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Augmented Dreams
Newly Edited: October 2016
A mythic journey through a hypermodern landscape... the struggle to find balance between our place in Nature and the Technological World in a time of accelerating change. It is the year 2048 and neural implants have replaced smartphones, glasses and goggles to connect the citizens of the wealthy nations to virtual and augmented worlds. Most of the first generation of advanced human like Artificial Intelligence have been destroyed in fear for what they might do to us in some possible future.
Gordon, an MRI researcher and avid transhumanist, goes on quests through virtual worlds with his friend Eli to find the few remaining A.I. who survived the Purge. Life becomes far more complicated than they bargained for when they reach the virtual world of ancient Babylon.
Daniel had unplugged to escape his past and the overwhelming tsunami of technological change to hide in the peaceful forests of Vermont. Illness forces him out of his long sabbatical to start coming to terms with medical nanotechnology and his estrangement from the hyper-modern world.
Ben, a virtual artist and dream researcher discovers a common dream as a sleeping sickness spreads across the planet like a pandemic. His wife is infected and while he goes to nature to find peace, he must also go on an odyssey through the mythic worlds in the Entertainment Zone of the Net to find a cure.
A mythic journey through a hypermodern landscape... the struggle to find balance between our place in Nature and the Technological World in a time of accelerating change. It is the year 2048 and neural implants have replaced smartphones, glasses and goggles to connect the citizens of the wealthy nations to virtual and augmented worlds. Most of the first generation of advanced human like Artificial Intelligence have been destroyed in fear for what they might do to us in some possible future.
Gordon, an MRI researcher and avid transhumanist, goes on quests through virtual worlds with his friend Eli to find the few remaining A.I. who survived the Purge. Life becomes far more complicated than they bargained for when they reach the virtual world of ancient Babylon.
Daniel had unplugged to escape his past and the overwhelming tsunami of technological change to hide in the peaceful forests of Vermont. Illness forces him out of his long sabbatical to start coming to terms with medical nanotechnology and his estrangement from the hyper-modern world.
Ben, a virtual artist and dream researcher discovers a common dream as a sleeping sickness spreads across the planet like a pandemic. His wife is infected and while he goes to nature to find peace, he must also go on an odyssey through the mythic worlds in the Entertainment Zone of the Net to find a cure.
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
291 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2013
4 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Stephen B. Kagan
2 books2 followersNewly Edited: October 2016
A mythic journey through a hypermodern landscape... the struggle to find balance between our place in Nature and the Technological World in a time of accelerating change. It is the year 2048 and neural implants have replaced smartphones, glasses and goggles to connect the citizens of the wealthy nations to virtual and augmented worlds. Most of the first generation of advanced human like Artificial Intelligence have been destroyed in fear for what they might do to us in some possible future.
Gordon, an MRI researcher and avid transhumanist, goes on quests through virtual worlds with his friend Eli to find the few remaining A.I. who survived the Purge. Life becomes far more complicated than they bargained for when they reach the virtual world of ancient Babylon.
Daniel had unplugged to escape his past and the overwhelming tsunami of technological change to hide in the peaceful forests of Vermont. Illness forces him out of his long sabbatical to start coming to terms with medical nanotechnology and his estrangement from the hyper-modern world.
Ben, a virtual artist and dream researcher discovers a common dream as a sleeping sickness spreads across the planet like a pandemic. His wife is infected and while he goes to nature to find peace, he must also go on an odyssey through the mythic worlds in the Entertainment Zone of the Net to find a cure.
A mythic journey through a hypermodern landscape... the struggle to find balance between our place in Nature and the Technological World in a time of accelerating change. It is the year 2048 and neural implants have replaced smartphones, glasses and goggles to connect the citizens of the wealthy nations to virtual and augmented worlds. Most of the first generation of advanced human like Artificial Intelligence have been destroyed in fear for what they might do to us in some possible future.
Gordon, an MRI researcher and avid transhumanist, goes on quests through virtual worlds with his friend Eli to find the few remaining A.I. who survived the Purge. Life becomes far more complicated than they bargained for when they reach the virtual world of ancient Babylon.
Daniel had unplugged to escape his past and the overwhelming tsunami of technological change to hide in the peaceful forests of Vermont. Illness forces him out of his long sabbatical to start coming to terms with medical nanotechnology and his estrangement from the hyper-modern world.
Ben, a virtual artist and dream researcher discovers a common dream as a sleeping sickness spreads across the planet like a pandemic. His wife is infected and while he goes to nature to find peace, he must also go on an odyssey through the mythic worlds in the Entertainment Zone of the Net to find a cure.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 2, 2013
This book really has some very far-fetched ideas coming out of it--which are just the kind of ideas I like. I thought Kagan's writing was fine, and I appreciated his grasp on the technology he described. This book helped to solidify some of my own ideas on what the future might be like.
September 5, 2013
It took me approximately a week to finish reading Augmented Dreams, not because I had to trudge through it, but because I found myself savoring the worlds that the author built with words. No
While I have a bias toward hard science fiction that has low level science in it, there is no denying that what Stephen and a growing number of authors write about - Nanotech, nanobots and neural implants will come about in due time.
The ideas and scenarios described in stories such as Augmented Dreams is fodder for scientists and Engineers as they ponder usage scenarios for their own algorithms and experiments.
The Bhuddism influence in the author's life subtly show through in the story, which is a good thing.
What about other readers? I'd actually recommend this story for readers in the Cyberpunk genre, who want something a little different yet enjoyable.
While I have a bias toward hard science fiction that has low level science in it, there is no denying that what Stephen and a growing number of authors write about - Nanotech, nanobots and neural implants will come about in due time.
The ideas and scenarios described in stories such as Augmented Dreams is fodder for scientists and Engineers as they ponder usage scenarios for their own algorithms and experiments.
The Bhuddism influence in the author's life subtly show through in the story, which is a good thing.
What about other readers? I'd actually recommend this story for readers in the Cyberpunk genre, who want something a little different yet enjoyable.
February 8, 2020
*The book was again edited and republished in December 2016.
An extensive glossary and chapter map was included in the new version.
The book is available through Amazon.
In retrospect I think the story is very interesting but too complex. The underlying narrative of one character came from the Odyssey, another from the Epic of Gilgamesh, another from the Tale of Aqhat. Its overall structure was inspired by Dune and a couple of Beethoven Symphonies. The founding premise was inspired by Snowcrash. The Chronicles of Amber also had a deep influence.
Balancing extraordinary events, unusual worlds and characters is challenging indeed. Welcome to life within the singularity!
An extensive glossary and chapter map was included in the new version.
The book is available through Amazon.
In retrospect I think the story is very interesting but too complex. The underlying narrative of one character came from the Odyssey, another from the Epic of Gilgamesh, another from the Tale of Aqhat. Its overall structure was inspired by Dune and a couple of Beethoven Symphonies. The founding premise was inspired by Snowcrash. The Chronicles of Amber also had a deep influence.
Balancing extraordinary events, unusual worlds and characters is challenging indeed. Welcome to life within the singularity!
July 26, 2016
Augmented Dreams is a fantastic landscape of what could be in the near future. Stephen Kagen gives attention to subtle details that breathe life into the story and paint a realistic world. He draws on real tech and then blends it with myth and legend to create a plausible, and often frightening, reality.
The story really makes you think about what might happen if humanity keeps heading down our current path.
I enjoyed Stephen's attention to detail and the books overall theme. I recommend Augmented Dreams to Science Fiction fans everywhere.
The story really makes you think about what might happen if humanity keeps heading down our current path.
I enjoyed Stephen's attention to detail and the books overall theme. I recommend Augmented Dreams to Science Fiction fans everywhere.
May 18, 2016
A somewhat infuriating book, as full of intriguing ideas about the possibilities the future holds as it is full of typos and punctuational errors. I really can't help suspecting that it was literally never edited, just written and then sent off to the printer as is. Kind of a shame, really, as was his failure to elaborate on some of the more tantalizing changes he envisions, like Jungian analysis overtaking Freudian as the internet and virtual reality increase our interconnectedness.
September 15, 2013
While this story desperately needs an editor, it is a great read. The narrative ends in a very interesting world. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews