Not sure if this has already been posted, but I just thought I'd bring up this pretty good book by Roger Zelazny. It tells the story of a man for hire who lives outside the system. Reminded me a lot of Jack, not necessarily in method or story, just general similarities. Thought some of you guys and gals might be interested.

Also, in the Politcal forum there is a thread about those Fusion Centers and a big point of this book is a computer system that has every bit of info on everyone in the world, well almost everyone. Makes you wonder sometimes about how prophetic these sciene-"fiction" writers can be.

Not sure if this has already been posted, but I just thought I'd bring up this pretty good book by Roger Zelazny. It tells the story of a man for hire who lives outside the system. Reminded me a lot of Jack, not necessarily in method or story, just general similarities. Thought some of you guys and gals might be interested.

Also, in the Politcal forum there is a thread about those Fusion Centers and a big point of this book is a computer system that has every bit of info on everyone in the world, well almost everyone. Makes you wonder sometimes about how prophetic these sciene-"fiction" writers can be.

No 2 ways about it, PicardRex. Think of Heinlein's radar-scattering boat in BETWEEN PLANETS. Stealth! But I'm hard-pressed to think of =any= sf writer who foresaw how powerful computers would become, and how fast.

No 2 ways about it, PicardRex. Think of Heinlein's radar-scattering boat in BETWEEN PLANETS. Stealth! But I'm hard-pressed to think of =any= sf writer who foresaw how powerful computers would become, and how fast.

People have been working on stealth technology ever since the invention of radar. Heinlein's radar-scattering boat was nothing new.

He did however come up with the idea of telephone answering machines -- and people monitoring their calls -- in the novel you mention. Also, back in the 1950's, he had people using hand-held telephones.

Funny thing though . . . after all those centuries in the future, people still used slide rules.

In his first novel THE PROBABILITY BROACH, (1979) L. Neil Smith came up with the idea of lap-top computers.

Ken V.

Not sure if this has already been posted, but I just thought I'd bring up this pretty good book by Roger Zelazny. It tells the story of a man for hire who lives outside the system. Reminded me a lot of Jack, not necessarily in method or story, just general similarities. Thought some of you guys and gals might be interested.

Also, in the Politcal forum there is a thread about those Fusion Centers and a big point of this book is a computer system that has every bit of info on everyone in the world, well almost everyone. Makes you wonder sometimes about how prophetic these sciene-"fiction" writers can be.

Take a look at my username.

Take a look at my username.

Meh...

Having read the book and having you point it out, it now is really obvious. I should have put two and two together, ah well.

What did you think of the book?

MY NAME IS LEGION by Roger Zelazny

An excellent, albeit dated (handfuls of punchcards as personal data entries, etc.) science fiction collection (three short stories). I guess you could say it is Zelazny's sci-fi take on the classic detective genre as high-tech mercenary for hire.

I commented on this book here a few years ago, calling the main "unnamed" character in the volume a "literary uncle of Jack," or something to that effect.

I purchased a U.K. First hardcover printing of LEGION online a few years ago only to receive a book whose dust jacket was disintigrating and whose main cover had a broken spine and was on it's last legs. I had the cover restored (which basically means replaced), and then I had a co-worker who is a wiz with graphics scan a paperback cover edition of LEGION, then print it out as a nice (larger of course) new shiny color dust jacket (which I inserted into the old plastic library sleeve previously occupied by the former crumbling dust jacket).

The pages inside are yellowing, but otherwise it is like holding a brand new book. Now if I could only get past that fact that British editors spell words like "specialization" with an "s" instead of a "z"!

It's fun, and as stated by others, above, a "still-relevant" read.

Ciao.

Michael