Transhuman

by T.K.F. Weisskopf and Mark L. Van Name

Book Overview

The rate of technological development is exploding. Such diverse technologies as computing, communications, genetics, biology, and nanotechnology are rapidly pushing humanity to a new singularity, a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416555234
• ISBN13: 9781416555230
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Baen Books
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Packed with twists, turns and intriguing tales

What it means to be human is changing as technological development explodes - and this changing nature is revealed in TRANSHUMAN, a survey from leading science fiction writers who explore questions of how humanity is changing. TRANSHUMAN covers everything from extraordinary individuals and lives to everyday people facing challenges to their humanity. It's packed with twists, turns and intriguing tales perfect for any science fiction library or reader. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Not Free SF Reader

I was quite pleasantly surprised with this anthology. I suspected it might be a little ordinary, but for an original anthology that is certainly not the case. It weighs in with a 3.55 average. Certainly a few stories are just your generic 3's, but in this case, tend to the better end of average, I think. This is balanced by two excellent stories, and a couple of good, so a higher percentage of this book is at the upper range. A good range of types of story to be found here from outright silly, to space opera, to creepy. The first three stories are also online, and include a couple of the better ones. Van Name's introduction points out, talking of the stories "all share two traits: they are entertaining stories, something we of course required of all submissions, and they are fundamentally optimistic, something we did not demand but were quite pleased to discover." That is not to say everything is nice and tea and bikkies rosy in all of these by the remotest stretch, though, and on the whole, not too much different to the content of other anthologies, in general. Transhuman : FIREWALL - David D. Levine Transhuman : REUNION - Mark L. Van Name Transhuman : THE GUARDIAN - Paul Chafe Transhuman : BEING HUMAN - Wen Spencer Transhuman : IN COMMAND - John Lambshead Transhuman : G@vin45 - Daniel M. Hoyt Transhuman : HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - Ester M. Friesner Transhuman : SOUL PRINTER - Wil McCarthy Transhuman : WHOM THE GODS LOVE - Sarah A. Hoyt Transhuman : WETWARE 2.0 - David Freer Transhuman : ESCAPE - James P. Hogan Lunar network Lockdown AI conjunction operation. 4 out of 5 "Download Anxiety Syndrome". 3 out of 5 Software routine investigation run upgrade surprise. 4 out of 5 Digital women difference. 3 out of 5 Goblin Night fight. 3.5 out of 5 Past Blankety-Blank time. 3 out of 5 Security xmas theatre contest. 3 out of 5 Dangerous art keepsake trirotica academic revolution. 4.5 out of 5 Keeping out of the pot, at length. 3.5 out of 5 Barknet matrix takedown teamup. With Laphroaig chaser. 4.5 out of 5 Condemned erasure Adonis implanting. 3 out of 5 3.5 out of 5

explores the approach to Singularity

For several years, noted SF writer and computer scientist Vernor Vinge has been promoting the fictional concept of an impending Singularity. Where advances in science and technology led to the rise of true, sentient artificial intelligences. An asymptote point, after which Transcendence arises. Some people might say this sounds like the techno equivalent of the Christians waiting for the Second Coming. Well, in any event, this book explores the approach to that posited Singularity. How might this happen, and how would humans react? The short stories tend to be of recent vintage. Naturally, they revolve around high technology, especially computing. Truly a book of the new century. The writing quality is high; van Name has chosen well of stories that are not just of this theme, but cogently and interestingly expressed. Cyberpunk would be another good description of this book. Only pity is that Vinge doesn't have a story in this collection.