Live Without A Net [Paperback]

Lou Anders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Imagine a future without cyberspace...without virtual reality...without AIs and simulations...and without the Web.

What would you do? What would you fear? What wouldn't you know?

Explore a future without a net in these stories of alternatives to the "information age" by Lou Anders € Stephen Baxter € David Brin € Paul Di Filippo € Pat Cadigan € John Grant € David Hutchinson € Alex C. Irvine € Terry McGarry € John Meaney € Paul Melko € Mike Resnick and Kay Kenyon € Chris Roberson € Adam Roberts € Rudy Rucker € S.M. Stirling € Del Stone, Jr. € Charles Stross € Matthew Sturges € Michael Swanwick

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taking a post-Internet, post-computerized world as its unifying theme, Anders's (The Making of Star Trek: First Contact) uneven anthology showcases 18 mostly male British authors (not all of whom will be familiar to U.S. readers), whose contributions range from disconnected, inconclusive pieces to delightful shaggy-dog stories. Most focus on sophisticated biological technologies, such as Charles Stross's provocative "Rogue Farm," about "multi-human beings" and Stephen Baxter's sad little tale about slave-drones and successive revolutions, "Conurbation 2473." Other established names include Michael Swanwick, David Brin, Rudy Rucker and S.M. Stirling. But the longest entry belongs to relatively obscure Brit John Meaney. In Meaney's entertaining novella, "The Swastika Bomb," bioform animals serve as tanks, airplanes, bombs and deadly viruses, against an alternative history of the Battle of Britain in which the Axis and the Allies race to develop a nucleic instead of a nuclear bomb. All the stories are competently written, but few leave a lasting impression.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Wildly imaginative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking looks at a subject that is nearly unthinkable: a future free from the Internet. (Cory Doctorow, winner of the John W. Campbell Award) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Roc Trade (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459253
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459251
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,193,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A 2010/2009/2008/2007 Hugo Award nominee, 2008 Philip K. Dick Award nominee, 2009/2008/2007 Chesley Award nominee/winner/nominee, and 2006 World Fantasy Award nominee, Lou Anders is the editorial director of Prometheus Books' science fiction and fantasy imprint Pyr, as well as the anthologies Swords & Dark Magic (Eos, June 2010), Masked (Gallery, July 2010), Fast Forward 2 (Pyr, October 2008), Sideways in Crime (Solaris, June 2008), Fast Forward 1(Pyr, February 2007), FutureShocks (Roc, January 2006), Projections: Science Fiction in Literature & Film (MonkeyBrain, December 2004), Live Without a Net (Roc, 2003), and Outside the Box (Wildside Press, 2001). In 2000, he served as the Executive Editor of Bookface.com, and before that he worked as the Los Angeles Liaison for Titan Publishing Group. He is the author of The Making of Star Trek: First Contact (Titan Books, 1996), and has published over 500 articles in such magazines as The Believer, Publishers Weekly, Dreamwatch, DeathRay, free inquiry, Star Trek Monthly, Star Wars Monthly, Babylon 5 Magazine, Sci Fi Universe, Doctor Who Magazine, and Manga Max. His articles and stories have been translated into Danish, Greek, German, Italian and French.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Net Needed, July 1, 2003

By 

James A. Owen (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live Without A Net (Paperback)

This anthology was my first exposure to Lou Anders' work as an editor, and I found myself very, very impressed.

I'm a choosy SF reader, and anthologies in particular drive me nuts. I've been rereading DANGEROUS VISIONS for years, and the one bright spot annually is Windling and Datlow's BEST FANTASY AND HORROR - basically, I have to be force-fed anything new.

I was offered an advance copy of LIVE WITHOUT A NET, started reading with no small trepidation, and found myself devouring it. Anders' choices are stunningly good, and his taste in material impeccable. Swanwick, Roberson, and Meaney's contributions may be some of the finest short fiction I've ever read, and the rest of the material held a similar line of quality.

Quit reading this and just go buy the book. Trust me - it's worth the price and then some.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A snapshot of the future of Science Fiction, October 1, 2003

By 

"causticcharmer" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live Without A Net (Paperback)

This is an excellent compilation of stories. If you are interested in understanding how science fiction and fantasy are morphing into a new and facinating genre, then I highly recomend this book. It is a snapshot of the medium as it reaches a tipping point and shoots into the future. I have bought 4 books from authors whose short stories I read in this anthology. I highly recommend this book not only for the content, but also for the reading lists it will help you build.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good collection, with some gems, July 1, 2003

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live Without A Net (Paperback)

For me the best picks from this volume are those where the authors really get to grips with the idea of a future that has not followed the usual technological route, particularly Di Filippo and Rucker. On the more traditional SFnal front Melko and Del Stone Jr provide more than the bigger names of Brin and Baxter, and Resnick/Kenyon, Hutchinson, Meaney and Stross provide top quality stuff.

All in all, an interesting varied collection, and well worth the shelf-space....