Distraction by Bruce Sterling:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

This future Earth novel is set in 2044, and most of the government and social institutions that we think are eternal and unchangeable have gone to the dogs. Global warming, cheap computer power, increasingly irrelevant government - sound familiar? See at least one set of logical conclusions in this book. Select an invention:

Bambakias Hotel - help it come into being
A hotel that wants to exist! It just needs a little help.

Bugged Money - money rigged for surveillance
American cash with embedded listening devices.

Infowar Operation
Making use of various means to disrupt the enemy's military and civilian information networks.

Junkbot - spamachine
An automated email program that specializes in sending junk mail (spam)

Netwar - communications warfare
Making use of various means to disrupt the enemy's military and civilian information networks.

Profile Sniffers - sifting the web
A software device that sifts Internet access records for patterns associate with particular personality types.

Smart Bike
A motorcycle with sophisticated systems for steering and balance.

Talking Tape - smart as a brick
Adhesive-backed network connection, global positioning, voice synthesis and speakers.

 

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Science Fiction
in the News

The Zapata Air Scooter Would Be Great In A Science Fiction Story
re: Robert Heinlein
(11/23/2025)

Thermostabilized Wet Meat Product (NASA Prototype)
re: Various
(11/21/2025)

Could Crystal Batteries Generate Power For Centuries?
re: Edmond Hamilton
(11/19/2025)

India Ponders Always-On Smartphone Location Tracking
re: Jack Vance
(11/17/2025)

Amazon Will Send You Heinlein's Knockdown Cabin
re: Robert Heinlein
(11/15/2025)

Is It Time To Forbid Human Driving?
re: Bernard Brown
(11/13/2025)

Replace The Smartphone With A Connected Edge Node For AI Inference
re: Raymond F. Jones
(11/11/2025)

Artificial Skin For Robots Is Coming Right Along
re: Harl VIncent
(11/9/2025)

Robot Guard Dog On Duty
re: Neal Stephenson
(11/7/2025)

Wearable Artificial Fabric Muscles
re: HG Wells
(11/5/2025)

BrainBridge Concept Transplant Of Human Head Proposed
re: Alexander Belaev
(11/3/2025)

Google's Nano Banana Pro Presents Handwritten Math Solutions
re: Isaac Asimov
(11/1/2025)

Edible Meat-Like Fungus Like Barbara Hambly's Slunch?
re: Barbara Hambly
(10/29/2025)

Sunday Robotics 'Memo' Bot Has Unique Training Glove
re: Robert Heinlein
(10/27/2025)

More SF in the News

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