Permutation City (1994)

Post by brookst » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 2:03 AM UTC

caskstrength wrote: post #123

surprisetalk wrote: post #6

My book review from last September: > Reads like a “consciousness and computers are cool” story written by an engineer. A few incredible ideas padded by weak storytelling and philosophical exposition. Probably would’ve been better as a short story. [0] https://taylor.town/books#permutation-city If you like this book, I recommend Accelerando , Piranesi , Dick's Ubik , and Ted Chiang's collections.

> If you like this book, I recommend Accelerando, Piranesi, Dick's Ubik, and Ted Chiang's collections. Thanks for the recommendations. I read and liked most of the books in your list, so I'll likely also appreciate the ones I haven't. EDIT: I would also recommend Watts' Blindsight.

Post by goatlover » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 2:05 AM UTC

NoMoreNicksLeft wrote: post #88

surprisetalk wrote: post #6

My book review from last September: > Reads like a “consciousness and computers are cool” story written by an engineer. A few incredible ideas padded by weak storytelling and philosophical exposition. Probably would’ve been better as a short story. [0] https://taylor.town/books#permutation-city If you like this book, I recommend Accelerando , Piranesi , Dick's Ubik , and Ted Chiang's collections.

No one reads Greg Egan for the character building or any of that other literary bullshit. This is the novel that introduces the idea that a simulation universe need not have another universe simulating it. Hell, it's the only novel that has that idea. There is more insight here than we could extract from a thousand other authors, philosophers, and thinkers. But who cares, the characters were sort of cardboard and he…

Post by wishfish » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 2:11 AM UTC

edanm wrote: post #161

Severian wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got a copy of the Antimemetics division too after a read through on SCP wiki. Well worth getting a physical copy to support the author. qntm is becoming one of my favorite authors as well.

IIRC I bought it on Kindle for similar reasons.

Post by wishfish » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 2:21 AM UTC

gchamonlive wrote: post #49

I would really like to see writers sell their work DRM free on their pages, or have an open and responsible platform that writers could use for that. I know it is a hassle to process anything finance-related, but in my region on amazon the book is unavailable and a hard copy isn't an option for me. It is virtually impossible for me to give money to the author for an e-reader version of the book.

Post by 75th » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:59 AM UTC

mycologos wrote: post #45

cdogl wrote: post #17

Egan is the only great Australian science fiction writer I’m aware of. I principally recommend Diaspora for far future post-human history with a strong focus on physics and maths, and Quarantine which is a sort of heist thriller with a unique quantum physics hook in a relatively near future Northern Australia setting where First Nations people have gained independence and positioned themselves as an Asian financial /…

Diaspora is my favorite Egan book. Permutation City seems to get talked about more, but the dust theory stuff just felt implausible, and it has one of the worst sex scenes I've ever read. Maybe it's because Diaspora is less concerned with anything as abstract as consciousness and more interested in how different forms of life play out, which I find fun when it's done well.