vN: The First Machine Dynasty

This is an interesting book by Madeline Ashby in many ways; in part in that the main players are not human, even though it is essentially a human world, but robots and often 'female' robot. The vN in the title is von Neumann machines, they self replicate (even if they 'male' robots), and takes a look at the dark side of having robot built with the inability to harm humans. I know Asimov got there first, but he didn't go as far as the thinking in this book, the robots are forced in many ways to be in love with humans and some of the degrading possibilities that could lead to for sentient creatures.

Also explored is what happens if the inability to harm or even to watch humans being harmed is removed do you necessarily get psychotic robots (in one case yes). The flipside of all this is also looked at from the human who prefer vNs to their own species - in places in some very creepy ways.

As a reader you are lead through some thought provoking ideas, in a fast-paced way.

Bedlam

Christopher Brookmyre does it again with another great comic read.

The main character is a medical technologist who volunteers to have his head scanned and comes around in a game he used to play as a teenager and the adventures follows from there. In the game world (or is it real) he becomes Bedlam.

It has a mixture of comic and philosophy (don't get put off by that) asking the question if you were brain was scanned and is essentially a copy of you  -
Is it right for someone else to use it anyway they want?
Who owns it?
Would you be able to tell the difference between being in a simulation or the real-world?
Is the real-world a simulation anyway? Not original but still interesting. See the relate bit below for more information.

Mix this with corporate greed and politics; adventure; retro-gaming and great comic writing, you have a book that is worth reading.




Related
Links to the work mentioned in the book can be found at:

• http://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.html 
• http://www.simulation-argument.com/matrix.html 

In Analog magazine: http://www.analogsf.com/2013_07-08/altview.shtml 

S. Wolfram (2002) A New Kind of Science, Wolfram Inc.

Nexus

There seems to be interest in books about 'transhumans' at the moment, no least of which are two books called Amped are just two examples. Nexus is the best so far of the current bunch (and I liked the others).

A group of post-grads add an operating system to an illegal drug, Nexus 3, creating Nexus 5 which enables users to share thoughts, control each others bodies and share experiences. Government agencies are out to ruthless surpress the drug; stopping people becoming more than human. The main character gets arrested with his friends and is 'turned' by the agency to be bait for bigger fish. It doesn't work out the way the agency hopes!

Though it is fair guess which way the author goes on the idea of whether people should have the opportunity to become 'more than human' or sharing experiences, the book is not clear cut. There is an great ongoing discussion of several issues

• Is it right to stop the use of these drugs?
• What happens to normal people if some people become enhanced?
• What would happen if a small group has the enhancement and others don't? would it be better if no one had it?
• How would it be abused? 
• Is it right to stop everyone having the opportunity to be enhanced because some may abuse it?
• How much responsibility to the developers of the enhancement have for the abuse? 
• Is it ok for government agencies to use these enhancement on their own agents, to prevent others gain the abilities? In effect turning some of the agents into the 'monsters' they are trying to prevent!

I found this a fast paced, intelligent book and not least a great read. Please post with any comments if you have read this book.