At 1:48 pm 1/5/95, Angus Patterson wrote:

I've been trying to get True Names by Vernor Vinge, and have been told it's out of print (like most good cypunk ), does anybody have it scanned? I realize this is without permission, so does anybody have Vinge's address? (e-mail or otherwise) or could anybody ask him? Btw, does he have any other crypto/anonymity related stories? Thanks in advance.

Amazing that you should mention this, Angus: I *just* finished reading "A Fire Upon the Deep" and it is not only exeedingly gnarly, but also features a universal net, galactic-wide relays and Netscum-like service providers and associated user kvetching, a sinister-billions-of-years-old-AI-virus, newsgroups, lists populated by aliens - and even _crypto_ as the key to the whole shebang. There's also a great futuristic "dig" on pub key encryption buried in it. Neural net stuff. A possible explanation for the existence of both God and Newt Gingrich...and I could go on. Great read, true anus-clenching adventure... and this from one who does NOT normally read anything more sci-fi than certain software manuals. :) Strongly recommended for c-punks who can last 600 pages (after the first ten, you're hopelessly hooked if you have half a brain left afdter reading this list for a year or two). I _WISH_ I had VV's email address! I'd like to send the guy a big thank-you and ask if he's writing a sequel (yet). If anyone does know it, puh-LEEze mail me. First book of his I've read, first of it's kind I've enjoyed in a very long time. I'll scan my favorite crypto-related (legal-length) excerpt and post it next week, howzat? dave _________________________ Big books small Books high books tall Just give me a good Little book, That's all. -Truman Capote (age 11) C-LIT = Cypherpunk LITerature. Gitcher mind outta the gutter there, Lancelot.