4 ms·

David Foster Wallace predicted not only that, but its rise and fall. http://declineofscarcity.com/?page_id=2527 http://declineofscarcity.com/?page_id=2527

Balgair 7y ago
Great Read! I'm reminded of a Nebula(?) Award winning short story about hive-rats interacting with nobility in the 'future'. The nobility is shrouded in apperance/voice/stim tech such that the AIs are more the person than anything. A princess is brought to the under-city by her father to a shop that can fix the princess' tech, as it is malfunctioning. The daughter of the shop owner tries to peer into the princess' life and psyche as the shop owner tries to fix the princess. The princess has implants that stimulate her face, voice, and body to say the right things at the right times, to move the right way, that changes her face via lightsheets to be most beautiful to the observer she is with, that causes her to say just the right thing at just the right time and be increbily witty. But the daughter of the shop owner tries to peer through the tech to see the woman behind the veil. She discovers that the person behind it all is nearly mute and has the intelligence of an infant. The tech had been installed before ego formation and the person behind it all didn't really exist. She discovers it is also true of the man that brought the princess down to them too. The entire nobility is essentially faking it. I am SO sorry that I cannot find the link to the actual story. If anyone has the title or author, I would love to know!
- peorthyr 7y ago
  I'm really curios about it, do you remember at least the year?
- lostphilosopher 7y ago
  Do report back if you find it! I'll check it out. Part of the premise of the Deus Ex games (thinking specifically of Mankind Divided) is "augmentations" that can make people better in all kinds of ways, but are generally only available to the wealthy elite which leads to all kinds of trouble. What happens when the "elite" don't just seem better - but objectively (and universally) _are_ by real measures. Longer and more accurate memories, longer life spans, more knowledge of their surroundings, better judges of character, stronger, faster, smarter - etc. Not necessarily "faking it" they really do remember more, but that's because they can store their memories in a chip in their head. All at a cost that prevents the 99% from having these advantages. (Though, the progress made by these folks can be broadly beneficial.) Yes, yes, I know somebody is already itching to comment that this is present state - I'll leave you to it.
  - lstamour 7y ago
    It vaguely reminds me of Ann Leckie’s Ancillary books, which if I recall correctly have the rats, underworld, technology, and more, but it might not be it as it doesn’t have the light sheets etc, I think... I’m trying to figure out where I’ve heard this one before, it sounds familiar...
KUcxrAVrtI 7y ago
Turns out I need to read the Infinite Jest.
rambojazz 7y ago
Predicted when? I wish there were a date attached to that page.
- scotteh 7y ago
  Published in 1996, but it appears he began writing it in the late '80s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest

Balgair 7y ago

Great Read! I'm reminded of a Nebula(?) Award winning short story about hive-rats interacting with nobility in the 'future'. The nobility is shrouded in apperance/voice/stim tech such that the AIs are more the person than anything. A princess is brought to the under-city by her father to a shop that can fix the princess' tech, as it is malfunctioning. The daughter of the shop owner tries to peer into the princess' life and psyche as the shop owner tries to fix the princess. The princess has implants that stimulate her face, voice, and body to say the right things at the right times, to move the right way, that changes her face via lightsheets to be most beautiful to the observer she is with, that causes her to say just the right thing at just the right time and be increbily witty. But the daughter of the shop owner tries to peer through the tech to see the woman behind the veil. She discovers that the person behind it all is nearly mute and has the intelligence of an infant. The tech had been installed before ego formation and the person behind it all didn't really exist. She discovers it is also true of the man that brought the princess down to them too. The entire nobility is essentially faking it. I am SO sorry that I cannot find the link to the actual story. If anyone has the title or author, I would love to know!

peorthyr 7y ago
I'm really curios about it, do you remember at least the year?
lostphilosopher 7y ago
Do report back if you find it! I'll check it out. Part of the premise of the Deus Ex games (thinking specifically of Mankind Divided) is "augmentations" that can make people better in all kinds of ways, but are generally only available to the wealthy elite which leads to all kinds of trouble. What happens when the "elite" don't just seem better - but objectively (and universally) _are_ by real measures. Longer and more accurate memories, longer life spans, more knowledge of their surroundings, better judges of character, stronger, faster, smarter - etc. Not necessarily "faking it" they really do remember more, but that's because they can store their memories in a chip in their head. All at a cost that prevents the 99% from having these advantages. (Though, the progress made by these folks can be broadly beneficial.) Yes, yes, I know somebody is already itching to comment that this is present state - I'll leave you to it.
- lstamour 7y ago
  It vaguely reminds me of Ann Leckie’s Ancillary books, which if I recall correctly have the rats, underworld, technology, and more, but it might not be it as it doesn’t have the light sheets etc, I think... I’m trying to figure out where I’ve heard this one before, it sounds familiar...

KUcxrAVrtI 7y ago

Turns out I need to read the Infinite Jest.

rambojazz 7y ago

Predicted when? I wish there were a date attached to that page.

scotteh 7y ago
Published in 1996, but it appears he began writing it in the late '80s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest