Wracking my brain trying to think of a short sci-fi story I read recently, I think in an anthology from within the last couple years. The story was about the relationship arc between a man convinced that technocratic solutions could be found to eliminate the messiness of politics and a woman who was more skeptical. Early in the story the female protagonist rescues a relative of the man's from a near-drowning in California when a computer failure causes his smart-surfboard to fail or something like that. The bulk of the story is set in Washington DC where the woman leads a lobbying effort against broad introduction of further ubiquitous computer controlled systems. Whether or not a computer-controlled traffic system is immune from exploitation was a major feature of the plot.
What was it called?!
posted by Wretch729
on Jun 17, 2013 -
4 answers
What could slow down the pace of change (religious/scientific/economic/cultural) in a civilization? (Please see specific details inside.)
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posted by Wretch729
on Jul 11, 2012 -
23 answers
I'm trying to find a science-fiction story that I saw on a webpage once. I can only remember a few odd miscellaneous details: the author was gay and French, he had a page about his graduate-level math research, and I think his name may have had "David" or "Simon" in it. His webpage was in both English and French, and I'm pretty sure it talked about Alan Turing on part of it. The story itself was based on the premise that the ancient Greeks discovered space travel 2000 years ago and spread throughout the galaxy, creating a galaxy-wide Hellenic-style empire. I believe only the first chapter of the story was written, which was mostly the Earthling protagonist discovering the empire, exposition about its history and politics, and him having sex with some Greek-god-lookalike guy from the Empire.
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posted by aurochs
on Dec 1, 2011 -
3 answers
What's the best venue to submit a politically tinged left-leaning science-fiction short story?
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posted by Slap*Happy
on Aug 24, 2011 -
14 answers
Give your best examples of the SF/ Survivalist/ Wish Fullfillment sub-genre "libertarian engineers do everything better" or "objectivist superman saves history". More specifically ones where someone is the last man on earth/sendt back in time and constructs a free market utopia through sheer smarts and rationality ( with himself on the top of it, of course).
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posted by The Whelk
on Jun 9, 2011 -
28 answers
Help me find awesome SF books that aren't libertarian screeds, y'all. What are your favourite Science Fiction books that aren't just
swimming in libertarian ideology?
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posted by LMGM
on Apr 22, 2011 -
56 answers
I'm getting back into reading for pleasure after years of avoiding it during college. I've found fantasy books easy to get back into, but have no idea where to start with sci-fi!
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posted by Logic Sheep
on Feb 20, 2011 -
40 answers
What alternatives are there to
IO9?
What are the cool review and news sites for science fiction and fantasy? For comic books? For sf&f tv and movies?
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posted by bonehead
on Feb 17, 2011 -
17 answers
Help me remember a science fiction story: colonists beaten to objective by faster earth ship.
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posted by snarfois
on Aug 18, 2010 -
19 answers
My visceral dislike of the movie
District 9 combined with years of other sub par science fiction movies has pretty much killed any desire to see more films of the genre. Help me rekindle the flame. (Minor District 9spoilers inside)
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posted by Brandon Blatcher
on Aug 19, 2009 -
82 answers
Science fiction - filter: I used to read and love Dick, Farmer, LeGuin, and others who coupled great writing with directly confronting sex, violence, and societal change. What contemporary authors might I like?
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posted by Forktine
on May 28, 2009 -
40 answers
Wanted: Science Fiction Books moved by a great central idea such as: Ringworld by Larry Niven or The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.
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posted by MasonDixon
on Mar 25, 2009 -
34 answers
"ID this SF story" filter: I read this story in middle school out of a scifi anthology. It was about a human soldier who was launched into space in a capsule with an onboard computer, containing all the knowledge of the Earth, as well as enough supplies to last him indefinitely.
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posted by wayofthedodo
on Dec 1, 2008 -
6 answers
Does anybody remember seeing an online collection of 100 very short science fiction stories?
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posted by teraflop
on Nov 23, 2008 -
8 answers
Another "ID this SF story" question...a man wakes up in the night to discover (so he thinks) that all the metal in his house is gone.
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posted by attercoppe
on Nov 21, 2008 -
3 answers
What sci-fi market might be a good match for my shorts? And, in what fashion should I attempt to sell them?
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posted by Netzapper
on Aug 12, 2008 -
23 answers
Looking for a short story or possibly a novel involving Canada, gravel and orbital denial.
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posted by codswallop
on May 11, 2008 -
5 answers
I'm looking for a series of hardback science fiction anthologies I dimly remember from childhood (sometime in the mid 80s). I think it had a one word title with a number, and the series went up to at least number five. I remember two stories in particular...
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posted by Artw
on Jan 13, 2008 -
11 answers
In search of an episode of what I thought was The Outer Limits, but it's not listed in the episode guide,
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posted by DandyRandy
on Oct 30, 2006 -
9 answers
Who can recommend some good time travel fiction? (Yes, I'm a geek)
posted by Robot Johnny
on Jun 10, 2004 -
46 answers
