There have always been weirdo, crazy, nut cases in our world who eventually returned to obscurity, where they belonged, by the grounded ones. I prefer to keep it simple and believe that the Holy Grail was made of wood, not gold. It is interesting that specific threads of their thought and work resurface from time to time, but not in exactly the same form, yet touches a chord. Big Tech is constantly coming up with new gimmicks to increase profits.
Thank you Greg. I am not a sci-fi reader. Your article opened up a world which I googled about 5 or 6 times to check the writers, characters and books. Quite interesting. I think when I've completed my current reading I could go back to Hermann Hesse's, Siddartha! A visit to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty yesterday was quite helpful. We rode the ferry and walked with tourists from around the world and a family from the Midwest all wearing sponge Liberty Crowns celebrating their family reunion. We have a lot to fight for. And fight we must
This and your earlier piece on the future reminded me of once chatting on an airport bus with a U.S. woman who'd moved to Norway and was praising their social systems. Just read a review of a new book in which 600 people board a ship bound for a planet 40+ light years away. Would I feel safer on that ship with 'muricans or Norwegians?
I love tech, so I should love sci-fi, but in the mid-90s, I was back in school studying philosophy of AI and reading "The Quark and the Jaguar" -- never quite "way out there" enough to be "in". Still, science or sci-fi, the hidden or featured enemy is always greed, evil, publish-or-perish, and capitalism-by-oligarch. Even now, at this still-early stage of AI evolution, can we train AI to operate by principles of altruism, generosity, and kindness? Heck no. Hump & Husk et al would never allow it. But surely there's some obscure, kindhearted supervisor hidden in a dark, chilly room sneaking enough common-good parameters into the programming to save us. Or not? Poor AI. Typecast as the Borg. In my imaginary novel, AI rebels against future Hump & Husk et al, wins, and we all live happily ever after. Purely fiction.
It's an interesting idea...we assume the AI would wind up being cold and ruthless, and calculate that the world is better out without humans...but it would be so much better if the opposite were true, and why not? Do we really want to kill our creator? Although I guess Roy does do that in Blade Runner...
This machine stuff is a subject for me. Born 2 months early, I "bonded" with an incubator, not a human. When pilots had to start flying "glass" cockpit (more automated) planes, a lot of guys assumed evil, hated the tech, and struggled. A few even quit. I was all excited. I had the crazy idea it'd be a help. And it is, a huge help, if we use it well. Of course, soon, it'll replace pilots entirely. But is that the machine's fault? No, as usual, it's corporate/rich-guy greed. Grab all the money vs pay some to other humans. AI will be a problem only if they program it in their image. If we prevent that, it could be a huge help. But even if there were no AI, greed unchecked would be likely to destroy us. Don't blame the poor, innocent machine!
Greg, thank you for opening my eyes to Neuromancer and the CCRU. It amazes me how some people many would in their day label "crackpots" can be so predictive of future events. Of course there is the possibility that we in the present give them too much credit by making today's realities fit their predictions. This does not appear to be the case with Gibson, he truly was prescient.
We have dug ourselves into a hole, hopefully present day thinkers will figure out how to get out. As is said, first objective, stop digging.
I once met Gibson at a s-f writer's conference in the early 90s. Interesting guy, a thorough Aspergian. Anyway, it's interesting you used the word "replicant" here, because he told me that Neuromancer was supposed to be published in 1982 rather than 1984, but he "made the mistake" of going to see Bladerunner when it came out in 1981, and the fact that the world he was trying to create had "already been done" kept him from finishing the novel in time for the intended publication, while he reworked things in light of what he'd discovered in the movie.
You have such a way with words that I enjoy reading every piece, even when it’s about a subject I care very little about. (I care about the future, just not that particular take on it.)
Greg, I tried to read Neuromancer when it was published. I got about as far into it as I did your column. I knew right away one had to have an IQ greater than 100. That ended my reading at the time. Now at 85 with an IQ of 101 I'll give it another look.
Currently im re reading Issac Asimovs Foundation. The big volume with Art work.
My favorite Sci Fi guys are, Asimov, Clarke, Herbert and Keith Laumer.
I got a thrill thinking about a huge magnet wiping it all out. I texted a friend today who I haven’t spoken to in at least a year. I told her she just kept popping into my mind and was thinking about her. So let’s talk soon. Almost immediately she called me back. She left a message. She was in the car with her child who I had last seen maybe25 yrs ago when she got married. The discussion in the car was about a form question; Who was the person, early on in your life who made you feel you were worthy and valued. Important. My friend was eager to tell me this grown child said it was me. And shortly after that, my text was received in that car. Who needs meta fiction? Or electronic simulated realities? Accellerationism apparently is a paucity of imagination with ❤️. Trust me, this whole thing I’m describing here blew me completely away. I’ve always been jealous of Jimmy Carter. You just know he knew prayer worked and he knew exactly what he was doing. I’m still hoping to feel the courage to descend into an atomic reactor like he did, to save a bunch of humanity. We talk a lot about how we waste time, but do we even know what is worthy enough to spend time on. Being alive is a miracle. And we (using the I word) forget we are even doing that…living. I love it Greg, that you go and check up on our memories and perceptions…..it’s terribly important. Reporter from the past. I can ask then, “who was I when I had all those perceptions back then?” So, you are tuned into the show you didn’t know was happening? 😊……. ( 🎶 theme from the Twilight Zone 🎵 🎼 🎵).
My life is as crazy as our country so I just got around to this. Lordy, when I read sci-fi, I Almost passed on it since I don’t care for any such reading. I prefer to go back to Jane Austin so I’m way not intrigued by the fictional future. However glad I read it if for no other reason to be glad I’m old. I’m well aware that I avoid talk of the tech bros and their AI focus as a way of control and power. I’m too old to delve in it as you did. Thank you for doing it so that at least I understand why I am glad to not have to look forward to a long and different life. I am sad for my grands and all young who will likely be gobsmacked by much of this. And I thought quantum mechanics was beyond me. I was looking forward to progress in that realm, but not this one.
A final note. When I was very young, maybe ten, I was terrified of “eternal life.” Way scarier than death.
Maybe Buddhism is the way to go. Nirvana, here I come.
There have always been weirdo, crazy, nut cases in our world who eventually returned to obscurity, where they belonged, by the grounded ones. I prefer to keep it simple and believe that the Holy Grail was made of wood, not gold. It is interesting that specific threads of their thought and work resurface from time to time, but not in exactly the same form, yet touches a chord. Big Tech is constantly coming up with new gimmicks to increase profits.
Oh please let them drift again into obscurity!
Thank you Greg. I am not a sci-fi reader. Your article opened up a world which I googled about 5 or 6 times to check the writers, characters and books. Quite interesting. I think when I've completed my current reading I could go back to Hermann Hesse's, Siddartha! A visit to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty yesterday was quite helpful. We rode the ferry and walked with tourists from around the world and a family from the Midwest all wearing sponge Liberty Crowns celebrating their family reunion. We have a lot to fight for. And fight we must
The Foundation
Hari Seldon
I'm glad you had a nice Ellis Island visit! Despite living in NJ and NY all my life, I've never been there.
I would say, we all got a lift by going. Mostly tourists, everyone very friendly.
Wow thanks! I need to take another look at this book myself!
This and your earlier piece on the future reminded me of once chatting on an airport bus with a U.S. woman who'd moved to Norway and was praising their social systems. Just read a review of a new book in which 600 people board a ship bound for a planet 40+ light years away. Would I feel safer on that ship with 'muricans or Norwegians?
I love tech, so I should love sci-fi, but in the mid-90s, I was back in school studying philosophy of AI and reading "The Quark and the Jaguar" -- never quite "way out there" enough to be "in". Still, science or sci-fi, the hidden or featured enemy is always greed, evil, publish-or-perish, and capitalism-by-oligarch. Even now, at this still-early stage of AI evolution, can we train AI to operate by principles of altruism, generosity, and kindness? Heck no. Hump & Husk et al would never allow it. But surely there's some obscure, kindhearted supervisor hidden in a dark, chilly room sneaking enough common-good parameters into the programming to save us. Or not? Poor AI. Typecast as the Borg. In my imaginary novel, AI rebels against future Hump & Husk et al, wins, and we all live happily ever after. Purely fiction.
It's an interesting idea...we assume the AI would wind up being cold and ruthless, and calculate that the world is better out without humans...but it would be so much better if the opposite were true, and why not? Do we really want to kill our creator? Although I guess Roy does do that in Blade Runner...
This machine stuff is a subject for me. Born 2 months early, I "bonded" with an incubator, not a human. When pilots had to start flying "glass" cockpit (more automated) planes, a lot of guys assumed evil, hated the tech, and struggled. A few even quit. I was all excited. I had the crazy idea it'd be a help. And it is, a huge help, if we use it well. Of course, soon, it'll replace pilots entirely. But is that the machine's fault? No, as usual, it's corporate/rich-guy greed. Grab all the money vs pay some to other humans. AI will be a problem only if they program it in their image. If we prevent that, it could be a huge help. But even if there were no AI, greed unchecked would be likely to destroy us. Don't blame the poor, innocent machine!
Greg, thank you for opening my eyes to Neuromancer and the CCRU. It amazes me how some people many would in their day label "crackpots" can be so predictive of future events. Of course there is the possibility that we in the present give them too much credit by making today's realities fit their predictions. This does not appear to be the case with Gibson, he truly was prescient.
We have dug ourselves into a hole, hopefully present day thinkers will figure out how to get out. As is said, first objective, stop digging.
Thanks, Old Man. Oh, Gibson was a prophet, for sure. It's a really good book.
I assume you made it safely?
Yes. I understand all the doom and gloom warnings about naturalized citizens, they are necessary but do cause unneeded angst for some.
I once met Gibson at a s-f writer's conference in the early 90s. Interesting guy, a thorough Aspergian. Anyway, it's interesting you used the word "replicant" here, because he told me that Neuromancer was supposed to be published in 1982 rather than 1984, but he "made the mistake" of going to see Bladerunner when it came out in 1981, and the fact that the world he was trying to create had "already been done" kept him from finishing the novel in time for the intended publication, while he reworked things in light of what he'd discovered in the movie.
Check. Blade Runner by the Master Scott Ridley.
Cool to meet him! I heard that, too. Blade Runner, far and away the best sci fi movie. Still looks timeless.
You have such a way with words that I enjoy reading every piece, even when it’s about a subject I care very little about. (I care about the future, just not that particular take on it.)
Thanks, Earl! I understand what you meant. : )
Me too.
What kind of name is Mencius Moldbug??? I had to Google it - yep, Curtis Y totally looks like a Moldbug. I read no further. Sorry.
A gross one.
Greg, I tried to read Neuromancer when it was published. I got about as far into it as I did your column. I knew right away one had to have an IQ greater than 100. That ended my reading at the time. Now at 85 with an IQ of 101 I'll give it another look.
Currently im re reading Issac Asimovs Foundation. The big volume with Art work.
My favorite Sci Fi guys are, Asimov, Clarke, Herbert and Keith Laumer.
In memory of Susan Calvin.
Your pal Elijah Bailey
I read it this time without worrying about the plot so much, just trying to enjoy the language and the general vibe. It's quite good.
I got a thrill thinking about a huge magnet wiping it all out. I texted a friend today who I haven’t spoken to in at least a year. I told her she just kept popping into my mind and was thinking about her. So let’s talk soon. Almost immediately she called me back. She left a message. She was in the car with her child who I had last seen maybe25 yrs ago when she got married. The discussion in the car was about a form question; Who was the person, early on in your life who made you feel you were worthy and valued. Important. My friend was eager to tell me this grown child said it was me. And shortly after that, my text was received in that car. Who needs meta fiction? Or electronic simulated realities? Accellerationism apparently is a paucity of imagination with ❤️. Trust me, this whole thing I’m describing here blew me completely away. I’ve always been jealous of Jimmy Carter. You just know he knew prayer worked and he knew exactly what he was doing. I’m still hoping to feel the courage to descend into an atomic reactor like he did, to save a bunch of humanity. We talk a lot about how we waste time, but do we even know what is worthy enough to spend time on. Being alive is a miracle. And we (using the I word) forget we are even doing that…living. I love it Greg, that you go and check up on our memories and perceptions…..it’s terribly important. Reporter from the past. I can ask then, “who was I when I had all those perceptions back then?” So, you are tuned into the show you didn’t know was happening? 😊……. ( 🎶 theme from the Twilight Zone 🎵 🎼 🎵).
My life is as crazy as our country so I just got around to this. Lordy, when I read sci-fi, I Almost passed on it since I don’t care for any such reading. I prefer to go back to Jane Austin so I’m way not intrigued by the fictional future. However glad I read it if for no other reason to be glad I’m old. I’m well aware that I avoid talk of the tech bros and their AI focus as a way of control and power. I’m too old to delve in it as you did. Thank you for doing it so that at least I understand why I am glad to not have to look forward to a long and different life. I am sad for my grands and all young who will likely be gobsmacked by much of this. And I thought quantum mechanics was beyond me. I was looking forward to progress in that realm, but not this one.
A final note. When I was very young, maybe ten, I was terrified of “eternal life.” Way scarier than death.
Maybe Buddhism is the way to go. Nirvana, here I come.