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midici's review
3.0
*3.5 stars
This was an interesting little story about a future in which there are independent AI networks that people use, as opposed to regular human-run internet. The AI often give people instructions randomly; buy an extra coffee to give the man on the bench, send baby clothes to this address, etc. Its like a world-wide exchange of favours, all AI controlled, all based on what people need at the moment.
On the other hand, one women who "broke part of the network" is suddenly experiencing a lot of bad luck. Nothing going right. People hampering her everywhere she goes. She describes the people using these AI networks as criminals, whose bartering system is ruining the economy. Frankly I'm on the same side as the main character and the AIs - what's so wrong with people doing favours for each other? Giving each other what they need?
The story is here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/maneki-neko/
This was an interesting little story about a future in which there are independent AI networks that people use, as opposed to regular human-run internet. The AI often give people instructions randomly; buy an extra coffee to give the man on the bench, send baby clothes to this address, etc. Its like a world-wide exchange of favours, all AI controlled, all based on what people need at the moment.
On the other hand, one women who "broke part of the network" is suddenly experiencing a lot of bad luck. Nothing going right. People hampering her everywhere she goes. She describes the people using these AI networks as criminals, whose bartering system is ruining the economy. Frankly I'm on the same side as the main character and the AIs - what's so wrong with people doing favours for each other? Giving each other what they need?
The story is here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/maneki-neko/
calypte's review
2.0
The story that inspired, and is referenced in, recent Nebula Award nominee 'Cat Pictures Please'.
An AI-run 'network' has people doing random deeds of kindness for others, which is a lovely spin on the AI-destroys-world trope. The story shows a day of one individual following the commands he's sent by the network, leading to rather more drama than I think would be comfortable!
Great idea, but I wasn't terribly taken with the story given the possibilities.
An AI-run 'network' has people doing random deeds of kindness for others, which is a lovely spin on the AI-destroys-world trope. The story shows a day of one individual following the commands he's sent by the network, leading to rather more drama than I think would be comfortable!
Great idea, but I wasn't terribly taken with the story given the possibilities.
jokoloyo's review
4.0
We have so much stories with grim dark AI network stories, this story is not one of them. A silly hilarious cyberpunk story. This story reminds me how Sterling could write good funny stories too.
The link to the story: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/maneki-neko/
The link to the story: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/maneki-neko/
carol26388's review
4.0
Read for "Maneki Neko" by Bruce Sterling, published in April 2011 in Lightspeed, originally published 1998. It's a fun little story about pocket computers and how they interact with our lives, first published in Japan. I can't believe he published it in 1998. Incredible degree of foresight. I'm wondering if he fell through a time warp.
For perspective, I think in 1998, my cop friend had a "bag" satellite phone that was the size of a regular, corded phone. I had a 'Palm Pilot' that had a calendar, some apps, a small medical database and about 8 MB of memory. The big game on Apple was probably Myst, and I think I had a dial-up modem with AOL as the internet provider.
For perspective, I think in 1998, my cop friend had a "bag" satellite phone that was the size of a regular, corded phone. I had a 'Palm Pilot' that had a calendar, some apps, a small medical database and about 8 MB of memory. The big game on Apple was probably Myst, and I think I had a dial-up modem with AOL as the internet provider.
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