Re: Science fiction and transhuman memes

GBurch1@aol.com
Thu, 8 Jul 1999 09:09:02 EDT

In a message dated 99-07-08 00:23:28 EDT, Alintelbot@aol.com wrote:

> I just finished a novel that may be of interest to subscribers: "Songs From
> the Stars" by Norman Spinrad (who also brought us "Bug Jack Barron," one
of
> the few intelligent novels about cryonic suspension around). "Songs"
begins
>
> as a sort of "dubious utopia" novel, but escalates into something bolder
and
>
> more cerebral. It has an overall transhumanist aesthetic and some clever
> riffs on pop culture.

I thought "Songs from the Stars" was one of the most well-thought-out SF novels I'd read up to that point and would still recommend it today. Question: Has anyone considered that the basic technological idea behind Sagan's "Contact" seemed lifted pretty much in toto from "Songs"? 

     Greg Burch     <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
     Attorney  :::  Vice President, Extropy Institute  :::  Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1   -or-   http://members.aol.com/gburch1
                         "Civilization is protest against nature; 
                  progress requires us to take control of evolution."
                                      -- Thomas Huxley