Wednesday 20 August 2014

The Axis City

Greg Bear, Eon (London, 2002).

The Axis City is a complicated, imaginative future society, characteristic of modern sf, in which technology transcends spaceships and robots to transform humanity and its environment.

Our descendants, immortal, not necessarily humanoid or even corporeal, reproduce psychologically, not biologically, are implanted with information and communication technology, learn, e.g., new languages very quickly, from interactive, multi-sensory computer displays and have manipulated space-mass-energy to create an endless cylindrical universe which they inhabit and from which they access other universes. This is Artificial Intelligence merging with rather than replacing humanity. What is left for them to accomplish?

Of course, they still disagree with each other and find enemies as well as allies on other planets but I have yet to read explanations of the Jarts and Frants.

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