Subject: _The Turing Option_

From: [email-masked] (Jason Asbahr)
Date: 26 Aug 92 06:09:44 GMT

Greets, all...

I hope unsolicited testimonials are accepted here.  :)  

I've just finished the very enjoyable (and much awaited) book by
Harry Harrison and Marvin Minsky, _The Turing Option_.  TTO reflects 
both authors' talent for pushing current trends into the future and 
realistically suggesting their result.  

The story starts in the year 2023, far enough into the future for High
Definition Television to become recognized as an important high-tech item.
Much the future technology in common usage in _The Turing Option_ can
be clearly recognized as first having been born in American
universities like MIT, CMU and UNC.  It is pleasing to lose oneself
in a world where the fruits of the last half century of CS, AI, and
robotics research are familiar and useful tools.  The characters in TTO
are believable, and, if they lecture a bit in the beginning, at least
the lectures are interesting!  

_The Turing Option_ came as a welcome change to the recent endless
stream of near-future sci-fi novels that paint only scarred and
desolate futures.  Though everything isn't beautiful, and people
are still people, it's a hopeful vision.

Thanks,

--
Jason Asbahr                           116 E. Edgebrook #603
[email-masked]                          Houston, Texas  77034
[email-masked]   (NeXTmail)      (713) 941-8294  voice (summer)
[email-masked] (NeXTmail)      UH NeXT Campus Consultant