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"You have to budget the number of fuzzy rules you use to control a system. It turns out, you can state the optimality principle in three words: 'patch the bumps.'"
- Bart Kosko
 |
| Talking Pamphlet | ||
| An instructional pamphlet that instructs you through ordinary speech. |
Madge Rubichek had a problem; her husband. But, she was nothing if not methodical, so she acquired a do-it-yourself murder kit.
Did you ever have a problem trying to both read the instructions for something and perform the actions stated in the instructions - at the same time?
Marge was somewhat unprepared when the pamplet spoke to her.
| "Uh, where are you?" Madge asked nervously. "Where am I where? the pamphlet responded in confusion. "Yes, precisely," she responded. "Dear Purchaser, you are perplexing me," the pamphlet cried. "If you wish to carry forward smartly to the objective for which this Kit was designed, please do not strain my conversational and analytical faculties." |
| Technovelgy from Ellison Wonderland,
by Harlan Ellison. Published by Signet in 1974 Additional resources -
|
This marvelously dark story loses nothing in the years since its first publication. Harlan Ellison is not, strictly speaking, a hard science fiction writer. He says he writes more in the style of magical realism.
Whatever the genre, don't miss do-it-yourself from this fine book of short stories.
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Tech news articles related to works by Harlan Ellison
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news articles:
- Books of Hope Talk to Everyone
- Interactive Paper Four Sounds Off
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| Positioned Cybertrucks With Free Starlinks WiFi In LA |
| Will Whales Be Our First Contact? |
| NYC/Dublin Portal Fails To Meet 'Guardian Of Forever' Standards |
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I'm hoping that this procedure becomes a normal part of medical practice!
'... nothing was perfected until M. Pantalon announced the completion of his automatic valet.'
'...its streets were of remarkable width, with few or no buildings so high as mosques, churches, State-offices, or palaces in Tellurian cities.'
'...it was all composed of tiny, identical cubes, carefully laid to form a tilelike surface.'
'He carried on his person a triggering mechanism sensitive to his heartbeat.'
'...Anything was possible in my imaginary environment.'
'Somewhere in space, a chrome and blue automobile raced the green light of Earth.'
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair...'
