion that would be seriously understated with a label of “gentlemanly”. The two groups worked hand in hand during the Primula Rasa project, sharing discoveries and comparing theories in a fashion much like Bohr and Einstein….

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share This

I started into micro lending to help out entrepreneurs in 3rd world nations. Let me go back to how and why. I am a curious cat…

I am glad I found John Hunter’s information packed blog after his science fiction comment on Ender’s Game…(one of the few who read all the novels I think…ok I suffered through them all.)

John, among others, left some feedback on my science fiction ponderings.

At any rate thanks John for your comments on science fiction and I am glad (can’t quite match you) you got me moving in making a difference. In my Kiva case I was able to fund the remainder of a loan for this lady.

Saleh Lie is forty-years old and married with one child. She sells clothes and with her previous loans she diversified her business so that she now sells onions, sauce pans, tomato paste, etc. Saleh also opened a small shop in Kabala’s market and employed her nephew to run it. She is planning to expand her business and build a small family house. Saleh said she would like to save some income to build a small house for her grandchildren. She is requesting a loan of $275 to expand her inventory.

My action was based on his blog post that I found after John had left some feedback on Ender’s Game.

John said:

Ender’s Game is great. Another point, Valentine and Peter engage dueling mock personas. They don’t just impersonate one person they impersonate both and then debate with each other (and if I remember right at some point one debates the mock personas against each other by themselves). Though maybe this stuff takes place in Speaker for the Dead.

And that effort is not to have the mock personas win or lose directly but rather through the public debate shape the way real people think and view issues in a way that Val and especially Peter want.

Ender’s Game, and Sci-Fi, Podcasts from Jeff Doak on Ambient Findability to Social Comments on to Twitters among other Sci-fi readers seeing it as a blueprint and I circle around and micro fund- alltogether new to me…micro media and being social. It changes us- our behaviors. If you think about it- someone far away is able to fund their business, move on, get help, whatever… I know because after quite some time I was surprised to get an update, by e-mail about Saleh Lie who has made her first repayment.

Via E-mail

The business you have loaned to, Saleh Lie, has made a repayment of
$28.00. The total amount repaid is now $56.00. This repayment will be
divided amongst all the lenders who helped to fund this business,
depending upon the percentage each lender contributed.

Please note that these funds will not be credited to your Kiva account
until the loan is repaid in full or when the loan term is complete. At
that time, you will be able to withdraw these funds from Kiva.org or to
re-lend these funds to a new business.

Kiva.org is a great way to give and you can take the money out or keep lending it to another person. I hope someone picks up the baton and microfunds- let me know. Thanks to all of those who caused this social chain reaction. Sometimes Good things happen to good people we just seem to talk more about the bad.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Share This

IT UNFOLDS PART DEUX

In case you missed it Eldritch Errors Part II has commenced and was shot in the mountains of West Virginia. (See Production Crew) My only regret was not being able to make the journey due to health so I have to be content with story line development and watching it unfold. I do regret missing my acting debut, then again, maybe the world is better for it. Oh the lament as this ARG (not sure if that fits or just immersive fiction) was in my home state.

For marketers or story tellers, or SIM builders or anyone wanting to see the style of creation dissected I refer you to http://www.schmeldritch.com.

THERE IS AN ERROR IN MY SOUP
Eldtrich Errors

the story

You are a Sentry, part of a group that discovered something unspeakable in April 2007, something that has pursued you ever since. Together we are Providence, part of a dream prophecy about a city in chaos that fills the nightmares of B.A. Saint-Feline, who does not dream alone. This is your story, this is our story.
Book 2 (09.07): Scream in the Mountains

“Two minutes later, another cat came into the room. It was black as midnight, and as large as the biggest dog. It lay down among the red-hot coals, lazily batting them with enormous paws. Then it walked over to the other cat and said: ‘What shall we do with him?’

“The first cat replied: ‘We should not do anything until Emmet comes’.”

- “Wait Until Emmet Comes,” traditional folktale as retold by S.E. Schlosser

When JJason dared the Conclave to contact him via a maildrop, he didn’t imagine that the shadowy group would take him up on the offer. The letter from Exu hinted at answers, included the strange annontations and symbols he wrote on a map of swan migrations. The more we looked into the map, the more we found stories of telescopes, quiet zones and things hidden in the mountains of the Virginias. Exu implied whatever we had stumbled into was related to these tantalizing bits. That investigation lead us to fragments in a filesharing system from Dr. Elizabeth Riley — a presentation, a poem, a song and yet another map. Together, they suggested our world is full of unexplained noises, including something called the “Scream” in the Virginias responsible for the collapse of a radio telescope. What is Exu trying to tell us, and what have we gotten ourselves into?

OBSERVATION POINTS

From Eldritch http://www.eldritcherrors.com/about.php

protagonist

As an immersive experience, the story is as much about you and your experiences as it is any fictional creation. You will find yourself interacting with others, real and seemingly real, throughout your stay. The discoveries that you make, alone or together, can change your entire experience. The world may have been conceived by us, but the story is yours.

Brian Clark of GMD has always been light years ahead of the pack and I am fortunate to call him a mentor and collaborator on many strange projects. This is where I and others feel “advertising” might head. An experience of immersion where the backdrop is created, but people interact and move the story along. Sound familiar? Think Audi: Art of the Heist, or Sega’s Beta-7.

This one tackles the dangers of computer security in a way that is downright scary and meant to be. Challenging the one immersed to really think about “Pressing OK”. Because you SHOULD think long and hard…

computer security

Oh, the dangers that lie hidden in the bits and bytes swirling around us on a daily basis. The Sentry Outpost is filled with experts on all matters of computer security and, although danger will always be lurking in the shadows, the integrity of both your machine and your mind is of great concern. Don’t fear your lack of technical prowess; there is always somebody close at hand with a deeper understanding of these matters, and you’re always in a position to learn more. The question of “how” may often be asked, but it is no more important than the question of “why” - a question that even the most innocent computer user can answer.

Why computer security with Lovecraft? After years of fighting in the trenches I still do not feel we are getting the message across, and it truly is disheartening. What better way to teach than to immerse? It is no secret Clark plucked me up (used) as a primary character (I can say no more), but you can get his take here on Sentries.

Chris Boyd (a/k/a PaperGhost) and Wayne Porter are Sentries in a very real sense of the word. Capturing a taste of what their experience is like when they track down malware and the people behind it was part of the inspiration for the Sentry Outpost and what horrors might be waiting out there for you to discover. In the right circles, their exploits are legendary — not only for revealing whole new types of threats, but also for the sense of snarky humor with which they document those discoveries.

Snarky humor is more a function of Boyd’s legendary style and he had no idea… Aye- sorry Chris.

I still think the computer security industry could take clues from this model and there must be a push toward education. Paperghost’s VitalSecurity.org is a good start and some of the work at Spywareguide.com Blog hits the ribs. It is in the story telling and not dry reports and numbers that reach people. If we can reach people and entertain while we do it we might reform some of the more wanton and dangerous behaviors. That was my hope at least. The current path is not working and not enough is spent on prevention.

For that matter marketers, teachers, advertisers, even virtual world creators in Second Life or anyone creative or wanting to rise above the din might look at this and wonder if story telling is a more effective way to rise above the clutter of messages that people are barraged with everyday. I think so. However it is not easy and takes a talented crew to pull off a full-blast campaign. The number of cogs and wheels that must turn would astound a Swiss watch maker.

STILL PLAYING

NOW PLAYING: The Scream in the Mountains - CATCH UP & JUMP IN. Dive in or play it safe and watch from the sidelines…

Popularity: 7% [?]

Share This

I have made some posts on science fiction, how the masters of science fiction can inspire us, and some great comments have popped up on the blog and via e-mail…to recap just a few…

From John Hunter

Ender’s Game is great. Another point, Valentine and Peter engage dueling mock personas. They don’t just impersonate one person they impersonate both and then debate with each other (and if I remember right at some point one debates the mock personas against each other by themselves). Though maybe this stuff takes place in Speaker for the Dead.

And that effort is not to have the mock personas win or lose directly but rather through the public debate shape the way real people think and view issues in a way that Val and especially Peter want.

Adam Metz

Wayne, you may also like the interview I did with Noam Cohen on the relationship between sci-fi and Web 2.0; it’s posted here.

Andrew Wee

Wayne,
Given your preference for alternate realities, i’m surprised you didnt add philip k dick’s do android’s dream of electronic sheep, starship troopers in there too…

Piers Anthony’s Xanth and Incarnations of Immortality and Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion series are good for a mindset/paradigm shift too.

Kadigan Says in response to Paying Attention, Earning Attention:

They noticed the patterns of networking effectiveness across several technologies/industries at a focused point in time.

Mastermind groups (Napoleon Hill) need a common distraction to allow for the psychological need of individuals necessary for sub-conscious involvement leading to advanced creativity.

Fiction is creativity. Bound by the need for scientific premise. The group of authors have a pre-determined motivation to develop theoretically probable solutions to commonly perceived issues of the times. Both - the one of and the one in.

Angel Djambazov

Along with your three examples I would through in Tad Williams’s Otherland series. When I first “stepped into” SL I immediately thought of that particular novel and it feels more appropriate the more time I spend in SL. Particularly in regard to the concept of “citizens”.

Ron says

Kurt’s avatar in Second Life also continues to exist, although without a pilot. It’s kind of a fascinating topic - similar to MySpace pages of deceased individuals.

What will happen to these phantom digital identities? In Second Life, Linden Lab doesn’t delete accounts just because someone dies.

Also, side-note, the broadcast center itself was built by Infinite Vision Media for LCMedia, and the broadcast of the four-part special was a joint project between the two.

…and let’s not forget this post on a podcast with Jeff Doak talking Ambient Findability and William Gibson from another writer making connections.

Thank you all.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Share This

Let’s recall an old article, and some book recommendations. Starting with Ender’s Game, an important blue print.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books): Ender Wiggin battles it out with the Formics in this Hugo-Award-winning novel that is perhaps the quintessential guide for the new blogging metaphor. Pay special attention to Peter and Valentine as they control the nets through alternate personas. Make special note of the protagonist’s psychological development and monitoring by the “Mind Fantasy Game.”

…”they control the nets through alternate personas”…pretty bold.

- Identity Case One: involving a fake Google Project Manager promising an Apple scoop.

- Identity Case Two A fellow incredibly pulls off months of being a fake Steve Jobs, going as far as creating a unique pysche during the narrative and nicknames for Gates and Google Execs. Sad it will go…or will it? Fortuanately we have the “real” Steve Jobs hanging with us at Twitter- and RL Steve Jobs has no interest in the fake steve- kind of old school.

While fleeting examples this is important. The first didn’t get far, the second- did “something” and this goes on all over. Not trite little message board posts, but on far grander scales. Remember, unless identity is authenticated, you really don’t know.

Blue prints are guides…I wrote about the Ender’s Game blogging metaphor at Revenews long ago, and one person had even keener observations into Ender Wiggen, note our thoughts are in parrallel and we never knew each other. He found me, by paying attention to the same details, same instinct, and went even further with a keen eye. So people are paying attention…You must battle the many distractions…you will have to earn it. A little attention can go a long way and quality counts, but quality is RELATIVE.

I know some of you have written in asking what the hell this means… and one person offering an interpretation (Send Them in). Yes it is intentionally charged and loaded with symbols and memes from very minute details to big strokes. Some I didn’t realize until after I put it together (subconsciously?) and others that well- it is so Ev’ing Obvious…

What does it mean for you?

What could it mean to you?

Pay attention if it intrigues you because in some cases every detail is important and while I am no artist you should be able to get major themes. This is good- it helps you think- it helps me think.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share This

Time to fly out and Scoble is up Twittering already which means…it is his move and I am out of energy.

Let me call your “attention” to a few tidbits about “attention” before my flight.

The long scrabble game in Facebook between myself and Robert are important aspects of attention. Because conversations on what is relevant are what you should be paying attention too- like opening up silos, are meetings chance or socialization, and new worlds.

I penned an article a year ago about Second Life (they should pay attention) for Revenue Magazine (blog)…(I think I was on vacation then.). Don’t worry about the Second Life material- pay attention to what I am asking you to pay attention too (in bold). I even say “attention”.

From the now old piece- in Internet time.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books): Ender Wiggin battles it out with the Formics in this Hugo-Award-winning novel that is perhaps the quintessential guide for the new blogging metaphor. Pay special attention to Peter and Valentine as they control the nets through alternate personas. Make special note of the protagonist’s psychological development and monitoring by the “Mind Fantasy Game.”

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (Bantam Spectra Book): Snow Crash is a fast-paced romp through cyberspace laced with satire and dark humor. The novel weaves everything from Sumerian mythos to visions of a postmodern civilization ready to fall. Readers should pay close attention to the Sumerian elements and how the culture of Sumer used a primordial language for control. In addition, the novel explores themes of reality, imagination and thought, all in the context of a virtual world experiencing a state of rapid decay. This has useful applications when studying the groups and behavior of citizens in a purely digital world like Second Life.

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson (Putnam Adult): The science of pattern recognition aims to classify data based on previous experience and through statistical mining of patterns. In this contemporary novel, the readers explore the concept of “cool spotting,” which has been in use in marketing for many years, through the eyes of Cayce Pollard. Pollard is an incredibly intuitive market-research consultant. Marketers should get an idea for new metrics and perhaps new ways to measure the efficacy of campaigns as well as the importance of looking ahead for future trends.

Yes- reading old books (and note I didn’t outright say say pay attention to Pattern Recognition- we aren’t there yet) and there are more books not yet listed here. The most common complaint is “I don’t have time”. You will have time if you pay attention and keep communications / information - compressed, efficient, fast and accessible and in tandem try to earn attention so the right information comes to you. That is how you have time to do research- digging back into time and old books that had some very spot on observations. This will mean unlearning some habits which is not easy.

How did the authors figure out what they did when they did?

Forward thinking is valuable. My theory?

Probably because they were paying attention.

ADDENDUM: Almost missed a comment from Adam Wentz on books I cited to read (mostly vintage science-fiction) - this great podcast on sci-fiction narrative and business.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Share This

Fictional world lover? Try http://www.galaxiki.org/.

“Galaxiki is a virtual galaxy with over a million stars and solar systems - each star, each planet and each moon represents one wiki page and site members can name and edit them, creating an entirely fictional world. It’s also possible to “purchase” a star or a solar system, so that only you (and not other community members) can name and edit it.”

Neat. Hat tip on this find to Sam Harrelson. My vacation started today…appropriately with major network problems (I am still working on)…perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something.

My wife picked up a copy of Phillip Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” for my vacation reading…with an introduction by the sorely missed Roger Zelazny, touched upon here, as I covered China Mieville and New Weird.

Interestingly enough the last Harry Potter book hits the shelves tonight at midnight and Mieville’s latest foray entitled- “Un Lun Dun” is certainly targeting that crowd. People can knock Harry Potter all they want- the fact that kids are lining up to buy a book- matters.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share This

A conversation with a talented creator (I would call her a Kwisatz Haderach) lead me to this book- Aristoi. I haven’t read it it yet, and was warned it was not for neophytes. It makes Neuromancer and Ender’s Game pale in comparison with regard to discussions about the “The Grid” or upcoming Grids if you will…if you have read it, please chime in. I am wondering if “control of their daimones” is related to the Alexandrian, Greecian, concept of the daimone and the possible rise of post-humanism or the digital self becoming more important than the physical? In her view our current status in the 3D is hardly nascent, and barely infantile. Where does this leave our influencer networks?

From Publishers Weekly
In this complex and rewarding novel, Williams (Days of Atonement) has created a future which features many of the wonders SF has been promising us for years: virtual reality, genetic engineering, faster-than-light travel, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, telepathic links with computers, and more. Perhaps most interesting is that people have control of their daimones, different aspects of personality that are given specific names. The class system remains: the aristoi are the seemingly perfect humans who wield power and influence; in fact, some worship them as gods. An aristos named Gabriel discovers a conspiracy among three others of his class, who have created several worlds that are barbaric, with little technology and rampant disease and sickness. They have also killed other aristoi to cover their tracks and violated the sanctity of the Logarchy, the massive, open computer network that links all humans. In a nice touch, Williams renders several scenes in two columns of text on the page, the left describing the action, the right Gabriel’s internal dialogue with his daimones. And in one delicious scene Gabriel has sex with two different women at the same time–one in virtual reality, one in real space.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In the far future, an elite class of individuals–called aristoi–rules an interstellar empire through the benign, disciplined mastery of advanced technologies. Beneath the facade of universal prosperity, however, lurks a tide of dissension and madness that can only be fought from within. Williams ( Voice of the Whirlwind , LJ 5/15/87; Days of Atonement , LJ 3/15/91) tests the borders of imagination in a novel that combines brilliant hard science and speculative vision with a firm grip on the central humanity of his characters. A priority purchase for sf collections.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Share This

Ripped right out of Wikipedia.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Arthur C. Clarke, major work on alien contact, artificial intelligence, and interplanetary exploration

A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) by Walter M. Miller, Jr., definitive work of post-apocalyptic fiction

Alas, Babylon (1959) by Pat Frank, major work of post-apocalyptic fiction
Just read it and microchunk your thoughts.

Childhood’s End (1953) by Arthur C. Clarke, major work on alien contact and the transformation of humanity

Cyteen (1988) by C. J. Cherryh, pioneering work on bioengineering

Darwin’s Radio (1999) by Greg Bear, major work on evolution

The Dispossessed (1974) by Ursula K. Le Guin, pioneering work on utopian/political Sf

Dorsai! (1959) by Gordon R. Dickson, definitive work of military science fiction

Downbelow Station (1981) by C. J. Cherryh, major work on interstellar conflict

Dune (novel) (1965) by Frank Herbert, pioneering work on environmental and economic science fiction

Ender’s Game (1985) by Orson Scott Card, definitive work of interstellar conflict and human prodigy

Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury, major work of political dystopian future

The Forever War (1974) by Joe Haldeman, definitive work on the consequences and limitations of interstellar conflict

Foundation (1951; some parts as stories beginning in 1942) by Isaac Asimov, groundbreaking work on galactic civilization

The Fountains of Paradise (1979) by Arthur C. Clarke, inventing the concept of the space elevator

Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley, pioneering work on the creation of artificial life and dangers of scientific experimentation

On the Beach by Nevil ShuteI, Robot (1950; collection of stories from 1940 on) by Isaac Asimov, seminal work on robots and artificial intelligence

The Lensman series (1937-1954) by E. E. “Doc” Smith, important early works of space opera

Lord of Light (1967) by Roger Zelazny, definitive work on technology as a path to deification

The Man in the High Castle (1962) by Philip K. Dick, profound alternate history novel

Man Plus (1976) by Frederik Pohl, major work on technological adaptation to environment

The Mars trilogy (1992-1996) by Kim Stanley Robinson, definitive work on terraforming

Mission of Gravity (1953) by Hal Clement, seminal work on world-building

Neuromancer (1984) by William Gibson, definitive cyberpunk novel

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell, pioneering political dystopia novel

On the Beach (1957) by Nevil Shute, pioneering work of post-atomic war fiction

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert Heinlein, definitive work of political SF on space colonization

Ringworld (1970) by Larry Niven, pioneering hard SF work on astronomical engineering

Starship Troopers (1959) by Robert Heinlein, major work of military SF

Startide Rising (1983) by David Brin, major work on bioengineering and interspecies conflict

Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) by Robert Heinlein, major work of sociopolitical commentary in SF

The Time Machine (1895) by H. G. Wells, definitive early work on time travel

The War of the Worlds (1898) by H. G. Wells, pioneering work on alien conflict

Popularity: 5% [?]

Share This

Recently deceased, and one of my famous authors, Kurt Vonnegut lives on- at least for me- and damn is he funny! Odd to think of his recent death happening while i was unaware and pondering Asimov, Robotics, Nanontechnology and Engines of Creation. They were both humanists too- he and Isaac Asimov.

It is a bit surreal in the world of Second Life- he is hysterical- the quotes and quips are fantastic. Slaughterhouse Five is a must read…among others. This makes me so sad….he is gone, but he is so alive (verbally) and expressive in the metaverse.

So now I have to ask- what will be the effect on humanity if we interact in “avatar form” for long periods? After we die we leave “almost spectral” after images of ourselves? Think about that…for a moment…and reflect.

Back to Kurt Vonnegut. He even graded his own books…(Kwisatz Haderach Award)

In Chapter 18 of his book Palm Sunday “The Sexual Revolution,” Vonnegut states that the grades “do not place me in literary history” and that he is comparing “myself with myself.” The grades:

Player Piano: B
The Sirens of Titan: A
Mother Night: A
Cat’s Cradle: A-plus
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: A
Slaughterhouse-Five: A-plus
Welcome to the Monkey House: B-minus
Happy Birthday, Wanda June: D
Breakfast of Champions: C
Slapstick: D
Jailbird: A
Palm Sunday: C

About Clip: the national, weekly public radio program The Infinite Mind made broadcast history as it aired a four-part special taped inside the three-dimensional virtual on-line community Second Life. Among those interviewed in front of a live virtual audience were author Kurt Vonnegut. This is a machinema video of Vonnegut’s interview taped inside Second Life, on the 16-acre virtual broadcast center built by Lichtenstein Creative Media, which produces the program. The host is John Hockenberry.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This