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Inspiration: online short stories

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Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Inspiration: online short stories
Often science fiction works best in the form of short stories. This thread is for links to short stories that might add something to the EP universe. Here is a starter (via io9): http://apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2010/11/short-fiction-the-faithfu... Could be set on Mars. A very nice take both on neural damage and the One Thousand and One Nights-type of story.
Extropian
Monican Monican's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Free Radical by Shamus Young is an amazing cyberpunk story that's available free and nicely formatted here: http://www.shamusyoung.com/shocked/ It's inspired by Neuromancer and System Shock, but where Gibson's Neuromancer just sort of hand-waves all the technical stuff, this story actually goes into detail about how decking might work and how a hero might actually hack into things. It's written by a programmer.
Monican Monican's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
For something closer to non-fiction or speculative fiction, much of the economy described in the outer systems is very similar to the ideas put forth by "p.m." in his book [b]bolo'bolo[/b]. It's a very thorough description of how an anarchist reputation economy would function. Here's the pdf, pretty much the only copy in existence: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8884417/bolobolo.pdf I would be amazed if the writers of Eclipse Phase, who dedicate the core rule book to anarchists, haven't read bolo'bolo.
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Monican wrote:
For something closer to non-fiction or speculative fiction, much of the economy described in the outer systems is very similar to the ideas put forth by "p.m." in his book [b]bolo'bolo[/b]. It's a very thorough description of how an anarchist reputation economy would function. Here's the pdf, pretty much the only copy in existence: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8884417/bolobolo.pdf
Of course, most anarchist writings (or political writings in general) are fiction. :-) Getting back to sf, here is an Egan story that definitely could be from EP: http://eidolon.net/?story=Closer&pagetitle=Closer&section=fiction
Extropian
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Just noticed that Stross has put Accelerando online: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelera... Every section is full with EP-relevant ideas. AI cats, alien spam, playgrounds with lethal force, species-futures, steganographic alibi construction, Airbus-Cisco built spacecraft, high density computing evolving in worrisome directions, human/corporation half-breeds, hungry financial instruments, dangerous wormhole networks and much more.
Extropian
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Continuing the Stross theme, here is a so-EP-it-hurts story set in the present: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/toast/toast.html#ant...
Extropian
King Shere King Shere's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Stardust Memories, Manga
Quote:
Stardust Memories is a short story compilation of human beings in the distant future where we have traveled deep into space. Each story describes a moral dilemma that people traveling in space may experience which is something that we have yet to determine in the current world.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/stardust_memories/v01/c001/
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Understand, by Ted Chiang. http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/under.htm The final 'battle' might have been between Seed AGIs.
Extropian
Psiborg Psiborg's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories

I have a sneaking suspicion this was posted here recently, but forum search fails to turn it up, and it deserves to be in this thread anyway. So here you go:

Jipi and the Paranoid Chip, by Neal Stephenson.

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
A spy in Europa by Alastair Reynolds: http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/europa.htm Seems to fit EP's Europa perfectly.
Extropian
clem clem's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Posted this link in another thread, but The Cookie Monster by Vernor Vinge is a good take on moral quandries surrounding Infolife.
Monican Monican's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Monican wrote:
For something closer to non-fiction or speculative fiction, much of the economy described in the outer systems is very similar to the ideas put forth by "p.m." in his book [b]bolo'bolo[/b]. It's a very thorough description of how an anarchist reputation economy would function. Here's the pdf, pretty much the only copy in existence: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8884417/bolobolo.pdf I would be amazed if the writers of Eclipse Phase, who dedicate the core rule book to anarchists, haven't read bolo'bolo.
I was recently re-reading this great little book to try and flesh out a SCUM fleet, and an autonomist exo-planet colony (on Templeton's World). It still energizes me every time I read it.
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Inspiration: online short stories
Loc by Rudy Rucker and Bruce Sterling: http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/06/loco A gonzo look at a research project that has gone seriously wrong at some point.
Extropian