On Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 8:34:34 PM UTC-4, David Johnston wrote:
> On 2023-03-19 11:50 a.m., Thomas Koenig wrote:
> > Suppose you're an aspiring SF writer 60 years ago, 1963.
> > Through some *hand wave*, you get access to information about
> > what has happened in the meantime - technology, major events,
> > social changes etc, Internet, social media, you name it, and
> > you decide to write a major novel set in 2023.
> >
> > What would you write about?
> Whatever it was, it would have to be heavy on the internet since that's
> the most science fictiony thing about actual 21st century life.
> Sometimes I think about how far you'd have to go back in time for a
> modern story to work as science fiction and it's usually pretty far back
> unless someone in the story has a strong online involvement

The earliest story I can think of that was clearly Internet inspired is "True
Names" by Vernor Vinge (1981). However, most non-computer people didn't
really become internet aware until 1993, which had both The September Which
Never Ended, and the introduction of the NCSA Mosaic browser, which
brought the WWW.

pt

In article <6e71cd33-1087-427a-8000-2fcc1acc58d2n@googlegroups.com>,
pete...@gmail.com <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 8:34:34 PM UTC-4, David Johnston wrote:
>> On 2023-03-19 11:50 a.m., Thomas Koenig wrote:
>> > Suppose you're an aspiring SF writer 60 years ago, 1963.
>> > Through some *hand wave*, you get access to information about
>> > what has happened in the meantime - technology, major events,
>> > social changes etc, Internet, social media, you name it, and
>> > you decide to write a major novel set in 2023.
>> >
>> > What would you write about?
>> Whatever it was, it would have to be heavy on the internet since that's
>> the most science fictiony thing about actual 21st century life.
>> Sometimes I think about how far you'd have to go back in time for a
>> modern story to work as science fiction and it's usually pretty far back
>> unless someone in the story has a strong online involvement
>
>The earliest story I can think of that was clearly Internet inspired is "True
>Names" by Vernor Vinge (1981). However, most non-computer people didn't
>really become internet aware until 1993, which had both The September Which
>Never Ended, and the introduction of the NCSA Mosaic browser, which
>brought the WWW.

ObA Logic Name Joe: A Logic Named Joe.

Poul Anderson came very close to imagining the World Wide Web in his
1971 The Byworlder... except for the detail all output was hardcopy.

ObThe Machine Stops: The Machine Stops.

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My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

pete wrote:
> David Johnston wrote:
>> Thomas Koenig wrote:
>> > Suppose you're an aspiring SF writer 60 years ago, 1963.
>> > Through some *hand wave*, you get access to information about
>> > what has happened in the meantime - technology, major events,
>> > social changes etc, Internet, social media, you name it, and
>> > you decide to write a major novel set in 2023.
>> >
>> > What would you write about?
>> Whatever it was, it would have to be heavy on the internet since that's
>> the most science fictiony thing about actual 21st century life.
>> Sometimes I think about how far you'd have to go back in time for a
>> modern story to work as science fiction and it's usually pretty far back
>> unless someone in the story has a strong online involvement
>
> The earliest story I can think of that was clearly Internet inspired is "True
> Names" by Vernor Vinge (1981). However, most non-computer people didn't
> really become internet aware until 1993, which had both The September Which
> Never Ended, and the introduction of the NCSA Mosaic browser, which
> brought the WWW.

Nobody expects the Vanish Imposition...

"We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters"

"You promised me Mars, and all I got was Facebook"

Danke,

--
Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php
telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God.
tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.

pete...@gmail.com wrote:

>On Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 8:34:34 PM UTC-4, David Johnston wrote:
>> On 2023-03-19 11:50 a.m., Thomas Koenig wrote:
>> > Suppose you're an aspiring SF writer 60 years ago, 1963.
>> > Through some *hand wave*, you get access to information about
>> > what has happened in the meantime - technology, major events,
>> > social changes etc, Internet, social media, you name it, and
>> > you decide to write a major novel set in 2023.
>> >
>> > What would you write about?
>> Whatever it was, it would have to be heavy on the internet since
>>that's the most science fictiony thing about actual 21st century
>>life. Sometimes I think about how far you'd have to go back in
>>time for a modern story to work as science fiction and it's
>>usually pretty far back unless someone in the story has a strong
>>online involvement
>
>The earliest story I can think of that was clearly Internet inspired
>is "True Names" by Vernor Vinge (1981). However, most non-computer
>people didn't really become internet aware until 1993, which had both
>The September Which Never Ended, and the introduction of the NCSA
>Mosaic browser, which brought the WWW.

Last year I discussed a 1969 story - "Five Way Secret Agent" by Mack
Reynolds. Part of that discussed technology:

For a 1969 book, it had some definite hits. In the US, everyone not
only has but is required to have a "TV phone". That serves as a
combination phone, information device (although through the government
National Database), payment device, and identification. Not exactly a
modern smart-phone, but in the ballpark.

The government can also track people and use it as a listening device
as needed. While there aren't home computers as we know it, the larger
TV in the home came be used to access data and make orders for delivery
etc. And of course the government can spy through it. Those in the know
have shielded rooms with no TVs.

Brian

On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 8:36:30 PM UTC-6, Default User wrote:

> Last year I discussed a 1969 story - "Five Way Secret Agent" by Mack
> Reynolds. Part of that discussed technology:

> For a 1969 book, it had some definite hits. In the US, everyone not
> only has but is required to have a "TV phone". That serves as a
> combination phone, information device (although through the government
> National Database), payment device, and identification. Not exactly a
> modern smart-phone, but in the ballpark.

> The government can also track people and use it as a listening device
> as needed. While there aren't home computers as we know it, the larger
> TV in the home came be used to access data and make orders for delivery
> etc. And of course the government can spy through it. Those in the know
> have shielded rooms with no TVs.

Hmm. Sounds like Mack Reynolds was inspired by 1984, but just decided that
he would update the technology by making the telescreens portable.

John Savard

Quadibloc wrote:

>On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 8:36:30 PM UTC-6, Default User wrote:
>
>> Last year I discussed a 1969 story - "Five Way Secret Agent" by
>>Mack Reynolds. Part of that discussed technology:

>Hmm. Sounds like Mack Reynolds was inspired by 1984, but just decided
>that he would update the technology by making the telescreens
>portable.

Well, 1984 was about a lot more than that. In general, things in
Reynolds's America aren't too bad. It's democratic, at least at the
time, with a decent dole for those that can't or don't work (although
you lose the right to vote).

It's best not to leap to conclusions without reading the actual work.
Of course, some people here seem able to leap to erroneous conclusions
even AFTER reading the work.

Brian

On 7/27/2023 8:35 PM, Default User wrote:
> Quadibloc wrote:
>
>> On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 8:36:30 PM UTC-6, Default User wrote:
>>
>>> Last year I discussed a 1969 story - "Five Way Secret Agent" by
>>> Mack Reynolds. Part of that discussed technology:
>
>> Hmm. Sounds like Mack Reynolds was inspired by 1984, but just decided
>> that he would update the technology by making the telescreens
>> portable.
>
> Well, 1984 was about a lot more than that. In general, things in
> Reynolds's America aren't too bad. It's democratic, at least at the
> time, with a decent dole for those that can't or don't work (although
> you lose the right to vote).
>
> It's best not to leap to conclusions without reading the actual work.
> Of course, some people here seem able to leap to erroneous conclusions
> even AFTER reading the work.
>
Well, patting ourselves on the back and leaping to conclusions are a
major part of our exercise regimen.

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dirty old man.