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I remember reading several of these in school, as school assignments. I remember being surprised years later to find how recent they were, as well as how uncont
by bsanr2 6y ago
I remember reading several of these in school, as school assignments. I remember being surprised years later to find how recent they were, as well as how uncontroversial their inclusion in the curriculum was.
On that note, kinda sad that they chose "True Names" over "Fast Times at Fairmont High" for Vinge's entry. Though I haven't read the former, the latter reads like TN's description, except for phenomena that haven't fully unfurled their existence and possibility yet. AR glasses, anyone?
https://www.scribd.com/document/139440129/Fast-Times-at-Fairmont-High https://www.scribd.com/document/139440129/Fast-Times-at-Fair...
- ghaff 6y agoI'm actually not sure I have read that and I will have to. True Names was much earlier and I think probably more prescient as a result. (And I personally read it during that earlier period so my reaction is probably much different.) ADDED: It's also very much a story about people, not just technology.
- bsanr2 6y agoI would not be surprised if Vinge considered RE an update or reboot of TN, because they share many qualities. TN was prescient because a lot of what it imagined came to pass. I think RE ultimately will be, too; we're just in the middle of watching it unfold. I think that's profound. We haven't seen a massive pitched battle between players of Pokemon Go and some other fandom (Vinge thought it would be Terry Pratchett fans, but I'm thinking Yu-Gi-Oh or Harry Potter stans are more likely), but just you wait.
- rootbear 6y agoI love True Names, it is an absolute gem. I got Vinge to sign my copy of "True Names and Other Dangers", a collection of his short stories.
- pmontra 6y agoI recommend Vinge's Rainbows End https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbows_End https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbows_End Smart contact lenses, books digitization, rejuvenation, etc.
- bsanr2 6y agoFast Times is essentially the short-story "pilot" for Rainbows End, which is, yes, fantastic. If you like the former it justifies the longer time commitment of the latter. I recommend it as much as possible, and one of my pet hopes is that it ends up getting a Ghibli-style film adaptation. https://imgur.com/Aa9PQaC https://imgur.com/Aa9PQaC