From: Tak Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: REV-PUB: A personal reading list Date: 20 Sep 1993 07:58:21 GMT Organization: Human Interface Technology Laboratory Here's a list of books that I've read and remarked on. For the most part, they are all science fiction or VR related, though there are some misc thrown in. I've read everything I've rated. There are some things thrown in here on recommendations, most notably the older books. These are from a listing in "Simulations: 15 Tales of VR". Enjoy, Tak My Fiction Books =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= capsule one-liners by Mark Takacs (tak@hitl.washington.edu) primary sort key is year, secondarily on the author (haven't read the ones without ratings) KEY: AI Artificial Intelligences CYBER Cyberpunk FANT Fantasy FICT Generic fiction MYST Mystery SCIFI Science Fiction VR Virtual Reality RATINGS: () 0/5 stars -- Total cheese -- use as a door prop (*) 1/5 stars -- stupid -- bathroom library (**) 2/5 stars -- So-so -- read during meals (***) 3/5 stars -- Recommended -- put in your reading stack (****) 4/5 stars -- Strongly recommended -- read this book b4 your others (*****) 5/5 stars -- GREAT! Ignore *everything* & read NOW! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1909 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Machine Stops, E.M. Forster humans underground, afraid to surface. telepresence =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1932 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Brave New World, Aldous Huxley Feely's =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1950 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Waldo, Robert Heinlein Invented concept of telepresence. Waldoes named after title =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1956 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The City and the Stars, Arthur C. Clarke sheltered utopian citizens live only in VR =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1966 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich, Philip K. Dick colonists use VR to relieve drudgery lives The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein (AI) (****) A benevolent "ghost in the machine" on a rebellious Lunar colony. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1969 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Counterfeit World, Daniel F Galouye VR man realizes he's in VR and tries to exert control The Dueling Machine, Ben Bova Nations settle disputes in VR... or do they? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1975 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Shockwave Rider, John Brunner (CYBER, VR) (****) A man does some serious identity hacking =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1980 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Beyond the Blue Event Horizon, Frederick Pohl translated in computer programs, people live in VR and think it is real. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1981 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Dream Park, Larry Niven & Steven Barnes (VR, MYST) (***) Murder in a Disney-world scale Holodeck park =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1984 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Continent of Lies, James Morrow Experience movies -- satire of Hollywood Peace War, Vernor Vinge (SCIFI) (***) Stasis bubbles wreak havoc with warfare =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1985 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card (VR) (*****) A Battleschool and the "Ultimate WarGame" against the buggers Neuromancer, William Gibson (CYBER) (****) Gritty life in the near future Cybernetic Samurai, Victor Milan (AI) (*) An AI trained with samurai ethics =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1986 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Synners, Pat Cadigan (CYBER) (****) Synthetic reality hits entertainment hard via a "virus" Count Zero, William Gibson (Cyber) (**) A tale of a Matrix junkie Burning Chrome, William Gibson (CYBER) (****) short stories, includes classic _Burning Chrome_ & _Dogfight_ Marooned in Realtime, Virnor Vinge (SCIFI) (***) far in the future via stasis bubbles as time travel =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1987 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Mindplayers, Pat Cadigan (CYBER) (***) Personality hackers & therapists When Gravity Fails, George Alex Effinger (CYBER) (***) Drugs, cyberwear, punks and Islam True Names... and other Dangers, Virnor Vinge (VR, SCIFI) Short stories, A neural interface & hacker story Marooned in Realtime, Virnor Vinge (SCI) (***) A society that leaps years via stasis bubbles like taking a bus MasterPlay, William F. Wu (VR) (*) Settle court battles with hologram recreations of historical battles =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1988 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Mona Lisa Overdrive, William Gibson (CYBER,VR) (***) Sim-Stim, the ultimate vicarious Hollywood movie. Emerald Eyes, Daniel Keys Morgan (CYBER) (***) An outcast telepath establishes a community Islands in the Net, Bruce Sterling (CYBER) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1989 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cyberbooks, Ben Bova (SCI) (**) A humorous look at what electronic books might cause. Wizard's Bane, Rich Cook (FANT) (**) A Unix hacker discovers code can work magic The Long Run, Daniel Keys Morgan (CYBER) (*****) stand alone sequel to _Emerald Eyes_, Trent hacks the Crystal Wind, battles Elite police, and frees the info world The Barsoom Project, Larry Niven & Steven Barnes (VR) (**) More Dream Park... On My Way To Paradise, Dave Wolverton Interstellar soldiers trained (and stressed) enroute via VR =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1990 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Queen of Angels, Greg Bear (SCI,AI, VR, CYBER) Nanotech, neural researchers & hackers The Wizardry Compiled, Rich Cook (FANT) (***) Sequel to _Wizard's bane_, a compiler for magic spells The Night Mayor, Kim Newman criminal in prison "escapes" by locking himself into VR Redshift Rendezvous, John E. Stith (SCIFI, MYST) (*****) hardboiled detective has a murder on a FTL spaceship. Very well thought out environment. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1991 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Virtual Mode, Piers Anthony Future on Fire, Orson Scott Card (ed) (CYBER,VR) (***) A collection of shorts The Illegal Birth of Billy the Kid, Rebecca Ore Bioengineered people as toys =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1992 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Fools, Pat Cadigan (CYBER) (***) Personality "fixes", overlays & Brain Police Glass Houses, Laura J. Mixon (CYBER) (*****) Telerobotics cyberpunks The California Voodoo Game, Larry Niven & Steven Barnes (VR) (***) More Dreampark - The Ultimate VR/Roleplaying scenario Lethal Interface, Mel Odom (CYBER) (**) Policeman tracks down a psycho in cyberpunk setting Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson (CYBER,VR) (*****)! An awesome new Matrix vision, Religion, skater-punks Mafia, hackers, Pizza, swordfights and a NASTY virus. A Fire Upon the Deep, Vernor Vinge (SCIFI) (***) a *galaxy* wide USENET and evil space monsters =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1993 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Virtual Light, William Gibson (CYBER) (***) hard-luck cop searches after VR glasses stolen by courier-punk Simulations: 15 tales of Virtual Reality, (ed) Karie Jacobson (VR) (***) VR stories from 1950-1963 by R.Bradbury, P.K.Dick, W.Gibson, J.Varley. Includes Bibliography of other VR fiction Iapetus, William S. Kirby (SCIFI, MYST) (****) Hard boiled P.I. in future Virtual Girl, Amy Thompson (AI) (***) Al created with a body and seeks identity. - capsule reviews and ratings by Mark Takacs - thanks to Toni Emerson for access to her library of fiction