then you should read Ben Bova and his asteroid and planets sagas starting with Precipice. -eric from the central office of the Technomage Guild, You can't take it with you Dept. On Mar 23, 2017, at 10:01 PM, Vara La Fey wrote: > "Library services dept." You have too much fun with that. > > Familiar with all of those authors, tho not big on The Bard. And I just not long ago read Williamson's "Terraforming Earth", which I really liked. His grand-scale scope and interesting use of technology reminded me a lot of "Marooned In Real-time" by Vernor Vinge, and most things by Niven and Niven/cowriters. > > Not directly dystopian - usually (but try Fallen Angels by Niven and.... uh....?), but interesting. I always loved the Baen Books compilations of "Belter" stories, where the independent-minded asteroid mining colonies declare independence from a dystopian Earth. > > I even wrote a song lyric set in that kind of universe. "This world down here is done / so count from 10 to 1 / Leave a cloud of dust on the horizon / and be free again". Etc. I don't actually think mankind will ever make it that far, but I can still hope. > > I always recommend Anthem and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and of course 1984. > > On 3/23/2017 8:37 PM, Eric Oyen wrote: >> I will recommend some authors actually, >> >> Isaac Asimov >> Robert Heinlein >> Jack Williamson (rare if you can find him) >> Arthur Clarke >> Edgar Rice Burrows >> William Shakespear (always a must to understand political intrigue) >> and many others. >> >> -eric >> from the central office of the Technomage Guild, Library Services Dept. >> >> On Mar 23, 2017, at 6:23 PM, Vara La Fey wrote: >> >>> I'm with ya, and I don't know what is required reading now. I'm afraid to find out. Assuming reading more than tweets even is required anymore. >>> >>> I grew up on hard sci-fi, prolly like a lot of us here, so dystopian fiction is definitely an influence on how I see things. As are the things themselves. Just seeing them potentially merge is scary. I'm not ashamed of being hair-triggered about that. Someone has to be. The more the better, I say. >>> What books do you recommend? But since I'm currently on 8 distinct (yet interrelated) learning curves, I don't promise to get through very many of them. I feel a bit guilty even asking, but what the hey? >>> >>> - Vara >>> >>> On 3/23/2017 6:07 PM, Eric Oyen wrote: >>>> ah yes, George Orwell should be required reading for everyone in high school or first year college. >>>> >>>> There are also some other books that might bear reading (and some of them even have a take on the current technological and political situation). >>>> >>>> -eric >>>> from the central office of the Technomage Guild, You can't take it with you dept. >>>> >>>> On Mar 23, 2017, at 5:57 PM, Vara La Fey wrote: >>>> >>>>> The "3 Minute Hate" was a reference to "1984", which the intended system of "three minutes" of semi-mandatory content reminded me of because it is an intended system of "three minutes" of semi-mandatory content. >>>>> >>>>> I don't hate anybody here, and I have no reason to think that proponents of this spyware/monitoring/chastising system do either. I merely assumed that intelligent techies near my own age would understand the reference, even if they don't agree with my comparison. >>>>> >>>>> I fully mean my criticisms of the system, of proposing to self-righteously take up time belonging to people who are not associated with you, and of it's abuse potential beyond the abuse already inherent in it. >>>>> >>>>> You don't have to be an internet techie to see that. Or to hit an overly-defensive nerve. >>>>> >>>>> On 3/23/2017 4:53 PM, Steve Litt wrote: >>>>>> On Thu, 23 Mar 2017 14:50:50 -0700 >>>>>> Vara La Fey wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Please, waste time and effort and money patenting your /spyware >>>>>>> /chaperone system that monitors web activity with the intent of >>>>>>> /creating consequences /for activity which you - or your intended >>>>>>> customer - opines is "invalid". I doubt very many people will buy >>>>>>> into it because there is no upside for them. Even when they alter it >>>>>>> to fit their own agenda, they just anger their customers who can >>>>>>> click OK for EULAs and enter logins, but cannot bypass your 3 Minute >>>>>>> Hate. >>>>>> Hate? >>>>>> >>>>>> Pot/Kettle >>>>>> >>>>>> A look back on Vara La Fey's previous posts shows Vara La Fey short on >>>>>> tech and long on very nasty criticism. >>>>>> >>>>>> Five minutes ago I procmailed Vara La Fey out of my life. >>>>>> >>>>>> :0: >>>>>> * ^From:.*VLF_email_address >>>>>> * ^(To|Cc).*plug-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>>>> $GARBAGE >>>>>> >>>>>> Anybody who agrees with me would be doing themselves a favor (and >>>>>> lowering their blood pressure) by doing the same. >>>>>> >>>>>> SteveT >>>>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>>> >>>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> >> >> >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss