Beta-Life: Short Stories from an A-Life Future (Science-Into-Fiction): 6 - Softcover

Frank Cottrell-Boyce; Stuart Evers; Julian Gough; Adam Marek; Toby Litt; Lucy Caldwell; Sean O'Brien; Martyn Bedford; K.J. Orr; Adam Roberts; Dinesh Allirajah

3.69

80 ratings by Goodreads

9781905583652: Beta-Life: Short Stories from an A-Life Future (Science-Into-Fiction): 6

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1905583656 ISBN 13: 9781905583652

Publisher: Comma Press, 2014

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Computers are changing. Soon the silicon chip will seem like clunky antique amid the bounty of more exotic processes on offer. Robots are changing too; material evolution and swarm intelligence are creating a new generation of devices that will diverge and disperse into a balanced ecosystem of humans and robjects (robotic objects). Somewhere in between, we humans will have to change also... in the way we interact with technology, the roles we adopt in an increasingly intelligent environment, and how we interface with each other. The driving motors behind many of these changes will be artificial life (A-Life) and unconventional computing. How exactly they will impact on our world is still an open question. But in the spirit of collective intelligence, this anthology brings together 38 scientists and authors, working in pairs, to imagine what life (and A-Life) will look like in the year 2070. Every kind of technology is imagined: from lie-detection glasses to military swarmbots, brain-interfacing implants to synthetically grown skyscrapers, revolution-inciting computer games to synthetically engineered haute cuisine. All artificial life is here.

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Review:

'A timely... strong anthology... offers a crash course in futurology.' --The Guardian

'Amos and Page's anthology will appeal to any fans of futurism.' --Publishers Weekly

About the Author:

FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE is an award-winning screenwriter and children s novelist. His film credits include Welcome to Sarajevo, Hilary and Jackie, Code 46, 24 Hour Party People, A Cock and Bull Story, and most recently The Railway Man. His children s books (Millions, The Unforgotten Coat, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) have won him numerous awards. He also wrote the script for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. TOBY LITT is the author of eight novels Beatniks: An English Road Movie, Corpsing, Deadkidsongs, Finding Myself, Ghost Story, Hospital, Journey into Space and King Death as well as three collections of short stories: Adventures in Capitalism, Exhibitionism and I Play the Drums in a Band Called Okay. In 2003 Toby Litt was nominated by Granta magazine as one of the 20 Best of Young British Novelists . He lives in London and is a member of English PEN. STUART EVERS' first book, Ten Stories About Smoking was published by Picador in 2011 and won The London Book Award. His short fiction has appeared in Prospect, The Best British ShortStories 2012, The Reader and 3:AM,and he regularly writes about books for The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph and The Observer. If This is Home his debut novel was published by Picador in July 2012.

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