Re: R.I.P. John Brunner

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 6:03 PM 8/28/95, Alan Bostick wrote:
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>Science fiction writer John Brunner died last Friday, August 25, from
>a massive stroke, while attending the World Science Fiction Convention
>in Glasgow, Scotland.
>
>Among several other notable works, Brunner was the author of THE SHOCKWAVE
>RIDER, a groundbreaking vision of the information age that inspired and
>forsaw much that was pertinent to the Internet in general and the
>Cypherpunks in particular.
>
>Let us pause a moment to note his passing and honor his life and
>contributions.

I am saddened to learn this.

And, yes, this has a lot to do with Cypherpunks. I read "Stand on Zanzibar"
with rapt attention in 1969 or so, and it had a big influence on me.

Ditto for "The Shockwave Rider," one of the very first explications of how
identities would be changed, how the State would insist on computerized
identities. (Indeed, "1984" came first, and is an even more important work,
by any standards, but Brunner still nailed the effects of computers in a
way that Orwell could not possibly have.)

Christ, what an imagination he had!

--Tim May

---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
Corralitos, CA              | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^756839      | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."