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Wil McCarthy
The Darker Side of Nanotechnology
During the 1990s, the idea of nanotechnology --
molecule-sized machinery capable of manipulating matter at the atomic level
-- took the science fiction world by storm. However, many of the stories
were overly optimistic, both in a technological sense and in terms of the
reactions of human society. On the other side, the cyberpunk authors were
twisting every imaginable technology to sordid or sinister purposes. Walking
a line down the middle, I hypothesized a rather dark future in which the
growing power of technology set off power struggles and assorted mishaps
throughout the 21st century, culminating in a nanotech disaster which destroys
the entire inner solar system.
Collectively, this series has earned a good deal
of critical attention, both for its technical rigor and for the gloomy-yet-energetic
tone of most of its stories. Murder in the Solid State was
a Locus bestseller, and has remained in print for five years -- a long
time in today's publishing world. Bloom was a New York Times Notable
Book which appeared on a number of "year's best" lists, including Locus,
Borders, and Amazon.com. "Amerikano Hiaika" and Bloom
have both been reprinted in various translations and overseas editions.
Stories, in chronological order of occurrence:
"Jarvick Hearts": FUTURE NET (Daw, Sep '96)
"Being the Drug": Colorado Engineer, Spring 1987
Murder
in the Solid State
"Amerikano Hiaika": Aboriginal SF, May/June
'91; Interzone (UK), May 1991; Die Letzten Basionen (Deutschland: Wilhelm
Heyne Verlag, Feb '98)
Novel Proposal (never written): Bad
Medicine
"No Job Too Small": Aboriginal SF, Spring 2001
Bloom
Goodies:
MPEG animation of the runaway
nanotech replication event, or "bloom," responsible for the formation
of the Mycosystem. Courtesy of reader Chris Jeppsen.
As featured in Bloom: John Conway's
Game
of Life, an early ceullular automaton which demonstrates principles
of artificial life and chaos theory. Java implementation by Alan
Hensel.
It Takes a Rocket Scientist: Amazon.com
Interviews Wil McCarthy