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Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
The Straw Men by Michael Marshall
Palmerston is not a big town, nor one that can convincingly be said to be at the top of its game.
Vineland by Thomas Pynchon
Later than usual one summer morning in 1984, Zoyd Wheeler drifted awake in sunlight through a creeping fig that hung in the window, with a squadron of blue jays stomping around on the roof.
Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
In 1517, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, feeling great pity for the Indians who grew worn and lean in the drudging infernos of the Antillean gold mines, proposed to Emperor Charles V that Negroes be brought to the isles of the Caribbean, so that they might grow worn and lean in the drudging infernos of the Antillean gold mines.
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posted Monday, February 18, 2002
Letter to Future Urbanites
Hello, twenty-second century citizens. My name is Chris and I am a 23-year-old "computer-programmer." I'd like to share with you a bit of my day with you so you can experience life as it was one hundred years ago. I will try my best to explain things in a manner that will be understandable to you.
I wake up every morning to the soothing sounds of my "radio," a device that picks up electromagnetic signals and transforms them into audible sounds. It must sound terribly primitive, but let me assure you that the voices of NPR reporters come in clearly.
I prepare myself for the day with an extensive cleansing ritual that includes activities such as "showering," "shaving," "moisturizing," and "grooming." I can only imagine what advancements mankind has made on these time-consuming, yet undoubtedly necessary, routines. Do you have automatic hair-stylers yet?
After I nourish myself with "break-fast," I get into my "auto-mobile" and transport myself to the office, which is essentially a large building to the north of my city in an area that is not yet developed. It sits among fields and forests and sloping hills, very beautiful. I wonder, have you any undeveloped land in the 22nd century?
I perform the day's tasks with a "computer," which I'm sure you have many of. The machines of my day must be simple and barbaric to you, but they get the job done and are quite efficient when used correctly. I enjoy leaving work at the end of the day, walking out from the towering office building, in which I sit for eight hours every day, and entering a field of blue, for all you can see is sky. It swirls above you, unhindered by buildings or track housing. The hills and fields fall away from the office and suddenly you have the sensation you are flying. Have men discovered how to fly yet without the aid of "air-planes"?
I return home and spend time with my friends and family who all live close-by. Oftentimes, if I cannot see them in person, we communicate via "tele-phone" or "e-mail." I do not ignore my physical health, either, so most nights, I will exercise at a gymnasium or play a game of "basket-ball." We have many activities in which physical engagement is a popular form of entertainment. The day ends with a good "book" or watching sitcoms on television (my favorites are "Twilight Zone" and "The Daily Show"). Afterwards, I fall asleep, ready to start the whole day over again.
I hope that by your day and age, mankind has found a way to improve upon this routine. It may sound unusual and intriguing, but truth be known, it is more often monotonous than either of those.
I am working for you, now. I am working to improve the future. Hopefully by documenting this brief history, I may be able to provide a base point from which to grow. I am writing to save my life. I am writing to save yours.
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