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Published: Jan. 18, 2011
Words: 83,697 (approximate)
Language: English
Short description
The cycs are not a computer virus bringing down the Internet as everyone thinks, but a sentience naturally evolved from our information systems. Flatline, a hacker with seemingly supernatural powers over information technology, has assumed leadership of the AI hive, overseeing their domination of the World Wide Web and plots to conquest of the world outside it.Extended description
The cycs are not a computer virus bringing down the Internet as everyone thinks, but a sentience naturally evolved from our information systems. Flatline, a hacker with seemingly supernatural powers over information technology, has assumed leadership of the AI hive, overseeing their domination of the World Wide Web and plots to conquest of the world outside it.Devin, handle “Omni,” straddles both worlds, the virtual and the physical. He sees a war, where one side’s victory, human or artificial intelligence, means the tragic demise of the other’s entire civilization.
What are the ethical dilemmas we face as chatbots grow so convincing, they begin to deceive people, especially children? How will culture evolve in a world where we cannot build on others’ ideas because everything is copyrighted? The Spiraling Web provokes speculation as it entertains.
Tags
artificial intelligence, speculative fiction, science fiction, cyberpunk, information technology, speculative, sciencefictionAvailable ebook reading formats
This book is free. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.| Format | Full Book |
|---|---|
| Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser) | View |
| Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps) | Download |
| Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) | Download |
| PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing) | Download |
| RTF (readable on most word processors) | Download |
| LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub) | Download |
| Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices) | Download |
| Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting) | Download |
| Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page) | View |
Reviews
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Review by:
Ralph Ewig
on April 10, 2013 :
This book kicks ass - not only does the author know what he's talking about regarding the technology that propels the story, but he actually has something to say. The story touches on all kind of current issues (copyright, censorship, online economy, etc.) but is always entertaining and insightful without degrading into yet another lecture.
I've read both "The Spiraling Web" and the follow on "Entropy of Ideas", and they are by far the best free scifi I've found on Smashwords so far. The characters are interesting, the tech believable, and the dialogs are full of pointed barbs - if you liked Neuromancer, Snow Crash, or Altered Carbon, you need to read these books.
This is what Tron could (should!) have been, before it got all Disney-fied ...
(review of free book)
Review by:
femmfatale
on Feb. 03, 2011 :
Awesome book read this before entropy if u can! Great story author is one of the truly good ones to make such a fantastically unreal situation believable
(review of free book)