Black Swan (A cyberpunk story)
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To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Black Swan , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Nor is it a novelization of the Oscar-nominated film. Nor a novelette-ization, as it were.
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The ethical journalist protects a confidential source. On their meeting at an Italian cafe in which this science fiction story starts, Massimo proffers Luca an object so advanced that it would have easily inspired a neologism from Sterling, who is himself credited for coining the term slipstream , had the term that is ultimately used, memristor , not already been available.
Memristors are theoretical electronic devices whose applications compose a far-reaching set. The Hugo-winning author, it turns out, is not above using unicorns in his figures of speech, if only so that he can emphasize the capacity of his subject. And what great capacity memristors have -- so great that should Luca blog about their existence, in the wrong hands, in the wrong electronics company, memristors are certain to tilt the global axis of power. He was also drunk. Conclusively, Black Swan is about black swans: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. In Black Swan , Sterling writes to striking effect, A stroke of genius is a black swan, beyond prediction, beyond expectation.
If a black swan never arrives, how on Earth could its absence be guessed? A black swan can never be predicted, expected, or categorized. A black swan, when it arrives, cannot be recognized as a black swan. Ultimately we must rewrite history in all the physically possible worlds, not least of which ours. La storia si svolge in Italia, a Torino, tra mondi paralleli e un viaggiatore che salta da una alle altre 64? Certo, la storia ha un inizio e una fine e non si rimane in sospeso, ma a me viene invece da chiedermi: Inoltre credo che il finale del racconto sia davvero inaspettato.
Quello che ho trovato difficile, e che mi ha un po' reso difficile la lettura, sono i riferimenti politici, economici, culturali, tutte quelle considerazioni che ci si aspetta appunto da un giornalista. View all 3 comments. Mar 27, La. In compenso mi ha ricordato anche quanto mi piacesse il telefilm Sliders, una decina di anni fa!
One of the newer topics, and by newer I mean several years but new to many, is is membrane fiction. We have always had sci-fi about multiple world in other dimensions, but with the advent of a growing scientific camp of believers in Brane Theory part of String Theory. My hopes are that this story is a primer for a longer story.
Black Swan (A cyberpunk story) - Kindle edition by Bruce Sterling. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like. Great idea for a story, but unfortunately for me it was far too short and I had no real connection to the characters. Future tech-ish and alternate realities but set in .
Lucas, the unwitting traveller in this transdimensional trip, is likable and a character I want to learn more about. His plight of not feeling exuberant about a new dim One of the newer topics, and by newer I mean several years but new to many, is is membrane fiction. His plight of not feeling exuberant about a new dimension to explore is a fascinating dynamic.
Clooney is a wonderful actor, and he will always be welcome in Venice. Archived from the original on August 28, We know whose movement we're in. Black Swan, Bruce Sterling. Johnson's an interesting new writer whom we've reprinted a couple of times before. In the secondary plot, Queen Clothilde is a competent but ruthless woman acting as regent for Siegfried. E poi Sarkozy come Napoleone, Calvino come fisico invece che letterato, e la Yugoslavia padrona del mondo occidentale.
Overall I would not recommend this to the lite reader. While it is not full of quantum or Sting mechanics to mire you in science too much it is a story with a deep concept. Jul 24, Ryan rated it really liked it. This could have been a novel. Un hacker di "mondi", con lo pseudonimo di Massimo Montaldo ma a 'sto punto poteva chiamarsi pure Mario Mondi [che simpaticone che sono!!! E poi Sarkozy come Napoleone, Calvino come fisico invece che letterato, e la Yugoslavia padrona del mondo occidentale. Fermi con il tasto F2, vi prego!
Pretty trippy exploration of alternate histories and realities.. Reminds me of Inception, in that I'll have to read it again in a few days to fully process. View all 4 comments.
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Sociologia, politica, economia in una scheggia di domani sospesa tra cinismo e disincanto. Thanks, Bruce, for yet another chilly draft that blows in from your future I'm reviewing the English version of this short story, "Black Swam. About half the story is like the start of a fairly typical journalist-accidentally-uncovers-gigantic-political-scandal, but then dragged by a possible informer from one Turin to another, our hero suddenly becomes as a wooden statue, offering no insights or even personal opinions about the differen I'm reviewing the English version of this short story, "Black Swam.
About half the story is like the start of a fairly typical journalist-accidentally-uncovers-gigantic-political-scandal, but then dragged by a possible informer from one Turin to another, our hero suddenly becomes as a wooden statue, offering no insights or even personal opinions about the differences.
The story ends abruptly and inexplicably as if Sterling just got sick of it. The writing isn't exactly the best either. There are a few passages where the dialogue seemed downright amateurish. I know some writers try to reproduce in English the particular flair of Italian. Michael Dibdin could do it. Pero' qualcosa non mi ha convinto.
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They are under a curse which compels them to become swans by day and women only during moonlit hours. The most beautiful and noble of these is Princess Odette, the Queen of Swans. Odile is restless because her father seldom praises her, even though or perhaps because she is growing to be his equal in magic.
She has never seen much of the world outside her father's estate, but she knows she would like the company of other people. She has no interest in the swans because they seem to lack her intelligence, and because von Rothbart has taught her to despise them. When Odette openly defies von Rothbart, challenging him to give a convincing reason for his punishment of the flock, he offers her a deal; if she can capture and hold the loyalty of a man for an entire month, the curse which keeps the flock captive will be broken.
A condition of the deal is that the young man must know exactly what Odette had done refused the engagement her father had set for her and run away with a member of the court and still pledge his loyalty to her. In the secondary plot, Queen Clothilde is a competent but ruthless woman acting as regent for Siegfried. She does not want to surrender power to her son when he turns 18; an event mere months away. She plans a birthday celebration for him at which six beautiful princesses, all prospective brides, will attend, hoping to distract him from his kingship.
Clothilde secretly hopes to kill Siegfried and either take the throne in right or continue as regent for a grandchild.
Black Swan
She is aided in her scheme by Uwe, her minstrel and former lover. Siegfried himself is a womanizer and a scoundrel, but a religious experience convinces him to change his ways. Clothilde is dismayed, since the reformed Siegfried is winning the respect of her court. Baron von Rothbart pays a visit to Clothilde and requests that his own daughter be allowed to attend the festival as a potential bride.
She agrees, tempted by the prospect of having a sorcerer readily at hand. The flock arrives at a small lake. Odile, who has largely been in charge of their care, is getting to know the swan maidens and feels some sympathy for them. She wants Odette to succeed because she thinks she and her father would have more freedom to travel if the swan-maidens were no longer their burden. Siegfried, sent out hunting by his mother in search of swans, encounters Odette, and it is love at first sight. His friend Benno, returning to the lake by daylight to investigate, is quickly dismissed by Odile.
When both men return to the lake at night, Odette is able to allay their suspicions that she is some sort of witch. She tells Siegfried why she has been cursed, and he agrees to marry her and thus break the curse. Happily, Odile tells her father that Odette has fulfilled her part of the bargain.
Odette leaves the flock in the morning to find him. Her father casts a spell on her which makes her look like Odette and controls her with more magic, keeping her from warning Siegfried.
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The Prince declares his desire to marry "the daughter of Baron von Rothbart," which breaks the vow he made to Odette. Worst of all, Odette arrives just in time to witness this. She flees, Siegfried follows, and Odile runs after them both.