5 ms·

Ian M. Banks novel “surface detail” comes to mind. Please note it is better than the tawdry wiki write up. Somehow, it gets similar points across — similar t

by tobmlt 6y ago

Ian M. Banks novel “surface detail” comes to mind. Please note it is better than the tawdry wiki write up. Somehow, it gets similar points across — similar to this essay, but deeper in feeling. Let me also say the authors here have done really well with so short a format. To paraphrase my toddler son, I want more story!

kybernetikos 6y ago
These guys now have godlike powers. Most stories that start there quickly move to how such power corrupts those who have it, or at the very least separate them from their humanity. Either that or a government agency figure it out (how? That could be interesting) and plays the part of the antagonist / devil. These guys seem nice, and surprisingly already mentioned ethical implications early, so their corruption might take longer or develop along unexpected paths. The aspect where exercising various powers requires coding time first could lead to some fun race-against-time scenarios. I do wish the featureless sphere had been a utah teapot instead. I think leaving it at that point was the right choice for the story. But if I were to speculate what a continuation might look like it would involve Diane having planned all this all along to put right some tremendous wrong that happened to her and she is manipulating Tim in some way. Ultimately I expect we'd come to the question of whether ten billion human brains in vats experiencing continuous ecstasy was better than something more like the current world or not.
- konjin 6y ago
  >These guys seem nice, and surprisingly already mentioned ethical implications early, so their corruption might take longer or develop along unexpected paths. It's hard to treat people below you worse when you know that he people above you will do the same thing if you do. It's an unstable equilibrium made stable by the fact it's already happened. Put another way, you won't start tap dancing on someones head when you're in the middle of an infinite tower of tap dancers each standing on another tap dancers head.
  - Viliam1234 6y ago
    You could treat simulations of other people worse, and the simulation of you better. (Assuming you are the guy who controls the computer at all levels.)
    - FooHentai 6y ago
      Simulate yourself twice and conduct a little A/B testing.
      - kybernetikos 6y ago
        That would be a fun idea, some sort of intervention that stops the universe it manifests in from doing the intervention to the universe below. That would split the universes into odd-numbered and even-numbered universes.
FridgeSeal 6y ago
I was the under the impression that everything on qntm is by one author.
SyzygistSix 6y ago
I loved Surface Detail. It has my favorite Ship Mind and Class in it :)
GordonS 6y ago
I've been an avid fantasy fan since forever, but I'm a relative latecomer to sci-fi novels. I recently finally completed making my way through all of the Culture novels - thoroughly enjoyed every one, and was kind of sad to have reached the end! Have you come across any other sci-fi authors that approach the style of Ian M. Banks? Otherwise, any recommendations for other sci-fi with the depth that the Culture series had?
- RangerScience 6y ago
  The Culture novels are fairly unique (although I'd probably say that about most excellent things). There's some decent fanfic out there (You Just Need Opponents With Gravitas, alas it's stalled out for the second time). "Iron Sunrise" and "Singularity Sky" come to mind. Maybe also "Quantum Thief". What of the style / vibe / etc are you looking for more of?
  - GordonS 6y ago
    As far as sci-fi goes, the entire Culture series is about the sum of my experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I read Liu Cixin's Three Body Problem a few years back, but didn't like the writing style (I know of course it was a translation), and much of the story seemed implausible even in the world that was created. IIRC, I couldn't bring myself to complete the series. If it helps, some fantasy authors I like are Joe Abercrombie, Terry Pratchett, Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Dave Duncan and Brent Weeks. I like excellent character development, creative world-building and exciting stories that are plausible within those imagined worlds, wit that makes you laugh, good writing that has you marvel at the author's skill, and that special thing: immersive writing. Beyond that, as a noob I don't know if there are sub-genres or particular styles of interest. I had a quick gander at your suggestions, and the stories of Singularity Sky and Quantum Thief both sounds intriguing - I'll add these to my reading list, thanks :)
    - RangerScience 6y ago
      Well, you've got your epic fantasy, and your personable... Dan Simmons (Hyperion saga, Olympus), Rameez Naam's "Nexus". Nick Harkaway's "Gnomon" is ridiculously good, and I basically buy anyone who wants one a copy of Cory Doctorow's "Walkway". Theodore Sturgeon is probably the closest SF I can think of to Pratchett, although he's Golden Era so suuuuper soft SF and doesn't have the humor. Bujold's "Vorkosigan" saga is one of the funnier SF books (while still being amazing and serious), and I hear good things about Scalzi's "Redshirts" PS - Also checkout out what Hannu and Rameez get up to outside of writing, it's super cool.

by tobmlt 6y ago

kybernetikos 6y ago

These guys now have godlike powers. Most stories that start there quickly move to how such power corrupts those who have it, or at the very least separate them from their humanity. Either that or a government agency figure it out (how? That could be interesting) and plays the part of the antagonist / devil. These guys seem nice, and surprisingly already mentioned ethical implications early, so their corruption might take longer or develop along unexpected paths. The aspect where exercising various powers requires coding time first could lead to some fun race-against-time scenarios. I do wish the featureless sphere had been a utah teapot instead. I think leaving it at that point was the right choice for the story. But if I were to speculate what a continuation might look like it would involve Diane having planned all this all along to put right some tremendous wrong that happened to her and she is manipulating Tim in some way. Ultimately I expect we'd come to the question of whether ten billion human brains in vats experiencing continuous ecstasy was better than something more like the current world or not.

konjin 6y ago
>These guys seem nice, and surprisingly already mentioned ethical implications early, so their corruption might take longer or develop along unexpected paths. It's hard to treat people below you worse when you know that he people above you will do the same thing if you do. It's an unstable equilibrium made stable by the fact it's already happened. Put another way, you won't start tap dancing on someones head when you're in the middle of an infinite tower of tap dancers each standing on another tap dancers head.
- Viliam1234 6y ago
  You could treat simulations of other people worse, and the simulation of you better. (Assuming you are the guy who controls the computer at all levels.)
  - FooHentai 6y ago
    Simulate yourself twice and conduct a little A/B testing.
    - kybernetikos 6y ago
      That would be a fun idea, some sort of intervention that stops the universe it manifests in from doing the intervention to the universe below. That would split the universes into odd-numbered and even-numbered universes.

FridgeSeal 6y ago

I was the under the impression that everything on qntm is by one author.

SyzygistSix 6y ago

I loved Surface Detail. It has my favorite Ship Mind and Class in it :)

GordonS 6y ago

I've been an avid fantasy fan since forever, but I'm a relative latecomer to sci-fi novels. I recently finally completed making my way through all of the Culture novels - thoroughly enjoyed every one, and was kind of sad to have reached the end! Have you come across any other sci-fi authors that approach the style of Ian M. Banks? Otherwise, any recommendations for other sci-fi with the depth that the Culture series had?

RangerScience 6y ago
The Culture novels are fairly unique (although I'd probably say that about most excellent things). There's some decent fanfic out there (You Just Need Opponents With Gravitas, alas it's stalled out for the second time). "Iron Sunrise" and "Singularity Sky" come to mind. Maybe also "Quantum Thief". What of the style / vibe / etc are you looking for more of?
- GordonS 6y ago
  As far as sci-fi goes, the entire Culture series is about the sum of my experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I read Liu Cixin's Three Body Problem a few years back, but didn't like the writing style (I know of course it was a translation), and much of the story seemed implausible even in the world that was created. IIRC, I couldn't bring myself to complete the series. If it helps, some fantasy authors I like are Joe Abercrombie, Terry Pratchett, Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Dave Duncan and Brent Weeks. I like excellent character development, creative world-building and exciting stories that are plausible within those imagined worlds, wit that makes you laugh, good writing that has you marvel at the author's skill, and that special thing: immersive writing. Beyond that, as a noob I don't know if there are sub-genres or particular styles of interest. I had a quick gander at your suggestions, and the stories of Singularity Sky and Quantum Thief both sounds intriguing - I'll add these to my reading list, thanks :)
  - RangerScience 6y ago
    Well, you've got your epic fantasy, and your personable... Dan Simmons (Hyperion saga, Olympus), Rameez Naam's "Nexus". Nick Harkaway's "Gnomon" is ridiculously good, and I basically buy anyone who wants one a copy of Cory Doctorow's "Walkway". Theodore Sturgeon is probably the closest SF I can think of to Pratchett, although he's Golden Era so suuuuper soft SF and doesn't have the humor. Bujold's "Vorkosigan" saga is one of the funnier SF books (while still being amazing and serious), and I hear good things about Scalzi's "Redshirts" PS - Also checkout out what Hannu and Rameez get up to outside of writing, it's super cool.