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MAG.E 4
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MAG.E 4 (Disk 1 of 2).adf
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1977-12-31
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@3THE HACKER AND THE ANTS
=======================
@1"
Here's a book that might appeal ...
Rudy Rucker: The Hacker and the Ants
US edition: William Morrow / AvoNova, May 1994
320pp, $20.00 (?)
ISBN: 0-688-13416-5
Reviewed by Chris Terran, 24-Jun-1994
Jerzy Rugby develops software for robots and has other more personal
problems too: his wife has just left him, he's being harassed by estate
agents and he's just been fired for obscure reasons. Oh, and a virulent
form of artificial life - those ants - have escaped from his lab and are
busy taking over the net. The ants are designed to infect the now
ubiquitous digital TV chips; think of them as the next generation of
self-modifying viruses.
Jerzy's experimental robot Studly - too cute by half - gets infected by
the ants and kills a dog (allegedly). And apparently spreads the ant
infection to the entire global TV network, shutting it down (three
cheers!) and leading to mass couch-potato riots. Jerzy is charged with
treason for this dastardly act <grin>.
Why was Jerzy fired? Who actually released the ants, and why? Is Lisp
really worse than SuperC? Will Jerzy get to sleep with Nga Vo? What is
shady Vinh Vo doing selling state-of-the-art processor chips? What the
hell is going on?
---*---
Although somewhat disfigured by info-dumps this book is entertaining and
amusing. Rucker knows something about real programming and the net, and
it shows; jargon is used convincingly, and the opinions expressed are at
least arguable. And it's the first time I've seen the word 'petabytes'
used in cold blood. Philip Dick gets a nod too: the robots and their
software are tested in an artificial environment called "Our American
Home", a simulation of a typical US family. Mom and Dad are Walt and
Perky Pat; Walt gets drunk and falls over/asleep in front of the TV,
Perky Pat is neurotic. Who said Americans don't appreciate irony?
Like most of Rucker's books 'THATA' shows his interests; mathematics,
computer science, drugs, artificial life, sex, robots, rock music.
Plotting is adequate, characterisation feeble (as usual it's a
first-person narrative, which tends to disguise this; you don't read his
books for characterisation anyway). Though never quite reaching the
heights of inspired lunacy in 'White Light', 'THATA' is a return to form
after the rather disappointing 'The Hollow Earth'.
@2 ---*---
@1
Chris Terran