From: Damien Sullivan (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Date: Sat Apr 26 2003 - 11:08:30 MDT
On Mon, Apr 21, 2003 at 10:04:44PM -0700, Hal Finney wrote:
> Another series we often reference is the one Mike Lorrey mentioned,
> Iain M. Banks' novels of the Culture. Unfortunately these stories never
> stick with me so I can't remember what happens in most of the books.
But the Culture is the classic humans and super-AIs living in benevolent
harmony. Well, maybe not the *classic*, someone can probably dig up others.
But the Culture is better known now I think, and it has distinct features: the
humans neither live in reverent awe of the godlike machines, nor do the
machines hide for the sake of humanity's ego like Asimov's Machines in the
Stephen Byerly stories. There's lots of humor and irony and hedonism and a
spoiled brattiness to the humans, but they seem to perform well under sudden
pressure. The Culture also extols genetic engineering up the wazoo and a
conquest of death, also distinct features, although not unique, especially
after Ken MacLeod.
> Greg Egan has written a couple of novels we talk about. Diaspora has
_Schild's Ladder_ is the latest, I think. It's sort of like a more cheerful
and populated version of Diaspora, at least in the beginning. Sentient life
has expanded to other solar systems, unlike the Siberia shoeboxes of Diaspora.
And there are still lots of humans around, intertwined with AI tech, unlike
the apartheid situation opening Diaspora.
Egan seems to be "whaddayamean I can't write past the Singularity? Sure I
can, watch me!"
-xx- Damien X-)
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