Limit of Vision

This is a fascinating take on the theme of AI and scientific experiments gone awry.The account of AI offered by Nagata is not the typical "hardwired computer gains consciousness of itself" theme (and its countless variations), but rather a story of the products of a microtechnology experiment run amok: small organisms that exist only at the "limit of vision" (hence the acronym LOV), mutate from their original design as human intelligence enhancers into increasingly sentient and dangerous clusters of life.This is the "goo-iest" AI story to date: and one of the best!The description of the evolution of the LOV's provided by Nagata is extremely interesting and disturbing. The plotting is excellent and the characters entirely convincing.A very enjoyable and intriguing read.

____________________________________________ I thought Limit of Vision was Nagata's best book yet -- she's gaining full knowledge & control of the novelist's toolkit. And I admire her essential sweetness of vision: that probems have solutions, & that most people, given half a chance, will act decently and kindly. Except the bad guys, of course... Hghly recommended. Oh, and her website is well-worth a visit: http://www.maui.net/~nagata Happy reading-- Pete Tillman

In my opinion, "Limit of Vision" is tied with "The Bohr Maker" for Nagata's best book ("Bohr" has some really neat ideas; "Limit" is more accessible). She has always concentrated on nanotechnology, but a few of her books have been difficult to follow. "Limit of Vision," on the other hand, can be read by even those who aren't intimately familiar with SF."Limit" is thought-provoking in that it made me wonder how I would react to this situation: protect the LOVs because they're an exciting new lifeform, and humanity could use a little competition? Or hunt down the LOVs because they may pose a serious threat to humanity since they obviously cannot be easily contained? There is also a great deal of social commentary, as in how humanity chooses to deal with displaced persons. I also enjoyed Nagata's extrapolations of how the Internet may work in the future.Nagata's writing is not your run-of-the-mill SF. She's definitely worth checking out.

A scientist dies during a forbidden experiment with nanotechnology, and her death and a journalist's probe lead to the release of a science which may ultimately transform mankind in this gripping story of a technological experiment gone awry. Strong characterization and gripping twists of plot keep this fast-paced and hard to put down.

Possibly the decade's boldest voice in speculative fiction. Most writers hobble and contort their ideas to fit a preconceived plot or theme, but Nagata's mind appears to be wired exponentially.The idea of brain-enhancing implants is hardly new, but until LIMIT OF VISION, we had never seen a full-throttle treatment. Nagata carries the idea to its logical conclusion, and while the fears of the technologically timid are duly noted, they're shown little mercy by the steamroller of progress. The future is coming on fast whether we want it or not, and the author's point rings true: it's way more fun to be _on_ the steamroller than under it.