Re: the robot scenario

Eugene Leitl (Eugene.Leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Tue, 19 Nov 1996 12:18:23 +0100 (MET)


On Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Grahame, Bob D. wrote:

> maxmcorp@inet.uni-c.dk said :-
> > Does the scenario hold [...]
> It could, if we don't handle things well. While not at all Extropian in
> content, I'd recommend a reading of the unusual fantasy novel
> "Always coming Home" by Ursula LeGuin. While set in a "primitive" human

"The Dispossesed", (also by U.K. LeGuin) depicts the differences between a
socialist Libertarian anarchist (if such a thing can be imagined) social
order (which is located on the inhabitable moon) vs. vanilla capitalism
(on the mother world), from the viewpoint of an (anarchist) theoretical
physicist.

It features some nice ideas, like assignment of an unique name at birth,
usage of an artificial languager, ansibles, etc.

U.K. LeGuin is hardly an extropian writer, though.

[ snipped ]

'gene