Psychohistorical Crisis
by Donald Kingsbury · first published 2001
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Hard science fiction sequel to Asimov's Foundation, built around a brain-interfaced wearable computer. The novel is large in scope, with sociologically grounded ideas that prompt reflection.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Eron Osa a subi le châtiment suprême : on lui a retiré son fam, une sonde psychique qui décuple les capacités du cerveau. En cette année 14810 de l'Ere galactique, dans Sublime Sagesse, la planète capitale de la Voie lactée, chaque citoyen dépend uniquement de son fam pour évoluer dans un univers hautement technologique. Eron, privé de la plupart de ses souvenirs, va découvrir l'enfer de sa nouvelle condition. Est-il au coeur d'un complot à l'échelle de la Galaxie? Pourtant, perdue au fond de sa mémoire, se trouve la clé qui pourrait changer le destin galactique de l'humanité.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2007–2026Foundation
Isaac Asimov
Recommended by 143 · mentioned by 487143 recommend · 487 mention143 recommend · 487143 recommend
2008–2026The Stars My Destination
Alfred Bester
Recommended by 34 · mentioned by 4834 recommend · 48 mention34 recommend · 4834 recommend
2008–2026The moon is a harsh mistress
Robert A. Heinlein
Recommended by 139 · mentioned by 305139 recommend · 305 mention139 recommend · 305139 recommend
2007–2026Stranger in a Strange Land
Robert A. Heinlein
Recommended by 97 · mentioned by 27797 recommend · 277 mention97 recommend · 27797 recommend
2007–2026Neuromancer
William Gibson
Recommended by 296 · mentioned by 780296 recommend · 780 mention296 recommend · 780296 recommend
2007–2026Accelerando
Charles Stross
Recommended by 160 · mentioned by 287160 recommend · 287 mention160 recommend · 287160 recommend
2007–2026Dune
Frank Herbert
Recommended by 193 · mentioned by 512193 recommend · 512 mention193 recommend · 512193 recommend
2007–2026The Diamond Age
Neal Stephenson
Recommended by 284 · mentioned by 596284 recommend · 596 mention284 recommend · 596284 recommend
Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury: imagine a wearable computer, brain interfaced, that you grow up with. Now imagine it being taken away, and destroyed, and relearning to read, with your eyes and animal brain. A non-authorized…
on “Build your own Google Glass” ↗When considering intelligence amplification, the book that comes to mind is Psychohistorical Crisis, by Donald Kingsbury. Computer-to-brain interfaces may go a long way in the next few thousand years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychohistorical_Crisis
on “IA or AI?” ↗…readers that have read authors that are better technically in the writing craft. Also many of the themes and "science" hasn't aged well. The best vision of the Foundation universe is Donald Kingsbury's "Psychohistorical Crisis". It is more up-to-date and crafted well as a large novel. As a side note, the one author that has built a multi-book "Future History" that I recommend is John Barnes. Not celebrated as someone like…
on “Isaac Asimov - The Foundation Trilogy” ↗If you like Asimov's Foundation series, you should look up Donald Kingsbury's Psychohistorical Crisis.
on “Beginnings of Science Fiction” ↗Blood Music - Greg Bear Accelerando - Charlie Stross Psychohistorical Crisis - Donald Kingsbury (assuming you have already read Asimov's Foundation series) A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge Chung Kuo, the Middle Kingdom - David Wingrove Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie Neutron…
on “Ask HN: What's your favorite sci-fi book?” ↗…an interesting science-fictional take on some consequences and issues with providing people with attached outboard brains (in the context of Asimov's Foundation universe), read Donald Kingsbury's novel Psychohistorical Crisis.
on “Thinking Differently about Thinking: The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark” ↗A few other SF books with the idea of an external co-brain: - Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury (plays a major role) - Accelerando by Charlie Stross (minor role) - The Peace War, Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge (relatively major roles) edited for formatting
on “Thinking Differently about Thinking: The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark” ↗I'd choose one of these two, since they both completely qualify as underrated: A) "Psychohistorical Crisis" by Donald Kingsbury, which is an unauthorized sequel set in the world of Asimov's Foundation Series. B) "Venus Equilateral" by George O. Smith, which is an old, rather cheesy sci-fi novel from the 1940s,…
on “Ask HN: What’s your most underrated sci fi favorite book?” ↗…in that series, though he mostly applies it to things like force fields and the like, rather than computing devices (other than the tools psychohistorians use). BTW, you may enjoy Donald Kingsbury's Psychohistorical Crisis. Well worth reading, it adds quite a few interesting and plausible embellishments to Asimov's conceptual framework.
on “The Expanse UI Design” ↗…list, but I can easily throw out a couple: "Computer Lib/Dream Machines" Theodor Nelson - a vision of a better computing future that sticks with me. "Courtship Rite", "The Moon Goddess and the Son", "Psychohistorical Crisis" Donald Kingsbury - sociologicaly based SF that forced me to think way outside of my cultural assumptions. TMGATS is particularly relevant given the events in Ukraine.
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗This topic was explored in the science fiction novel Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury, an unauthorized sequel to Asimov's Foundation series.
on “The Extended Mind (1998)” ↗