RPS385%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA (07/14/85)
From: RPS385%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA (Jeff Smith) There is a really good story dealing with artificial intellegence, man's first contact with extra-terrestrial intellegence, and FTL travel, called "Life Probe". *********************** PSUEDO-SPOLIER ******************************* It is about a race of creatures, called The Makers, who are have a strong desire for the seeking of knowlage, exploration, and all that other good stuff. They have populated all the planets in thier solar system, and some around nearby stars, but they are still unsatisfied. The only method of space travel they know is slower-than-light, called Slow Boats. In order for them to colonize and explore more rapidly, they set out to find the secret of FTL travel. They work up a few good theories, but they all fail in practice, so they send out several hundred thousand "Life Probes", which will scour the universe in search of intellegent life, but more importantly intellegent life that know the secret of FTL travel. One of these probes happens across Earth, and decides to instigate it's prime function. To establish contact with the Humans.. ******************* END PSEUDO-SPOILER SECTION ********************* This book is really great, and the author has written more, but I can't seem to remember his name.
wales@ucla-cs.UUCP (07/20/85)
In article <2708@topaz.ARPA> RPS385%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA writes: >From: RPS385%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA (Jeff Smith) > >There is a really good story dealing with artificial intellegence, >man's first contact with extra-terrestrial intellegence, and FTL >travel, called "Life Probe". > >. . . > >This book is really great, and the author has written more, but I >can't seem to remember his name. LIFE PROBE's author is Michael McCollum. I second Jeff Smith's recommendation of this book. -- Rich Wales // UCLA Computer Science Department // +1 213-825-5683 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024 // USA ARPA: wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA -or- wales@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU UUCP: ...!(ihnp4,ucbvax)!ucla-cs!wales