From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>

The problem with straight SF for me is that computers and networks have changed the future so much that (in the words of the motto of the SF Writer's Association) The Future Ain't What It Used to Be. The science fictional futures of my childhood are now dead as doornails. And I can't enjoy contemporary SF that doesn't include a healthy dose of computers and networking.

I find this to be largely true as well. The cyberpunk genre does the best job at grappling with the impact of communications tech but it is traditionally dystopian. It would be nice to see a story about better living through crypto. What fiction can people recommend which presents crypto/privacy issues realistically? How about this new book that Neal Stephenson is working on, does anyone know what it's about? His short story, "Hack the Spew", a few months ago (in Wired, I think?) had a strong crypto flavor. Hal