Computers, The Internet, And The End Of The World In Short Fiction
This post, The Internet Foretold (check out the Multiply mirror for the discussion), garnered a comment from To The Tale, And Other Such Concerns:
I must point out that Asimov used Multivac in at least one other short story: The Last Question, in which the little Internet-like abstract grows to become a godlike existence.
I looked for that story, read it, and responded:
I found that story, The Last Question, the one you recommended. Read it already. Interesting. It reminded me of two other stories.
The first tale that came to my mind is a popular (in its time) and very, very short story (flash fiction length, about 300 words) by Fredric Brown entitled, quite coincidentally, Answer. I first encountered Brown's story in an anthology called The Monster Anthology Of Monsters. So Brown's story was labeled as a "monster" story and not a "sci-fi" story, though I'm sure it could've worked the latter way if seen from a different point of view. Try and look for it to read, if you have time.
Reading The Last Question and Answer one after the other can give you an impression of how two authors see the end of the everything, especially with computers playing a big part in the stories.
And just for good measure, throw in Arthur Clarke's The Nine Billion Names Of God. Make it the third story to be read after those first two mentioned above. It is, again, another story about computers and the end of the universe/entropy, with mankind caught in the middle.
Thanks again for the recommendation. Hope you enjoy these other two stories I've enumerated. :)
Asimov's "Anniversary" was published in 1959, "The Last Question", in 1956. This latter story is considered by many (including Asimov himself) to be one of his best, and is mentioned alongside the canonical "Nightfall" as one of the best science-fiction short stories of all time.
Brown's "Answer", found print in 1954. I quote from Scifipedia: "perhaps the most famous sf story ever, and one that has made it into the popular culture."
Clarke's "The Nine Billion Names Of God", was printed in 1953. It was the winner (in 2004) of the retrospective Hugo Award for Best Short Story for the year 1954.
Hehehe. What is it with me and the apocalypse? :D
Please feel free to recommend other short stories about computers and the end of the world, no matter how new or how old. :)
I must point out that Asimov used Multivac in at least one other short story: The Last Question, in which the little Internet-like abstract grows to become a godlike existence.
I looked for that story, read it, and responded:
I found that story, The Last Question, the one you recommended. Read it already. Interesting. It reminded me of two other stories.
The first tale that came to my mind is a popular (in its time) and very, very short story (flash fiction length, about 300 words) by Fredric Brown entitled, quite coincidentally, Answer. I first encountered Brown's story in an anthology called The Monster Anthology Of Monsters. So Brown's story was labeled as a "monster" story and not a "sci-fi" story, though I'm sure it could've worked the latter way if seen from a different point of view. Try and look for it to read, if you have time.
Reading The Last Question and Answer one after the other can give you an impression of how two authors see the end of the everything, especially with computers playing a big part in the stories.
And just for good measure, throw in Arthur Clarke's The Nine Billion Names Of God. Make it the third story to be read after those first two mentioned above. It is, again, another story about computers and the end of the universe/entropy, with mankind caught in the middle.
Thanks again for the recommendation. Hope you enjoy these other two stories I've enumerated. :)
Asimov's "Anniversary" was published in 1959, "The Last Question", in 1956. This latter story is considered by many (including Asimov himself) to be one of his best, and is mentioned alongside the canonical "Nightfall" as one of the best science-fiction short stories of all time.
Brown's "Answer", found print in 1954. I quote from Scifipedia: "perhaps the most famous sf story ever, and one that has made it into the popular culture."
Clarke's "The Nine Billion Names Of God", was printed in 1953. It was the winner (in 2004) of the retrospective Hugo Award for Best Short Story for the year 1954.
Hehehe. What is it with me and the apocalypse? :D
Please feel free to recommend other short stories about computers and the end of the world, no matter how new or how old. :)
posted by pgenrestories at 6:51 AM
3 Comments:
I've read Nine Billion Names of God months ago and I'm still at loss why anyone here wasn't reminded of The God Equation story that won the 1st graphic/fiction awards
If I'm another person, I'd say Filipinos are such copycats
Hello, Anonymous.
I infer that you see enough of a similarity between Clarke's Nine Billion Names Of God, and Michael Co's The God Equation, to say that if you were "another person", you'd say that "Filipinos are such copycats".
That's a pretty harsh criticism to lay against Co, and even harsher to expand that to a generalization of all Fililpinos, all from your subjective judgement of Co's creative act. I'll email him and let him know what you said so he can respond, though he may not if he so chooses. I think he would be more inclined to engage you in discussion if you would identify yourself instead of remaining anonymous, so I humbly invite you to do so.
May I also ask: could you please point out specifics? Where and what parts in Co's story do you see him copying Clarke's? Please do enumerate these similarities, so readers here don't misunderstand you.
I do know of The God Equation being reviewed/critiqued/discussed in various blogs. Could someone please provide the links to these blogs too?
Thanks very much for leaving a comment, Anonymous, but please do expand and enumerate how the younger story strikes you as a copy of the older, and to identify yourself. Regards, and have a good weekend.
Er... because the resemblance is a bit vague? Because the idea has been done before? Because Michael Co throws in a lot more detailed elements that contrast against Clarke's incredible subtlety?
I mean, the notion of a God that can be explained by science is not necessarily new. Heck, Clarke probably didn't even come up with the idea completely by himself - it feels that Nine Billion Names was influenced by an Indian legend regarding an eternal mathematical puzzle that, when solved, would instigate the world's end. I mean, the earliest attempt at resolving the conflicts between religion and science that I know of was in... well... the 17th century.
I mean, I don't see where Mr. Co would be guilty of copycatting essential story elements, save for the fact that he wrote something in the same topic as another writer. He's no Clarke, yes... but was he aiming to be one that badly?
We can contrast this, of course, to the more blatant case of plagiarism that somehow got included among the other finalists in said contest. But I don't plan to open that can of worms again, or at least not at the moment.
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