Sci-fi Author Charles Stross Cancels Trilogy: the NSA Is Already Doing It

doom writes "Charles Stross has announced that there won't be a third book in the Halting State trilogy because reality (in a manner of speaking) has caught up to him too fast The last straw was apparently the news that the NSA planted spies in networked games like WoW. Stross comments: 'At this point, I'm clutching my head. Halting State wasn't intended to be predictive when I started writing it in 2006. Trouble is, about the only parts that haven't happened yet are Scottish Independence and the use of actual quantum computers for cracking public key encryption (and there's a big fat question mark over the latter-- what else are the NSA up to?).'"

Comments

Scottish Independance

[LaminatorX]

The Scotts are to have a referendum on independance next year, as far as that goes.

Re:Scottish Independance

[ackthpt]

The Scotts are to have a referendum on independance next year, as far as that goes.

With Madrid shaking its angry little fist at Scotland, saying the can't be admitted to the EU (which is an indirect way to dissuade Catalonia from pursuing independence as well.)

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

Re:Scottish Independance

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

Well, if Europe doesn't want Scotland. We could use a 51st state. Especially one with such great scotch.

Re:Scottish Independance

[DMUTPeregrine]

Yes, but what would we do for the 52nd and 53rd states? We need 53, after all, the US is "One nation, indivisible."

Scotland

[Threni]

Still, us English folk can only hope that a future which consists of the Scots living quietly amongst themselves and us not having to put up with that awful dirge Auld Lang Syne every bloody New Year's Eve isn't the stuff of science fiction...

Probably writer's block

[cold fjord]

It's probably just writer's block. Intelligence agency interest in on-line games was in the news back around 2006-2008, just like the warrantless wiretapping controversy. If he was going to abandon it for the stated reason I would expect he would have done it then. Besides, this sort of thing hasn't really stopped other writers from creating interesting stories.

See what you have done, NSA ?

[Taco Cowboy]

Dear NSA,

You not only cost us our privacy, the privacy that we treasure so much.

Now you cost us a good book !

What else are you going to cost us, NSA ??

Re:See what you have done, NSA ?

[Cryacin]

Dear Mr. Stross,

It is with great regret that we have learned of the discontinuation of your how-to manual, Halting State.

We have unfortunately not been able to encourage Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom in a timely manner, however, we assure you that our state of Quantum Computing has reached appropriate levels.

We have been eagerly awaiting your third instalment. Considering your decision to discontinue your series, we would appreciate any notes you have to be emailed. Anywhere will be fine.

Yours sincerely,

Manne I. Black
NSA

Re:See what you have done, NSA ?

[Anonymous Coward]

With this sentence you've given away the fake.

C'mon that sentence with its postcedent: "Anywhere will be fine" is the payload.

Email it anywhere ... too good!

Re:See what you have done, NSA ?

[flyneye]

Dear Batman,

          Since I don't believe in Santa Claus, could you take a break from patrolling Gotham to dismantle the evil NSA and put those responsible for it in Arkham Asylum?
I'm convinced the Penguin is behind it, due to the scope, peril and nuisance involved. Lotta tuxedos in the D.C. and burbs area. The proliferation of clowns in the White House/Capitol Hill/Lincoln Memorial areas would suggest that the Joker has been masquerading as President for years now. Could you rid us of these fiends and their henchmen?

Re:Pick your favourite outcome!

[HeckRuler]

So...
Corporocracy
Totalitarian states in constant war
A post-scarcity utopia that hinges on karma
A utopia where the people are bribed into apathy/foolishness

I'd go with Doctorow.

Re:Pick your favourite outcome!

[Esteanil]

Definitively a Iain M. Banks world (The Culture)

A scary thought.

[Molt]

It could be worse, The Laundry could be becoming reality.

New direction for his creativity

[namgge]

Perhaps Mr Stross could use his skills to to describe an imaginary world where the government told the whole truth to the electorate, there was a right to privacy, and only politicians were systematically spied on and investigated...

It sure would be interesting to know what that would be like.

Re:Maybe his novel wasn't so novel

[lgw]

Good SF is a period piece set in the future. OK SF is about discovering some revolutionary new wonder. TV/Movie "skiffy" is about explosions and effects and depictions of new technology - ick.

Another Example Fiction = Reality: TobakkoNacht

[Anonymous Coward]

I sympathize with Charles Stross's problem. When I wrote "TobakkoNacht" in 1997, it was based on a prediction that by the mid 2020s we'd be seeing the introduction of smoking bans outdoors in public plazas (which NY's Bloomberg brought in three years ago and has been emulated in California and elsewhere), smoking bans in brothels to protect the "working girls" (old news now in Canada), people being shot in smoking disputes (numbers of them by now, including two pregnant women, as well as country singer Wayne Mills last week), a worldwide antitobacco treaty (similar to the 2000s' "World Framework On Tobacco Control" that is now threatening countries that refuse to abide by its dictates) and a president having to hide his evil smoking habit. The problem was that aside from a preliminary Kindle short story version in late 2008, I didn't get to fully publish it until a few months ago as an opening fiction-piece in "TobakkoNacht -- The Antismoking Endgame." When I originally wrote the story I was criticized for supposing that any such things could come about as early as the 2020s ... or *ever* come about at all.

NOT "anonymous coward" here:
Michael J. McFadden
Author of "TobakkoNacht -- The Antismoking Endgame"