Monday, October 18, 2004
Some political Science Fiction in an era of Sci-Fi made real
I just finished reading Bruce Sterling's book: "Distraction". It's the story of how a political consultant manages his post election life in a world of infowar and genetic engineering. Although Sterling places his story in 2044, much of what he describes could be happening now, or as early as our next election, if we have one.... And for those concerned with the idea of Bush wearing some sort of radio receiver in the last debate let me recomend Stephen Bury's novel about a technology that ties a politician directly to the whims of the electorate, "Interface".
- Right before the next presidential election, the incumbent proposes to solve the problem of the national debt by simply refusing to pay. This irks a powerful alliance of investors, and they move into action. Illinois Gov. William A. Cozzano suffers a stroke and, as a part of a radical new therapy, has a biochip implanted in his brain. The chip allows Cozzano to make a miraculous recovery--and also gives him access to an instantaneous polling system. He can "sense" the mood of the voters and instantly responds by telling them what they want most to hear.
Distraction is a bit of a muddle, while laden with good ideas, Sterling's super-intelligent lead characters are hard to believe in, or like. Bury's book, on the other hand, is a delight - how he breaks up American demographics breaks me up every time! ¶ 10:40 AM
