Slashdot Mirror
Acts of the Apostles/Cheap Complex Devices
First of all, I'm not going to be doing another review of Acts, as I've already done that once. It is worth noting, however, that this is the first time both CCD and Acts have been brought together in an omnibus edition. I've got two different copies of Acts, but greatly enjoyed reading the two together again. Why? Because they fit together like two sides of the same coin -- or better yet, like Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
Cheap Complex Devices's backdrop is that of being (supposedly) machine-written. (The foreword and descriptors of the book itself are greatly entertaining. It's that kind of writing that flows over into Acts.) While the scene may (or may not) have not even the slightest passing resemblance to reality, it's still something that grips your mind. You believe that the "Hofstader Prize for Machine Written Narration" could exist, and that the Society for Analytical Engines sounds pretty reasonable. Heck, it sounds at least as reasonable as the ACM.
BTW, if you can't be bothered to read Acts of the Apostles, take my advice and do it. I believe my standing quote on the book is that it's what Tom Clancy would write if he wasn't dumb. Essentially, it's a great techno-thriller, except the technology is something that a geek would appreciate -- but it's also written well enough that non-geeks will enjoy it. The hero of that book makes an apperance in CCD as one of the heroes in one of the automata written texts.
The actual text of the stories in CCD are just as amusing as the commentary about them, although oddly enough I think I actually like the commentary more then the stories. "Bees" is a commentary on what it means to be human, albiet with a peculiar focus on Gatorade. And the Bonehead Computer - well, just doing a little Googling for it.
I'm not sure what else to say about these books, other then read 'em. If you liked Naked Lunch, or any sort of thrillers, or thought GEB was an amazing work, or just like to read, these books will thrill ya.
To get them, John has a website to purchase CCD. He takes Paypal or checks in the mail. You can buy them in PDF or have dead tree versions sent, or both. Whatever -- you do what want. One caveat though: "Final 'truth in advertising' note: the version of CCD on my website is 87.9842% the same as the final book form (the book is better). I'll reconcile them soon. " (note from John)
Enjoy.
This is awesome, now we've been seeing more online "Open-Source" books of good quality available. In fact I just watched the screen savers on tech tv a couple of nights ago (Kilt episode) and saw an interview with another open source publisher.
Unfortunately I think that a lot of people will right these guys off as amatuer writers, because they aren't just using traditional publishing means, as well as the fact that other people are helping write the book!
I don't care what other people think cuz I like 'em!
I find that most often I end up learning from necessity, rather than for enjoyment.
Okay, I read it a while back, and Acts of the Apostles is a good argument against self-publishing, or at least a good argument for finding an editor. The tech is okay, but the story suffers for it. The story is clunky and some of the characterization is kind of weak.
I suppose you might think it was good compared to Tom Clancy, but Tom Clancy is lowbrow jingoistic pap, so _that's_ hardly a compliment. At least you can escape the chest-beating in Acts of the Apostles...
It was okay, but it was just okay. Worth a read if you aren't doing anything else for a long time and don't have anything better kicking around.
Sure transistors are cheap nowadays, but devices could be even cheaper if they were working on faith instead. Glad to see someone tossing away his semiconductor textbook and basing his designs on the physical effects documented in the Bible.
Doesn't Luke the Physician have a trademark on the "Acts of the Apostles"?
and I'll say it again: the phrase "Acts of the Apostles" has a very specific meaning to the moral community, and I for one am not at all happy to see it hijacked for use in some trashy thriller. People of faith have been mocked for centuries (millenia, really) but I don't see why Slashdot needs to give these bozos any more coverage than they warrant.
What's next, a 15-year anniversary review of "The Last Temptation of Christ?"
"The Last Temptation of Christ" was a great film, and probably one of the most realistic portrayals of Jesus ever made.
"Acts of the Apostles" is a good way of challenging "the moral community" because it frees the expression. Many people persue thier interests with devotion, and purpose...just as religious people persue god. It's not up to you to determine the correct way to persue god. If someone finds god in a kernal, or a diesel engine, or a dusty old book...it's better than not finding god at all...wouldn't you agree?
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
Although Sundman writes well and creates some interesting scenes, I found that Acts didn't really gel. The plot developed more slowly than I expected, and there was too much exposition and discussion. Although he obviously knows a lot about computers, his attempt at plausible biotechnology wasn't convincing.
MILD SPOILER:
Bad guys demonstrate a nanomachine that can activate single genes. Sundman thinks that if you activated a growth hormone gene along one side of a mouse, that side would grow, in a matter of minutes!
END SPOILER
The bad guys' evil plot, when it's finally revealed (more by authorial fiat than anything else, IIRC) is a good (if implausible) premise for a thriller, but it is all left too late in the book. With the wide-ranging plot strands and technical detail, it could have been a biocomputing equivalent of Cryptonomicon, but I was a bit disappointed.
On the plus side, there are LOTS of ideas and plot strands in the book. The portrayal of the ways of computer developers is interesting and engaging. In particular, a lot of the book revolves around the actions of what seems to be a thinly disguised version of Sun Microsystems (Sundman worked for them) and their computer language 'espresso', so it might be especially entertaining if you know the company well.
I wouldn't particularly recommend Acts, but I would like to read his future books.
Dead tree version? Does that mean environmentalists shouldn't read that one? ;)
Depends. Is the electronic device you are gonna read it causing more consumption that a book?
That's actually a good question... Unless you're solar charging your palm-device to read it, it's probably a tossup.
Both are good reading. Both are very different.
1) Read Acts of the Apostles first.
2) Read Cheap Complex Devices second.
Buy both. CCD explains the backstory/metastory of Acts, albeit in a roundabout, artsy-fartsy way. (And I'm sure there are the kernels of at least two or three more AI-authored novels in CCD. *g*)
Does anyone know if Sundman (the author) will be at LinuxWorld in New York or the next one in the Bay Area? (I found out about him through a geek who loaned me a dead-tree copy he got from Sundman, who was selling copies at LinuxWorld SF.)
On a side note, I highly recommend Matt Ruff's Sewer Gas & Electric to any Sundman or Stephenson fans.
I can't find this omnibus edition the review is talking about. Amazon has both books seperately, as well as the referenced website, but no omnibus edition. How do I order it?
Bryan
I didn't read the first edition. I have no idea whatsoever what these books can be about.
Now re-read the "review" with this in mind. See? Or actually don't see?
Some guy sells a book the reviewer liked but can't describe or at the very least give a good reason to read. You can buy it on paper or as a PDF.
So what? I still have no clue whatsoever what this is all about.
It's a book. A review should allow me to decide wether it might be a book I'll like or not. I just know that I can buy it using Paypal.
I'll go and read what's online. To achevie this goal, a simple link was enough.
Don't call it a review.
I can write tons of 'reviews' about books I loved: I can't tell you why it's good, it's just sort of Brin & Robinson come togeter, you'll like it! Even If you're not interested in reading a book, give it a try, you'll like it for no reason I can describe, but its a sure hit nonetheless! I could even add more exclamation points to mask my total lack of arguments by some textual manifestation of over-excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In my opinion, Scientology is a cult you should avoid.
It it interesting to me that when you scan to see if you are posting a redundant topic you find none... and then you are modded down for being redundant. I guess being here first means nothing.
I read that book based on the previous review on slashdot. It was completely lame. The plot was convoluted, and the science didn't really make any sense. I liked some of the ideas, like that the Iraqis really poisoned America during the gulf war by sending the soldiers back here with some kind of high tech contagious disease, but the way he elaborated it was awful. It seemed like an unfinished product, like he didn't have an editor or something.
People, there's a reason why this book wasn't picked up by a major publisher - it's crap.
-Nissim
- adam