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Invaders from Mars
- gojomo 16y agoJohn Carpenter's They Live (1988) similarly draws the borderless-corporations/alien-invasion parallel. Many of Stross's comments about corporations also apply to governments. (I think the future will view nation-states as a special case of corporation, moreso than corporations as a subordinate creation of governments.) And if this is the dystopia, started in the 19th century and accelerating in the last few decades, created by these 'aliens' – well, objectively, many will prefer it to the alternatives. Life expectancy is up, war is down. The 'corporate system' has lifted a billion-plus out of poverty in the last 20 years, while the 'rival paradigm' of Communism that Stross notes once 'held [the corporate system] at bay' gave people none of economic comfort, social freedom, or political voice.
- jokermatt999 16y agoHe's also touched on this in Accelerando somewhat. He had corporations combined with AIs to create an economic situation far beyond human understanding.