I have argued above that we cannot prevent the Singularity, that its coming is an inevitable consequence of the humans natural competitiveness and the possibilities inherent in technology.

The voice was gentle, like a scalpel petting the short hairs of your throat.

Politics is good; when it works properly, disagreements get solved without people beating each other up. But when a regime knows its days are numbered, there's always the chance it may use its position to change the rules and make the debate it is losing irrelevant.

Effective translation of natural languages comes awfully close to requiring a sentient translator program.

How to explain? How to describe? Even the omniscient viewpoint quails.

When I began writing science fiction in the middle 60s, it seemed very easy to find ideas that took decades to percolate into the cultural consciousness; now the lead time seems more like eighteen months.

Life is a green madness just now, trying to squeeze the last bit of warmth from the season.