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Lightspeed Magazine, April 2011
Every month Lightspeed Magazine features all kinds of science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in between.
In “All That Touches the Air” author An Owomoyela explores the boundaries of differing moralities, as humanity tries to live alongside an unlikely ally—a parasitic being that believes only in natural law.
In “Maneki Neko” Bruce Sterling takes us to a networked Tokyo, where strangers offer anonymous gifts, and what is needed is freely given without question.
Tom Crosshill brings us a story of a boy, his dog, a lab, and many universes in “Mama, We are Zhenya, Your Son.”
“Velvet Fields” by Anne McCaffrey, is a tale of a newly-settled world, the consequence of ignorance and the price people of conscience might pay for it.
In “All That Touches the Air” author An Owomoyela explores the boundaries of differing moralities, as humanity tries to live alongside an unlikely ally—a parasitic being that believes only in natural law.
In “Maneki Neko” Bruce Sterling takes us to a networked Tokyo, where strangers offer anonymous gifts, and what is needed is freely given without question.
Tom Crosshill brings us a story of a boy, his dog, a lab, and many universes in “Mama, We are Zhenya, Your Son.”
“Velvet Fields” by Anne McCaffrey, is a tale of a newly-settled world, the consequence of ignorance and the price people of conscience might pay for it.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
3 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Anne McCaffrey
478 books7,757 followersAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 19, 2020
Read for "Maneki Neko" by Bruce Sterling, published in April 2011 in Lightspeed, originally published 1998, and the Locus Award Winner in 1999 for Best Short Story.
It's a fun little story about pocket computers and how they interact with our lives, first published in Japan. I can't believe he published it in 1998. Incredible degree of foresight. I'm wondering if he fell through a time warp.
For perspective, I think in 1998, my cop friend had a "bag" satellite phone that was the size of a regular, corded phone. I had a 'Palm Pilot' that had a calendar, some apps, a small medical database and about 8 MB of memory. The big game on Apple was probably Myst, and I think I had a dial-up modem with AOL as the internet provider.
cross posted at https://wordpress.com/post/clsiewert.... because I rarely threaten myself with deletion
It's a fun little story about pocket computers and how they interact with our lives, first published in Japan. I can't believe he published it in 1998. Incredible degree of foresight. I'm wondering if he fell through a time warp.
For perspective, I think in 1998, my cop friend had a "bag" satellite phone that was the size of a regular, corded phone. I had a 'Palm Pilot' that had a calendar, some apps, a small medical database and about 8 MB of memory. The big game on Apple was probably Myst, and I think I had a dial-up modem with AOL as the internet provider.
cross posted at https://wordpress.com/post/clsiewert.... because I rarely threaten myself with deletion
October 12, 2019
This review is for “Maneki Neko,” a fun SF short story free online at Lightspeed magazine. Full review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
I know “delightful” and “cyberpunk” are two words that rarely appear in the same sentence, but that’s what this short story is. We follow a day in the life of Tsuyoshi Shimizu, a young man living in Tokyo with his pregnant wife. He’s self-employed, making a fairly good living transferring old videos to new formats, and occasionally sharing older images that are of archival interest on the net.
“Maneki Neko” is a humorous story, where we see the beneficial side of AI’s, the Internet gift economy, and dominant networks … at least from some people’s point of view. There’s just a little bit of an edge to the story, enough to make the reader question whether there might be some possible drawbacks to this system.
Maneki neko, which means “beckoning cat” in English, is a popular Japanese cat figurine and tourist souvenir, usually having one paw upraised, depicting it beckoning for or inviting good fortune. It becomes very funny in the context of the story. Incidentally, “Maneki Neko” is referenced in the Hugo award winning 2016 short story “Cat Pictures Please,” and clearly served as an inspiration to that story.
Thanks to Jokoloyo for the recommend!
I know “delightful” and “cyberpunk” are two words that rarely appear in the same sentence, but that’s what this short story is. We follow a day in the life of Tsuyoshi Shimizu, a young man living in Tokyo with his pregnant wife. He’s self-employed, making a fairly good living transferring old videos to new formats, and occasionally sharing older images that are of archival interest on the net.
The net machines would never pay for data, because the global information networks were noncommercial. But the net machines were very polite, and had excellent net etiquette. They returned a favor for a favor, and since they were machines with excellent, enormous memories, they never forgot a good deed.Tsuyoshi moves through his day, periodically receiving anonymous gifts and advice from the net, and passing out random acts of kindness ― or taking more strategic actions ― when prompted by his handheld pokkecon device. Gradually it becomes apparent that there are forces tying him together with others in a mutual benefit society. It all comes to a hilarious boil as Tsuyoshi runs afoul of an American who is investigating and does not approve of this hidden gifting economy. But she’s taking on not only Tsuyoshi, but all the human and nonhuman forces that support him.
“Maneki Neko” is a humorous story, where we see the beneficial side of AI’s, the Internet gift economy, and dominant networks … at least from some people’s point of view. There’s just a little bit of an edge to the story, enough to make the reader question whether there might be some possible drawbacks to this system.
Maneki neko, which means “beckoning cat” in English, is a popular Japanese cat figurine and tourist souvenir, usually having one paw upraised, depicting it beckoning for or inviting good fortune. It becomes very funny in the context of the story. Incidentally, “Maneki Neko” is referenced in the Hugo award winning 2016 short story “Cat Pictures Please,” and clearly served as an inspiration to that story.
Thanks to Jokoloyo for the recommend!
April 21, 2017
We have so much stories with grim dark AI network stories, this story is not one of them. A silly hilarious cyberpunk story. This story reminds me how Sterling could write good funny stories too.
The link to the story: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
The link to the story: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
February 16, 2016
A re-read - but it's been quite a while since I last read this. This may be my favorite piece by Bruce Sterling.
Cyberpunk isn't generally thought of as being optimistic and cheery, but this story really is. It laughs, in a rather good-natured way, at those who are hostile to and threatened by technological change. In this future, members of semi-secret 'networks' are always doing small, easy things at the urging of their pocket computers. These actions are usually to help out someone else - and they get benefits in return. This general attitude of 'pay-it-forward' has helped to set up a functional gift economy - and of course, those who are invested in the traditional economy are threatened.
It's a fun story with a personal feel (and some action!) - but with some radical, sensible ideas.
Cyberpunk isn't generally thought of as being optimistic and cheery, but this story really is. It laughs, in a rather good-natured way, at those who are hostile to and threatened by technological change. In this future, members of semi-secret 'networks' are always doing small, easy things at the urging of their pocket computers. These actions are usually to help out someone else - and they get benefits in return. This general attitude of 'pay-it-forward' has helped to set up a functional gift economy - and of course, those who are invested in the traditional economy are threatened.
It's a fun story with a personal feel (and some action!) - but with some radical, sensible ideas.
February 27, 2020
Read for Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling
Can be read here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
A weird, albeit funny, story of pocket computer (pokkecon) and how they can interfere with one's life. Found out about it because I learned that it served as inspiration for Cat Pictures Please by Naomi Kritzer, winner of 2015 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
L.E. I felt it necessary to return and mention that I found out that this short story was written/published in 1998, so that could easily get it another half star, if those were available here on GR.
P.S. Although I love cats, I totally dislike maneki nekos, at least the ones I saw in my country are very kitschy/tacky..
Can be read here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
A weird, albeit funny, story of pocket computer (pokkecon) and how they can interfere with one's life. Found out about it because I learned that it served as inspiration for Cat Pictures Please by Naomi Kritzer, winner of 2015 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
L.E. I felt it necessary to return and mention that I found out that this short story was written/published in 1998, so that could easily get it another half star, if those were available here on GR.
P.S. Although I love cats, I totally dislike maneki nekos, at least the ones I saw in my country are very kitschy/tacky..
December 27, 2019
Maneki Neko
by BRUCE STERLING
Another unconventional cyberpunk story from Bruce Sterling. As usual, he mingles the high-tech part in a funny and weird short story. As a matter of fact, it served as inspiration for “Cat Picture Please” by Naomi Kritzer, the winner of 2015 Hugo Award for Best Short Story (http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritz...).
Maneki Neko (beckoning cat) is a Japanese figurine supposed to bring good luck. Only here it brings anything but. It can be read here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
by BRUCE STERLING
Another unconventional cyberpunk story from Bruce Sterling. As usual, he mingles the high-tech part in a funny and weird short story. As a matter of fact, it served as inspiration for “Cat Picture Please” by Naomi Kritzer, the winner of 2015 Hugo Award for Best Short Story (http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritz...).
Maneki Neko (beckoning cat) is a Japanese figurine supposed to bring good luck. Only here it brings anything but. It can be read here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
May 13, 2017
When freeware network seems to put people really nervous.
Tsuyoshi Shimizu is living content with his pregnant wife and small business , when a errand takes a twist .
-------------------
Relato corto que terminó sorprendiéndome de manera agradable.
No soy nada de fan de los famosos 'gatitos de la suerte' (que dan nombre a esta historia) y que empezaron a proliferar hace unos años, desplazando al elefante, asi que esto me dio cierto resquemor. Pero la imagen es sólo una forma de aunar todo un movimiento que actua en una suerte de cadena de favores.
Primer cyberpunk que leo que no contiene el pesimismo y truculencia que caracteriza en gran parte el género, asi que hasta vacilo en calificarlo como tal.
Lo pueden leer aqui
Tsuyoshi Shimizu is living content with his pregnant wife and small business , when a errand takes a twist .
Tsuyoshi blinked. “I’m just living my life.”
“Well, your network gift economy is undermining the lawful, government approved, regulated economy!”
“Well,” Tsuyoshi said gently, “maybe my economy is better than your economy.”
“Says who?” she scoffed. “Why would anyone think that?”
“It’s better because we’re happier than you are. What’s wrong with acts of kindness? Everyone likes gifts.
-------------------
Relato corto que terminó sorprendiéndome de manera agradable.
No soy nada de fan de los famosos 'gatitos de la suerte' (que dan nombre a esta historia) y que empezaron a proliferar hace unos años, desplazando al elefante, asi que esto me dio cierto resquemor. Pero la imagen es sólo una forma de aunar todo un movimiento que actua en una suerte de cadena de favores.
Primer cyberpunk que leo que no contiene el pesimismo y truculencia que caracteriza en gran parte el género, asi que hasta vacilo en calificarlo como tal.
Lo pueden leer aqui
January 29, 2019
Review for the reprint of Bruce Sterling's classic "Maneki Neko" (1998). Original page deleted by the Eevil Super Libraarian's nefarious scheme to make GR less useful to short fiction fans. Bah.
Wonderful story. Hasn't dated a bit. 5680 words.
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
Cleaner copy: https://medium.com/@bruces/maneki-nek...
Won the Locus Best Short award, 1999. Bunch of other noms, & many other reprints: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cg...
A sample:
“It’s nice to meet someone from the American government,” said Tsuyoshi, bowing a bit in his chair. “I’d shake your hand, but it’s tied to the bed.”
Compare to this Jack Vance bit:
“I would offer congratulations were it not for this tentacle gripping my leg.” (from Cugel's Saga)
Heh. Reread many times. If you missed it, or its been awhile, what are you waiting for ?
Wonderful story. Hasn't dated a bit. 5680 words.
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
Cleaner copy: https://medium.com/@bruces/maneki-nek...
Won the Locus Best Short award, 1999. Bunch of other noms, & many other reprints: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cg...
A sample:
“It’s nice to meet someone from the American government,” said Tsuyoshi, bowing a bit in his chair. “I’d shake your hand, but it’s tied to the bed.”
Compare to this Jack Vance bit:
“I would offer congratulations were it not for this tentacle gripping my leg.” (from Cugel's Saga)
Heh. Reread many times. If you missed it, or its been awhile, what are you waiting for ?
October 12, 2019
Cat Pictures Please brought me here! I only read Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling and it was funny and smart. It was written in 1998 but it didn't get old at all.
July 4, 2017
Cheerful, optimistic cyberpunk (I know, right?) with the scary overtones kept securely confined to lurkerville, this put a smile on my face and I ended up practicing my cat paw hand gestures in the mirror.
A jolly little classic.
A jolly little classic.
April 22, 2017
Maneki Neko is a very apt story for our era of sharing economy. In Sterling's world, the gifting economy is a positive shift in society. It's a computerized version of paying it forward, directing people's needs to those who can help, and a much better way of conceptualising how modern economy could change to be more pleasant and less harmful to people... Plus it's based on the symbol of a cat. All in all, a very delightful, positive, optimistic scifi short!
April 2, 2022
Review is just for Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling, available here https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fi...
first published in 1998. It was mentioned on Naomi Kritzer's award winning short story Cat Pictures Please, which is explicitly a retake of this story.
And this story is cute, very nice, cozy like a nice unexpected coffee when you really need ita take on random (seemingly) acts of kindness. But when it tries to bring some ambiguity, I think it kind of misses the point of how humans would act on the world wide web and the whole concept of social media... Still not bad, if naive, for 1998...
first published in 1998. It was mentioned on Naomi Kritzer's award winning short story Cat Pictures Please, which is explicitly a retake of this story.
And this story is cute, very nice, cozy like a nice unexpected coffee when you really need ita take on random (seemingly) acts of kindness. But when it tries to bring some ambiguity, I think it kind of misses the point of how humans would act on the world wide web and the whole concept of social media... Still not bad, if naive, for 1998...
May 15, 2021
Crap. GR has done it again. The review refers solely to Bruce Sterling's short story "Maneki Neko", and it even had its own cover when I wrote this review seven years ago. In the meanwhile, GR in its infinite wisedumb has decided to substitute the name of the magazine it was taken from and of which I knew nothing, leaving my review making no sense at all. Thanks, guys.
This short tale really hit the spot with me today. Deep meanings, pleasant, guaranteed to bring a smile. I recommend it to all those who know how to commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty. Sadly, I shared it with a friend who supposedly loves SF and computers and is applauded all over the US and Europe as an educator--and she didn't get it at all. I felt like I had handed her a rare and precious gift, she looked at it, said "Huh" and dropped it, bored with my present.
This short tale really hit the spot with me today. Deep meanings, pleasant, guaranteed to bring a smile. I recommend it to all those who know how to commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty. Sadly, I shared it with a friend who supposedly loves SF and computers and is applauded all over the US and Europe as an educator--and she didn't get it at all. I felt like I had handed her a rare and precious gift, she looked at it, said "Huh" and dropped it, bored with my present.
October 26, 2019
Review for Maneki Neko. Darn GRLN smushed this review too!
Loved it! Too bad I'd probably be the one with the Net AI against me... Five stars, short freebie online. Highly recommended!
Loved it! Too bad I'd probably be the one with the Net AI against me... Five stars, short freebie online. Highly recommended!
May 1, 2018
1999 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Short Story
1999 Locus Award for Best Short Story
Similar in concept to the 2000 movie Pay it Forward, but with an omniscient AI at the heart of the action coordinating the exchange of favors and gifts among seemingly random strangers for their mutual benefit. I can see how this was inspiration for Naomi Kritzer's 2016 Hugo award winning short story Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories.
1999 Locus Award for Best Short Story
Similar in concept to the 2000 movie Pay it Forward, but with an omniscient AI at the heart of the action coordinating the exchange of favors and gifts among seemingly random strangers for their mutual benefit. I can see how this was inspiration for Naomi Kritzer's 2016 Hugo award winning short story Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories.
April 13, 2012
Nebula Nominee 2011.
This is one of those stories where you have to figure out what's going on from a rather limited perspective. It's an interesting take on quantum physics, science, research, and ethics.
This is one of those stories where you have to figure out what's going on from a rather limited perspective. It's an interesting take on quantum physics, science, research, and ethics.
August 16, 2019
All I read from this was Maneki Neko, a story by Bruce Sterling about people giving strangers gifts as ordered/requested by an anonymous machine network, mostly small stuff: the protagonist buys an extra coffee to give to a down-on-his-luck businessman, his pregnant wife receives a shipment of homemade pickles, etc. The story bobs along right up until the protagonist finds himself caught up in a heist-like plot to get back at someone who destroyed part of the network.
Written by a white man, featuring a Japanese protagonist living in Japan, with an obvious attempt at sensitivity that falls short of the mark in places. It doesn't quite hit "using random Japanese words and phrases in English language fan fiction" bad, but it comes close a few times. Includes the lines, "Tsuyoshi realized suddenly that she was a Japanese American. Tsuyoshi had met a few Japanese Americans before. They always troubled him. They looked fairly normal from the outside, but their behavior was always bizarre." Good job, Bruce. What Japanese-Americans really need is a white guy telling them that Japanese people think they're weird.
Written by a white man, featuring a Japanese protagonist living in Japan, with an obvious attempt at sensitivity that falls short of the mark in places. It doesn't quite hit "using random Japanese words and phrases in English language fan fiction" bad, but it comes close a few times. Includes the lines, "Tsuyoshi realized suddenly that she was a Japanese American. Tsuyoshi had met a few Japanese Americans before. They always troubled him. They looked fairly normal from the outside, but their behavior was always bizarre." Good job, Bruce. What Japanese-Americans really need is a white guy telling them that Japanese people think they're weird.
August 26, 2018
*3.5 stars
This was an interesting little story about a future in which there are independent AI networks that people use, as opposed to regular human-run internet. The AI often give people instructions randomly; buy an extra coffee to give the man on the bench, send baby clothes to this address, etc. Its like a world-wide exchange of favours, all AI controlled, all based on what people need at the moment.
On the other hand, one women who "broke part of the network" is suddenly experiencing a lot of bad luck. Nothing going right. People hampering her everywhere she goes. She describes the people using these AI networks as criminals, whose bartering system is ruining the economy. Frankly I'm on the same side as the main character and the AIs - what's so wrong with people doing favours for each other? Giving each other what they need?
The story is here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
This was an interesting little story about a future in which there are independent AI networks that people use, as opposed to regular human-run internet. The AI often give people instructions randomly; buy an extra coffee to give the man on the bench, send baby clothes to this address, etc. Its like a world-wide exchange of favours, all AI controlled, all based on what people need at the moment.
On the other hand, one women who "broke part of the network" is suddenly experiencing a lot of bad luck. Nothing going right. People hampering her everywhere she goes. She describes the people using these AI networks as criminals, whose bartering system is ruining the economy. Frankly I'm on the same side as the main character and the AIs - what's so wrong with people doing favours for each other? Giving each other what they need?
The story is here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
June 13, 2024
Only read Bruce Sterling, “Maneki Neko”. The original story is from 1998 – that is some very early predictions.
A benevolent AI (or maybe “just” algorithm) makes people present gift to each other in a network.
For unbelievable early predictions see E.M. Forster: "The Machine Stops" from 1909. It can be read here: https://web.archive.org/web/200911210...
I read the story because of the reference in Naomi Kritzer “Cat Pictures Please”. It is clearly served as an inspiration to that story and “Better Living Through Algorithms”.
A benevolent AI (or maybe “just” algorithm) makes people present gift to each other in a network.
For unbelievable early predictions see E.M. Forster: "The Machine Stops" from 1909. It can be read here: https://web.archive.org/web/200911210...
I read the story because of the reference in Naomi Kritzer “Cat Pictures Please”. It is clearly served as an inspiration to that story and “Better Living Through Algorithms”.
March 3, 2017
Fun chase story with a twist that shakes human societal beliefs on the wake of an intriguing system that coerces human coop interventions.
April 6, 2020
("Maneki Neko") I like it but I don't get the ending
May 22, 2016
The story that inspired, and is referenced in, recent Nebula Award nominee 'Cat Pictures Please'.
An AI-run 'network' has people doing random deeds of kindness for others, which is a lovely spin on the AI-destroys-world trope. The story shows a day of one individual following the commands he's sent by the network, leading to rather more drama than I think would be comfortable!
Great idea, but I wasn't terribly taken with the story given the possibilities.
An AI-run 'network' has people doing random deeds of kindness for others, which is a lovely spin on the AI-destroys-world trope. The story shows a day of one individual following the commands he's sent by the network, leading to rather more drama than I think would be comfortable!
Great idea, but I wasn't terribly taken with the story given the possibilities.
April 26, 2012
Short story, read online.
A challenging read, trying to describe quantum physics from a child's point of view. But the ethical questions raised and the twists in the story were interesting. I originally had this at three, but bumped up to four stars. I don't mind a challenge.
A challenging read, trying to describe quantum physics from a child's point of view. But the ethical questions raised and the twists in the story were interesting. I originally had this at three, but bumped up to four stars. I don't mind a challenge.
June 14, 2016
Also technically not for the 2016 Hugos, but Cat Pictures Please piqued my curiosity about it, and I can see why the two link together.
Read
March 5, 2012At the moment I've only read "Mama, We Are Zhenya, Your Son", but I might read other parts of it later.
November 22, 2012
8 year old Zhenya is writing letters to his mother from a laboratory where he is experimented upon.
November 18, 2013
Another sub par issue.
February 14, 2022
“Maneki Neko" by Bruce Sterling
April 5, 2017
short and sweet
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews