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"EscapeVelocity
iswithoUtdoubtthebestguideIhavereadtothenewcom-pUterculturethatwillsoondominateourlives.MarkDeryiswittyandprovocativebUtalwayssaneandthoughtful.Asheshows,thecyber-craziesarealreadycirclingaroundus....
EscapeVelocity
willhelpuskeeptheminoursights."
-.I.c.Ballard
"EscapeVelocity
isextraordinary-ararebookthatisbothscholarlyandcom-pulsivelyreadable.Stimulating,perceptive,andahellofalotoffun."-ParCadigan.authorof
Fool,
"Cyberculturehaslongneededasavvycritiquebysomeonewhounderstandswhatitisallabout.MarkDerygoesbeyondlettingtheairoUtofthetiresoftechno-utopia.Hisreportfromthehairyfringesofcybercultureforcesustoexaminethepossibilitythatliterallustfortechnologyisnotjustseducingus,butconvertingusintosomethingotherthanhuman."-HowardRheingold,aurhorof
TheVirtualConmJU17i~)':Homestft1di1Jg011theElectrullicj--'rumier
"Totallyinformed,Deryisareliablenavigatorinthenewculturalterrainofvirtuality,steeringthereaderbetweentheScyllaandCharybdisofcyberhypeandtechnophobia.Hissure-sightedcritiqueemergesfromanexhaustiveethnographicsurveyoftherituals,participants,ideas,andliteratureinthefield."-AndrewRoss,aurhorof
TheChimgoGallgsterTheOl:!,ofLift
"Dery'swritingevincesaloveoflanguageandaclarityofmeaningthatarerarelybroughttothesesubjects.Aworthybook."-R.U.Sirius.founderof
Mondo2000
andaurhorof
theL);berplmkHandbook
ISBN0-8021-1580-2
 
larkDery
:almeleethateruptedinSanFrancisco-yourselfroboticsintothepubliceye.thenationalmedia,pittedhomemade,;teachother,amongthemanastylittlekesandagas-poweredsaw,ahundred-WarItank,andtheMaster,abuzzsawtheevent'sorganizers,hashighhopeslddtheelementofcombatandsurvivalintofootballfanterritory,whichisa".5roboticsnotwithstanding,theworkof~sitsmostcomfortablyinthetradition:>ticsanddramaticsareintertwined:edintopopularusageinatheatrical:arelCapek's192Isciencefictionplay,
-
andtheearliestknownrobotswere
,
bornofscienceandsorcery,calcula-
engineerwholivedinthefirstcenturyquintheaterinwhichthegodBacchuslcchantesdanced.InthelateMiddle:anappearingonclocktowers.Theitselaborate"jackwork,"ormovingscast-ironroostercrowedthreetimes;denialofJesus.pared,however,withtheclockwork:icists.France'sJacquesdeVaucansonck,firstexhibitedin1738.Goethe,Europe'sintelligentsiagapedatthis{ed,gobbledgrainfromitskeeper'slroppings.The
Scribe,
builtin1772byrreJaquet-DrozandhissonHenri-notion,alife-sizebarefootboyseated1inkwell,shakeittwice,andwritea
I,
1
I
I
EscapeVelocity
115
f
I
preprogrammedtext,movingtothenextlinewhennecessary.Theautom-atOn'seyesfollowedthemovingpen,givingitanastonishinglylifelikeair.Amongthe
Scribe's
repertoireoffamousphraseswasDescartes'axiom,"I
THINK,THEREFOREIAM."
Mechanismsthatcounterfeitlifecontinuetocaptivatethehumanimagination.MillionshavetheirfirstcloseencounterwithrobotsinaDisneythemepark,wherecreepilyrealistic,computerizedcharactersper-forminrevuesliketheEnchantedTikiRoom,aPolynesianfantasiapopu-1atedbyAudio-Animatronicbirds,flowers,andtribalmasksthattalkandsing.
(Audio-Animatronic
isDisneyspeakforthetechnologyusedinelectron-icallyanimatedrobotswhosesoundtracks,issuingfromhiddenspeakers,aresynchronizedwiththeirmovements.)Traditionally,performingmachines,from.themechanicalmanne-quinsofcenturiespasttotoday'scorporateimageadsdisguisedaskitschdiversions,havecelebratedthestatusquo.Themechanicalspectaclesfabricatedbytheundergroundtechnologistsprofiledinthischapterques-tiontheunderlyingassumptionsofmainstreamengineering,consumerculture,theartworld,andtherestofwhatRosshascalled"themilitary-industrial-entertainmentcomplex.""We'rejusttryingtodoatheaterwithmachines,"saysPauline,asiftoallayanyfears.Heflashesatoothy,conspiratorialgrin."Youhavetoprovideentertainmentvalue."
MarkPauline:HeavyMetalTheaterofCruelty
MarkPaulinehasafirmhandshake.Whichisremarkable,sincehisrighthandhasonlythreefingers,twoofwhicharesuspiciouslystubby.Oddbumpspebbletheheelofhishand;awadofmisshapenfleshbulgesbetweenhisthumbandfirstdigit.Itisthehandofamonster,attachedtoaman.Pauline'sfingersare,infact,notfingersatall,buttransplantedtoes.Helostthreefingersandathumbin1982whileworkingonarocketmotorforoneofhisshows.Thepropellantexploded,hurlingPaulineseveralfeet."Iwaslyingonthegroundandbloodwentinasheetofredovermyeyes,"herecalls."I...lookedatmyhand,'cause[it]feltfunny,andallIcouldseewasthebones."4

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