Singularity Fiction

post by shiftedShapes · 2013-02-25T22:22:39.783Z · LW · GW · Legacy · 18 comments

Contents

18 comments

I enjoy reading singularity themed sci-fi especially if it focuses on bootstrapping and power leveling.  Most recently, I read Stross and Doctrow's Rapture of the Nerds ( http://craphound.com/rotn/download/ the third part is especially interesting), and the my little pony fanfic Friendship is Optimal ( http://www.fimfiction.net/story/62074/friendship-is-optimal ).  I happened upon a link to the latter on this site and it was a nice surprise.  However, I'd prefer to be kept abreast of new releases in this genre in a more reliable way and I'm guessing many others here would as well.  Accordingly I propose that we exchange recommendations in this thread, or if there is already such a thread that somebody link to it.

 

-sS

18 comments

Comments sorted by top scores.

comment by drethelin · 2013-02-26T08:55:57.867Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

The Quantum Thief is pretty great post singularity fiction

Replies from: Gastogh, shiftedShapes
↑ comment by Gastogh · 2013-02-26T10:20:24.271Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Seconded. Granted, my sample size is pretty minuscule, but still.

And as an extra reason why LW folks might be interested in Rajaniemi's books, the second book of the series, The Fractal Prince, mentions something called "extrapolated volition" being at the heart of one of the cultures in the novels' setting.

Replies from: Kaj_Sotala, shiftedShapes
↑ comment by Kaj_Sotala · 2013-03-01T16:48:03.744Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

One of Rajaniemi's short stories (not in either of these books) even had a mention of a "Coherent Extrapolated Volition" and a brief description of what that meant, IIRC.

↑ comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-02-26T15:55:19.913Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thanks for the suggestion!

↑ comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-02-26T15:55:21.123Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thanks for the suggestion!

comment by [deleted] · 2013-02-25T23:34:06.889Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

You could find suggestions in the media thread or ask for some in the open thread.

comment by shinoteki · 2013-02-27T23:30:30.840Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect. The chapters aren't in chronological order; the bootstrapping and power leveling happen in chapters two and four.

Replies from: shiftedShapes
↑ comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-03-02T02:16:34.868Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I had read most of this many years ago...not sure why I didn't finish then but glad I did this time. Thanks for the link.

Also I think the answer is to contine to evolve and constantly push against ones limits rather than outsourcing the work andliving a life Iif leisure as the majority did after the change.

comment by lukeprog · 2013-02-26T04:57:21.281Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Broderick, Terrible Angels: The Singularity and Science Fiction.

Replies from: shiftedShapes
↑ comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-02-26T15:55:29.123Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thanks for the suggestion!

comment by knb · 2013-02-27T04:50:35.769Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

The Golden Age is a great post-singularity novel. The other two parts of the trilogy are pretty good as well.

Replies from: shiftedShapes
↑ comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-02-27T21:09:14.881Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thanks for the suggestion

comment by Eneasz · 2013-02-27T21:45:00.114Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Stross has a good Singularity novel, Accelerando.

Vinge has an interesting novel - Marooned in Realtime - that follows a group of humans who missed the Singularity and have been "Left Behind" so to speak. Not Sing Fic, but a neat concept.

Come to think of it, there's a lot of post-Singularity fiction, but very little actual "in the Singularity itself" fiction that comes to mind.

OH! Chiang's short "Understand" is an awesome watching-the-singularity-happen story, and is available here: http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/under.htm (Almost everything Chiang's ever written is brilliant, FWIW)

Replies from: Kaj_Sotala, shiftedShapes
↑ comment by Kaj_Sotala · 2013-03-01T16:50:14.103Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Did anybody else have difficulty reading Accelerando? I tried reading it once, found it boring and stopped after the first few pages, then later on got a considerably longer way in before quitting but it still took a bit of an active effort. Not sure of what the exact reason was, since I've liked some of Stross's other works (but not all of them).

Replies from: Eneasz, arundelo
↑ comment by Eneasz · 2013-03-01T18:44:41.363Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Not any more difficulty than most of his work. He uses a lot of insider jargon, but I figure most of us would know it already. If you approach it as 9 related short stories rather than expecting a single narrative it helps.

↑ comment by arundelo · 2013-03-01T19:14:24.511Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I liked it (Manfred Macx is a great extrapolation of Google Glass-style technology) but it got slow for me roughly halfway through and I'm currently stalled at the 62% point. I haven't read any other Stross (though I enjoyed the sample chapter or two that I read of Rule 34).

↑ comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-02-28T01:26:28.128Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I loved accelerando...just read the Chiang story, great but was disapointed by the outcome. I wont discuss why to avoid spoilers

comment by shiftedShapes · 2013-03-08T21:36:53.891Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I forgot to mention True Names by Doctrow and Rosenbaum. One of the best on this subject IMO.

http://archive.org/details/TrueNames