Greg Egan
I have always been amazed at Neal Stephenson for being able to write Snowcrash and The Diamond Age in 1992 and 1995 respectively. I am now equally amazed that Greg Egan wrote this in 1995. In fact, even more, because while the first two books were novels and dealt with a smaller number of concepts, this book is a collection of short stories, and except for a (connected/repeat) couple, are unique concepts. Imagine, 18 stories with ideas that would still be regarded as science fiction!
In addition to this, there are at least two factors that made me a fan. The first is that while the ideas themselves are wonderfully imaginative, the focus really is on the effect on humans and humanity. Nuanced explorations of how the human psyche functions and reacts when faced with profound moral choices. The technology, though advanced, is taken as a backdrop against which societal, psychological and philosophical questions are raised and consequences revealed. ‘The Hundred Light Year Diary’, for instance, where everyone knows their fate, or ‘Eugene’, in which a couple try to design a perfect child. Both stories featuring the ‘Jewel’ are a wonderful study on the idea of consciousness. ‘The Walk’ is a fantastic thought on ‘identity’. ‘The Moat’ I found particularly relevant in this era when we are facing a widening economic divide.
The second is the level of detailing the author manages to bring out in the roughly 15 pages of the story. Diverse fields from nanotechnology and brain implants to physics and psychology are brought to life through the well-etched characters.
My favourites in the book would be “The Safe-Deposit Box” and “The Cutie” for the poignancy. If you’re even vaguely into science fiction, this is a must read. Even if not, this has to be the best book on thought experiments I have read and I’m reasonably sure it will make you think and rethink some of your perspectives and belief systems on life and the human condition.
