Bitcoin Fiction Anthology Review
“It is difficult,” declared Harry Turtledove in his 2001 introduction. The best alternate history stories of the 20th century, “Writing about the effects of technology before there is much to write about technology.” Twenty years later, futurism remains as challenging an endeavor as ever, and bringing a body of story to life is precisely a matter of imagining what comes next. 21 Futures: A Time Chain StoryIt’s a new science fiction anthology coming out next month.
This is not your grandfather’s story of tomorrow. Konsensus Network, the publisher behind the project, has been promoting it as a kind of original text, certainly a prototype, and a “first” especially as far as Bitcoin-oriented story collections are concerned. And editors Philip Charter and Niko Laamanen appear to have achieved just that, with 21 authors presenting 21 different perspectives on a future marked by the prosperity of decentralized digital currencies.
It should be noted from the outset that their mission is only obliquely evangelical, an editorial decision that serious readers will appreciate. In the case of 21 gift, the real potential for the proliferation of brain-corrupting agitprop has been completely avoided. Instead, what we have is the product of a principled approach to artistic choice. It’s the product of delightfully immersive and intellectually stimulating stories, each of which grapples with the sweet question, “What if?” After all, as Charter points out in his foreword, “To unify interest in Bitcoin, we need to tell the story about Bitcoin better.”
what isn’t exactly “Listen carefully, Maxis!” Because while some of the stories in this collection (some of the best, in fact) have only a cursory relationship to Bitcoin, the truth of the matter is that an artistic appeal policy, not an artless promotional policy, is what makes Bitcoin the broader Bitcoin It has proven to be the most effective path to adoption.
That road is a path that leads towards a certain place. sunnier The outlook given by the authors of this collection is liable to crash on the anvil of our popular media. So publishing 21 gift, not to mention the countless books that can’t help but take root in the shadow it casts, is truly not to be missed. This marks the first serious effort by artists focused on depicting their vision. financial freedom. Not since poet Ezra Pound’s seriously misguided attempt to assimilate banking data into the financial system. Cantos The worlds of money and literature collide intentionally and, for once, effectively.
Anyone can see that Bitcoin and its supporters are still the subject of much public ridicule. what 21 gift The promise of Bitcoin is not just to envision Bitcoin’s dominance (i.e., a future in which the name “Satoshi Nakamoto” rings with enigmatic reverence), but to be one of the means toward that future. no see. An engaging, thought-provoking and wide-ranging story that all readers (science fan or not) will enjoy. 21 gift It’s a real, self-justifying step toward a much wider and increasingly influential world of TV, movies, and games. From courtroom proceedings and android memoirs to international capers and AI cosmology; Traversing a diverse range of voices, some experimental, others comfortably mainstream, all defy the fog of obscurity. In short, not only as a collection of science fiction short stories, but as a literary enterprise that represents something meaningful in the world without embarrassing its meaning. 21 gift It is also the best kind of declaration.
And to say that a few works punch way above their weight does little to convey the general excellence of most of the stories. But some of the collection’s strongest contributions, whether Decent Money’s story-in-fragment “Hello World” or science fiction’s more traditional (but no less thrilling) “Behemoth,” are actually worthy of the established greats they sit alongside. This has been proven. Clearly in conversation. From Robert Louis Stevenson through Philip K. Dick to the present, this is a conversation that cannot help but stimulate others, and will continue to do so. Before the first best-selling Bitcoin novel is released, before the first Bitcoin blockbuster movie is released in your local theater, you should read this if for no other reason than to know what’s going on here at Ground Zero. You will want to. book.
This is a guest post by Eric Bies. The opinions expressed are solely personal and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
