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David's Sling (novel)
''David's Sling'' is a speculative fiction novel written by Marc Stiegler and published in 1988.Stiegler, Marc. David's Sling. Baen Books, 1988. ISBN 0-671-65369-5 In the face of an uneasy standoff between the U.S. and the USSR, the story presents a future in which both nations are hesitant to use nuclear weapons and instead turn their attention to developing highly advanced, computer-controlled smart weapons. The book's title references the biblical story of David and Goliath, symbolizing a smaller, technologically inferior force overcoming a larger one. Plot Set amidst the tensions of the Cold War, the story commences with the U.S. and the USSR embarking on an arms race to develop the ultimate "smart weapon". A team of U.S. hackers devises an innovative solution - a weapon system directed not merely by computer algorithms, but by democratic discourse. This system, known as the "Information Decision Duel," is an intricate online debate platform that enables two parties to tho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marc Stiegler
Marc Stiegler (born August 1, 1954) is an American science fiction author and software developer. He co-authored ''Valentina: Soul in Sapphire'' (1984) with Joseph H. Delaney. The novel features Valentina, a computer program that is one of science fiction's earliest examples of sentient software, in contrast to mainframe A mainframe computer, informally called a mainframe or big iron, is a computer used primarily by large organizations for critical applications like bulk data processing for tasks such as censuses, industry and consumer statistics, enterpris ...-based artificial intelligence, AIs such as HAL 9000, HAL and Colossus (novel), Colossus. His notable works also include ''David's Sling (novel), David's Sling'' (1988), a techno-thriller that explores the concept of e-democracy. Stiegler also wrote the short story "The Gentle Seduction", based on Vernor Vinge's ideas about a technological "singularity," the exponential growth of future technology that will dra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinetic Bombardment
A kinetic bombardment or a kinetic orbital strike is the hypothetical act of attacking a planetary surface with an inert kinetic projectile from orbit ('' orbital bombardment''), where the destructive power comes from the kinetic energy of the projectile impacting at very high speeds. The concept originated during the Cold War. Typical depictions of the tactic are of a satellite containing a magazine of tungsten rods and a directional thrust system. When a strike is ordered, the launch vehicle brakes one of the rods out of its orbit and into a suborbital trajectory that intersects the target. The rods would typically be shaped to minimize air resistance and thus maximize velocity upon impact. The kinetic bombardment has the advantage of being able to deliver projectiles from a very high angle at a very high speed, making them extremely difficult to defend against. In addition, projectiles would not require explosive warheads, and—in the simplest designs—would consis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
E-democracy
E-democracy (a blend of the terms Electronic publishing, electronic and democracy), also known as digital democracy or Internet democracy, uses information and communication technology (ICT) in politics, political and governance processes. The term is credited to digital activist Steven Clift. By using 21st-century ICT, e-democracy seeks to enhance democracy, including aspects like civic technology and E-government. Proponents argue that by promoting transparency in decision-making processes, e-democracy can empower all citizens to observe and understand the proceedings. Also, if they possess overlooked data, perspectives, or opinions, they can contribute meaningfully. This contribution extends beyond mere informal disconnected debate; it facilitates citizen engagement in the Direct democracy, proposal, development, and actual creation of a country's laws. In this way, e-democracy has the potential to incorporate crowdsourced analysis more directly into the policy-making process ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Techno-thriller
A techno-thriller or technothriller is a hybrid genre drawing from science fiction, thrillers, spy fiction, action, and war novels. They include a disproportionate amount (relative to other genres) of technical details on their subject matter (typically military technology); only hard science fiction tends towards a comparable level of supporting detail on the technical side. The inner workings of technology and the mechanics of various disciplines (espionage, martial arts, politics) are thoroughly explored, and the plot often turns on the particulars of that exploration. This genre began to exist and establish itself in the early 20th century with further developments and focus on the genre in the mid 20th century. History The genre dates back to early in the 20th century. '' Invasion of the Sea'' by Jules Verne (1905) has been called an early techno-thriller. Many techno-thrillers are comparable to science fiction—and several modes within science-fiction. The popularity o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baen Books
Baen Books () is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. After his death in 2006, he was succeeded as publisher by long-time executive editor Toni Weisskopf. History Baen Books was founded in 1983 out of a negotiated agreement between Jim Baen and Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster was undergoing massive reorganization and wanted to hire Baen to head and revitalize the science fiction line of its Pocket Books division. Baen, with financial backing from some friends, counteroffered with a proposal to start up a new company named Baen Books and provide Simon & Schuster with a science fiction line to distribute instead. According to ''Locus''s 2004 Book Summary, Baen Books was the ninth most active publisher in the U.S. in terms of most books published in the genres indicated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Speculative Fiction Novel
Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or other imaginative realms. This catch-all genre includes, but is not limited to: fantasy, science fiction, science fantasy, superhero, paranormal, supernatural, horror, alternate history, magical realism, slipstream, weird fiction, utopia and dystopia, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction. In other words, the genre speculates on individuals, events, or places beyond the ordinary real world. The term ''speculative fiction'' has been used for works of literature, film, television, drama, video games, radio, and hybrid media. Speculative versus realistic fiction The umbrella genre of speculative fiction is characterized by a lesser degree of adherence to plausible depictions of individuals, events, or places, while the umbrella genre of realistic fiction (partly cr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1988 American Novels
1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United States (National Science Foundation Network) and Europe (Nordunet) as well as the first Internet-based chat protocol, Internet Relay Chat. The concept of the World Wide Web was first discussed at CERN in 1988. The Soviet Union began its major deconstructing towards a mixed economy at the beginning of 1988 and began its Dissolution of the Soviet Union, gradual dissolution. The Iron Curtain began to disintegrate in 1988 as People's Republic of Hungary, Hungary began allowing freer travel to the Western world. The first extrasolar planet, Gamma Cephei Ab (confirmed in 2003), was detected this year and the World Health Organization began its mission to Eradication of polio, eradicate polio. Global warming also began to emerge as a more significant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1988 Science Fiction Novels
1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United States (National Science Foundation Network) and Europe (Nordunet) as well as the first Internet-based chat protocol, Internet Relay Chat. The concept of the World Wide Web was first discussed at CERN in 1988. The Soviet Union began its major deconstructing towards a mixed economy at the beginning of 1988 and began its gradual dissolution. The Iron Curtain began to disintegrate in 1988 as Hungary began allowing freer travel to the Western world. The first extrasolar planet, Gamma Cephei Ab (confirmed in 2003), was detected this year and the World Health Organization began its mission to eradicate polio. Global warming also began to emerge as a more significant concern, with climate scientist James Hansen testifying before the U.S. Senate on the issue. E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
