In a message dated 99-06-10 01:28:04 EDT, mnielsen@theory.caltech.edu (Michael Nielsen) wrote:
> Neal Stephenson's newly released best-seller "Cryptonomicon" contains
This is the third time I've seen this happen. In Greg Bear's "Slant" extropians are mentioned (in a perhaps not too favorable way -- it's a little ambiguous) and the group is more prominently featured -- and ultimately favorably -- in Alan Steele's "A King of Infinite Space".
> I'm about a third of the way through the book at present. It's showing
> considerable promise as a novel, less as a hard science fiction story ---
> not many new ideas, but an interesting human side.
I'm also about a third of the way through the book and think it is marvelous. In terms of literature, per se, Stephenson is the best science fiction author working today, IMHO. I sincerely hope this book succeeds as a "crossover" piece beyond the "literary ghetto" of science fiction.
Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
"Civilization is protest against nature;
progress requires us to take control of evolution."
-- Thomas Huxley