"John G. Hemry - As You Know, Bob or, Living up to Expectations" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hemry John G)

AS YOU KNOW, BOB OR, тАЬLIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONSтАЭ
by John G. Hemry




****
The agent: HowтАЩs that science fiction novel youтАЩve been working on coming
along? Send me an excerpt from the beginning so we can see about getting it into
shape for todayтАЩs market.
****
The story begins: The phone rang with BobтАЩs signature tune, so Bill tapped
the тАЬreceiveтАЭ button. BobтАЩs face appeared, looking unusually enthusiastic, since he
normally tried to coast through life with minimum effort. тАЬDid you hear about the
frozen Lumpia?тАЭ
тАЬNot yet.тАЭ Lumpia. That sounded important enough for Bill to pause his work
and face the phone. тАЬAs you know, Bob, frozen Lumpia isnтАЩt nearly as good as
fresh.тАЭ
тАЬThis stuff is! ThereтАЩs a new process. Meet me in the lobby and weтАЩll go get
some and check it out.тАЭ
BillтАЩs conscience tugged at him. тАЬI dunno, thereтАЩs this analysis of the signals
from the Eridani Probe that IтАЩm supposed to be running....тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩll be there when we get back.тАЭ
тАЬOkay.тАЭ Bill stood up, powering down his workpad and heading for the door.
In the hallway he met Jane, a researcher who worked a few doors down. Bill
tried not to stare as she crossed her arms and looked at him. тАЬYouтАЩre in a rush.
Going on some important mission?тАЭ she asked dryly.
тАЬI guess you could say that. IтАЩm going to pick up some frozen Lumpia.тАЭ Bill
hesitated. Jane had the kind of smarts and attitude that had always attracted him, but
she had never shown much interest in Bill and had turned him down the one time he
had asked for a date. Maybe she would be willing to consider a more casual errand
together. тАЬDo you want to come along?тАЭ Jane pulled out a money card and checked
it, then shrugged. тАЬSure. Why not? I need to pick up some stuff, too.тАЭ
 ****
The agent: This is okay, but I canтАЩt sell it. SomethingтАЩs missing. ItтАЩs not sci-fi
enough, do you know what I mean? This is supposed to be happening in the early
twenty-second century and thereтАЩs nothing about the singularity or nanotech or
quantum states or cyberspace or posthumans or multiculturalism or complex
antiheroes. How can you call that sci-fi? I know, I know, youтАЩve told me that when
people use tools they donтАЩt think about how they work. But readers expect certain
things from sci-fi. Oh, and the characters. Those arenтАЩt sci-fi characters. Punch them
up and make them the sort of characters you see in real science fiction. And get
some gratuitous sexual content in there.
****
The revised story begins: The singularity had crashed and burned in a
viral-cataclysm that had destroyed most of civilization and every decent coffee
house east of Seattle. Now a complex array of probability states undulated down a
fiber-optic line surviving from presingularity days. The electrons carrying the
message didnтАЩt so much move as they did alter the places where they had the highest
probability of existing.