Re: ARCHITECTURE: Nomadic Nano-structures

From: Doug Jones (random@qnet.com)
Date: Tue Feb 01 2000 - 22:31:17 MST


Stirling Westrup wrote:
>
> Anders Sandberg wrote:
>
> > As for future architecture, I'm currently interested in biotech
> > architecture for my next sf scenario (no, I can't get enough :-). I'm
> > thinking along the lines of Stateless in Egan's _Distress_ and the
> > stuff described in the Wired article "Newer York, New York"
> > (http://wired.lycos.com/wired/archive/8.01/futuretekture.html). Any
> > other ideas for what you can do with programmed bacteria, transgene
> > plants and good biotech?
>
> Not knowing much of the background of your story, I can only point out a few
> interesting uses in various bits of SF I've read:
>
> In "The Helix and the Sword", there has been some sort of major war that has
> wiped out humanity on the various planets. Humanity now lives on huge living
> spaceships that resemble nautiluses (nautili?). They have mined the asteroid
> belt and Saturn's rings until they have reached a resource crises. It seems
> that none of their ships (or people) are very capable to entering even a low
> gravity well any more. The idea of landing on even one of the lesser moons of
> Jupiter seems like suicide.

That was by John C. McLoughlin, who also wrote two wonderful illustrated
books about dogs and inquilines (urban animals) _The Canine Clan_ and
_Animals Among Us: Wildlife in the City_ All of his books are, alas, out
of print. I also recommend _Synapsida_ and _Toolmaker Koan_

Nice to see a good but obscure author appreciated!

--
Doug Jones
Rocket Plumber, XCOR Aerospace
http://www.xcor-aerospace.com


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