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Posted by Kyle T. Jones on August 4, 2009, 2:10 pm
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Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor wrote:
> BKHLTSTT.RVW 20090419
>
> "Halting State", Charles Stross, 2007, 978-0-441-01498-9,
> U$25.95/C$30.00
> %A Charles Stross www.antipope.org/charlie/index.html
> %C 10 Alcorn Ave, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 3B2
> %D 2007
> %G 978-0-441-01498-9 0-441-01498-4
> %I Penguin/Signet/Roc
> %O U$25.95/C$30.00 416-925-2249 Fax: 416-925-0068 service@penguin.ca
> %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0441014984/robsladesinterne
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0441014984/robsladesinte-21
> %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0441014984/robsladesin03-20
> %O Audience n+ Tech 2 Writing 3 (see revfaq.htm for explanation)
> %P 351 p.
> %T "Halting State"
>
> If you like William Gibson's writing, then you will probably like this
> book. Charles Stross isn't quite up to that level yet, but, with a
> little more work, he could be.
>
> Stross does seem to know his technology. Which makes the few errors
> all the more annoying, when they pop up. He seems to understand (as
> very few computer or security industry trade journalists do) the
> difference between quantum cryptography and decryption of RSA keys by
> quantum computer: he still manages to link them together in a
> confusing fashion in the story. (And, no, even with a quantum
> computer you probably don't have a universal decryptor.) Also, top
> level domain country codes are two letters, not three.
>
> However, Stross does understand societal dependence on computers, the
> activities and misunderstandings of various communities, and that
> disaster is more likely to arise due to ignorance than direct attack.
> The work is very realistic, in those terms, and worth reading as a
> warning of a substantial threat in that regard.
>
> copyright Robert M. Slade, 2009 BKHLTSTT.RVW 20090419
>
Stross has a background in the IT sector, prior to becoming a full-time
writer.
You should have cross-posted to rec.arts.sf.written - it would make more
sense, in this case, than misc.books.technical, and Stross is an
irregular contributor there.
What is the Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security and why
doesn't it have a web presence? - if it does, why isn't it near the top
of Google results?
Also, I liked the book as well - if you haven't already, you might check
out Accelerando, by the same author - it deals with the Technological
Singularity, and, IMO, was quite interesting.
Finally, why are you revealing so much via headers?
Cheers.
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