A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

This is a space opera with Artificial Intelligence turned Singularities turned gods. A pessimistic view of a future with AI. AI are called Powers and can toy with humans and other biological races. They can be mean but they can be controlled and usually cease to exist in a few years. The novel focuses on a mega Power born because some humans decided to unbury ancient secrets. The Power is the most powerfull Perversion anyone has seen and is threatening to destroy the galaxy. A group of humans try to escape with a cargo of sleeping children. Their spaceship fails and they have to land n a planet in the Low Beyond. The planet is inhabited by dog-like creatures stuck in a middle age level civilisation.

A rescue mission is organised but then the Perversion sends a fleet to that planet, no one knows why but there must be something important in that ship. On their way the Perversion destroys planets and entire civilisations.

I loved the premise of this novel. Though I'm not particularly fond of pessimistic views of AI I liked the idea of having sentient, powerful AIs emerging everywhere in the galactic network. I loved the concept of the Galactic Zones. In this universe the Milky Way is divided into zones of thought by some "unknown force". The Unthinking Depths hosting beings with limited mind around it the slow zone, with biological but no Artificial Intelligence. On top of that, the Beyond, divided in Low, Middle and High, each with higher intelligence potential with AI and faster than light travel. Above the High Beyond there is the Trascend, the home of AI or organic beings who have transcended. A place where AI can surpass Singularities.

I didn't like: the middle age civilisation. More than a third of the book takes place in that world and I could not enjoy it. I wanted futuristic settings! I wanted to know about the zones of thought and the Perversion!! Ididn't find the dog-people too interesting (apart fromthembeingmultiples, beings with many bodies sharing one mind) or their culture.

The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era by Vernor Vinge (1993)

I haven't read any fiction by Vinge yet but felt compelled to read his well known essay after some of my previous reads which refer to Vinge or discuss the topic. Also, it is a short read.

I first read about Singularities in Wonders of the Universe (Cox) and then The Illustrated A Brief History of Time (Hawking), referring to the Bing Bang and Black Holes. In those points/places mathematical calculations reach divisions by zero, or infinite, meaning the rules of (known) physics do not apply. Recently I also read a novel called Diaspora by Greg Egan in which characters travel through Singularities (totallyrecommendit. ).

The topic of Vinge's essay is different from the above. It discusses our future after we develop super human intelligence. This is a well-known essay, as it is in this paper (as far as I know) that Vinge coined the term (Technological) Singularity to mean that point in which we, humans will cease to be the most intelligent things on earth. Previously I had read a thesis on Singularities and literature and recently a much recommended Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark which opened my mind to so many possibilities. Also the last novel I read was Accelerando by Charles Stross, difficult read but worth it. Among other things it explores the effects of a Technological Singularity on economics and humanity way of living.