patcl@tekecs.UUCP (02/16/84)
> "the aliens in STARTIDE RISING are entirely > plausible---not only plausible, but realistically > and distinguishably varied despite the fact that > most of them are presented only in brief sketches. > Some of them may seem less than three-dimensional, > but remember that they are mostly fanatics, mostly > being presented under conditions of considerable > stress, which tends to cause many facets of personality > to disappear in a general haze of aggression. Maybe > you're simply offended by the thought of mankind not > even being considered an equal by the aliens?" 1. I don't see how a fictional character being in a stressful situation is a reason for cardboard characterization. The level of the author's craftmanship should not depend on the particular situation the author has invented. Now maybe if the *author* is under conditions of stress... 2. Smart aliens, dumb aliens, stuck-up aliens...any kind of aliens that are believable can be interesting. I'd hardly take personal offense because a fictional character had attitudes I didn't like. 3. Brin uses a technique for creating aliens which is usually associated with comic books or bad 1950's space operas; that is, make up a lot of strange words and throw them together to get something that sounds "weird" and "beyond human comprehension"... I mean, if the Xyzerbletch just rotated through a Quantumized Hyperchronic Field into a 0-dimensional warp, then we must be talking about some pretty alien aliens, right? I prefer a little less arm waving and more solid imagination; ie., something very strange but obviously well thought out and believable. Pat Clancy
giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (Bruce Giles) (02/21/84)
This jumps back a few months, but here goes....
The more I think about it, the more certain I am that the aliens in Brin's
universe will *not* recognize artificial intelligences as separate and
equal species!
Reasons:
(1) In *Sundiver* mention is made of several extremely bloody wars
between oxygen breathers and hydrogen breathers. During these
wars entire planets are laid waste. Needless to say, this
would tend to encourage "xenophobia", where "xeno-" refers
more to the basic biochemistry than the outer appearance.
(2) If more than one species has created artificial intelligences,
whose client are they? Since a large amount of prestege is
associated with the number of clients, the first species with
AI clients would strongly discourage other species from
creating their own AI clients.
Finally, I suspect that evolution will continue under the patrinage system.
The upraising species has a very strong vested interest in its client
species, specifically it needs them around to ensure that their decendents
many years later are treated well before extinction. (Think of the analogy
of parents raising children to ensure that they will go to a retirement
home). Now, if another species gives its clients every advantage they
can, they have a better chance of coming out ahead once they're on their
own. And, if they are one of the more powerful species, they can take
better care of their patrons. The bottom line is: Natural selection will
work to encourage an "artifical evolution" among the client races.
This analysis leads to two interesting questions:
(1) Since a higher level of technology will also tend to improve a
species' standing among all species, why are so many races content
to just "sit back" and do things as they've always been done, and
(2) Clearly the galactics do not have any qualms concerning genetic
engineering (witness the clients). What prevents a species from
making a client of itself once they begin to devolve? Clearly
genetic engineering (leading to another score million years of
their existance) is better than extinction in only a short time.
ave discordia going bump in the night ...
bruce giles
decvax!ucf-cs!giles university of central florida
giles.ucf-cs@Rand-Relay orlando, florida 32816