@RUTGERS.ARPA:jmellby%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (03/14/85)
From: John_Mellby <jmellby%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa> R.A.M. Random Access Messages of the Computer Age Thomas F. Monteleone, ed. This is a new trade paperback anthology containing 18 short stories about computers. I bought this just after having re-read True Names and was very hopeful about the contents being good science fiction about computers. Unfortunately I was disappointed. This is surprising since the authors include Asimov, Benford, Dickson, Clarke, Zelazny and Ellison. Actually the stories by the most well-known authors are good since they are generally reprints of old classic stories like "The Last Question - Asimov", "Computers Don't Argue - Dickson" and "The Nine Billion Names of God - Clarke". I was expecting the newer stories to reflect interesting ramifications of the increasing usage of computers. Instead the were uniformly computer horror stories. About half the stories had the plot: Computer becomes aware, computer does something unpleasant to humans. This can be interesting once, but 10 times? It seems the self-aware and malicious computer has become the "Deal with the Devil" plot of the 80's. I remain: John R. Mellby Texas Instruments JMELLBY%TI-EG@CSNET-RELAY Stay Alert! Trust no One! Keep your LASER Handy!