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Article 6762 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: shanks@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com (Mark Shanks)
Subject: Re: _The Turing Option_
Message-ID: <1992Sep2.151858.12249@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com>
Sender: Mark Shanks
Organization: Honeywell Air Transport Systems Division
References: <8338@orbit.cts.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 15:18:58 GMT
Lines: 28

In article <8338@orbit.cts.com> anthro@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Paul Bramscher) writes:
>braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au writes:  

>>I know this is pretty harsh, and is possibly suited to another board.  But
>>I have a question.  Can we have a healthy, constructive, active, cyberpunk
>>here and now?

I thought by definition that any punk subculture (cyber-, splatter-, etc.)
existed as a rejecting or denying entity rather than a constructive one.

>In Gibsonian terms, there seems to be three groups of
>people: (1) The ultra-wealthy (2) the poor working-classes, and (3) the
>underground.                                

Not very far from what we have now, is it? Are there any other authors writing
plausible fiction set about 75-100 years from now? As I look at the "science
fiction" shelves at the local book monopolys (what's the word that implies 
"monopoly", but indicates two dominating units?), I see a HELL of a lot of
fluffy shit fantasy/Star Drek/Star Wars, but precious little that seems
plausible or relevant (as Gibson unfortunately does), unless you count
Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, which is getting closer every day.

I can't get the rec., sf., or alt. postings, so this is a refreshing
supplement to the ENDLESS Chinese Room and "how many angels can dance on
the head of a pin" discussions that go on here in ai.phil., although I
can't say it has much to do with Turing anymore.

Mark Shanks


