Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!topaz!@RUTGERS.ARPA:jmellby%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa From: @RUTGERS.ARPA:jmellby%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Review of "Random Access Messages" Message-ID: <966@topaz.ARPA> Date: Thu, 14-Mar-85 05:22:39 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.966 Posted: Thu Mar 14 05:22:39 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 02:14:42 EST Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 35 From: John_Mellby R.A.M. Random Access Messages of the Computer Age Thomas F. Monteleone, ed. This is a new trade paperback anthology containing 18 short stories about computers. I bought this just after having re-read True Names and was very hopeful about the contents being good science fiction about computers. Unfortunately I was disappointed. This is surprising since the authors include Asimov, Benford, Dickson, Clarke, Zelazny and Ellison. Actually the stories by the most well-known authors are good since they are generally reprints of old classic stories like "The Last Question - Asimov", "Computers Don't Argue - Dickson" and "The Nine Billion Names of God - Clarke". I was expecting the newer stories to reflect interesting ramifications of the increasing usage of computers. Instead the were uniformly computer horror stories. About half the stories had the plot: Computer becomes aware, computer does something unpleasant to humans. This can be interesting once, but 10 times? It seems the self-aware and malicious computer has become the "Deal with the Devil" plot of the 80's. I remain: John R. Mellby Texas Instruments JMELLBY%TI-EG@CSNET-RELAY Stay Alert! Trust no One! Keep your LASER Handy!