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Working Futures: 14 Speculative Stories About The Future Of Work
Artificial intelligence. Virtual reality. Genetic engineering. These and other technologies are changing the way we live—and the way we work. What will our jobs be like in a future marked by such radical change? In Working Futures, science fiction authors share possible answers to that question. From surveillance auditors to AI chaperones to high-tech trash collectors, the workers found in these speculative stories provide a glimpse of what our future might look like— perhaps sooner than we think. With stories by Keyan Bowes, Katharine Dow, Timothy Geigner, Liam Hogan, Christopher Alex Hooton, Andrew Dana Hudson, Randy Lubin, Mike Masnick, Ross Pruden, N. R. M. Roshak, Holly Schofield, and James Yu.
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
248 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 24, 2020
Working Futures is serious speculative fiction, the product of a deliberate foresight exercise to imagine the future of work. And thanks to generous support from The Charles Koch Foundation and The Hewlett Foundation, you can grab a copy for $3, which is a deal. As with all collections of this nature, the quality varies, in this case from solid to great. It's a stronger collection overall than Microsoft's 2015 Future Visions, though Microsoft had a lot more name brand talent.
Standout stories are "The Chaperone" by Andrew Dana Hudson, which imagines a customer service rep handling people who get too close to their AI assistants. The details of her life as a climate refugee outside Atlanta, and the ominous power of the tech giant Alpha against the empowered radical socialist bureaucrats of a newly empowered regulatory state have a realistic density reminiscent of Bruce Sterling at his best. "Generation Gap" by Holly Schofield tries to bridge the incommensurate gaps between a dying man of our generation, and the cryptic hustling entrepreneur who has hired him to contextualize early 21st century ephemera that hasn't been digitized.
The rest of the stories float through a world of algorithmic injustice, subcontracting out new forms of emotional labor, and bourgeoisie lifestyles without bourgeoisie stability, without ever really achieving a sharp point. They're not bad, per se, but in this critical futurist's eye, they lack the boldness of authenticity. Still better than the median story in Clarkesworld these days.
Standout stories are "The Chaperone" by Andrew Dana Hudson, which imagines a customer service rep handling people who get too close to their AI assistants. The details of her life as a climate refugee outside Atlanta, and the ominous power of the tech giant Alpha against the empowered radical socialist bureaucrats of a newly empowered regulatory state have a realistic density reminiscent of Bruce Sterling at his best. "Generation Gap" by Holly Schofield tries to bridge the incommensurate gaps between a dying man of our generation, and the cryptic hustling entrepreneur who has hired him to contextualize early 21st century ephemera that hasn't been digitized.
The rest of the stories float through a world of algorithmic injustice, subcontracting out new forms of emotional labor, and bourgeoisie lifestyles without bourgeoisie stability, without ever really achieving a sharp point. They're not bad, per se, but in this critical futurist's eye, they lack the boldness of authenticity. Still better than the median story in Clarkesworld these days.
April 21, 2020
What an amazing book. The stories fell either into either visionary in a good way or in a bad way. Particulary "The Nole Edge Economy" resonated with with what I want from tech and the future
October 17, 2019
Insightful and thought provoking!
If you enjoy thinking about the future, then I highly recommend reading Working Futures. Mike has gathered fourteen great stories to make you think about the future to come and how coming technologies will change and affect our lives.
A+++
If you enjoy thinking about the future, then I highly recommend reading Working Futures. Mike has gathered fourteen great stories to make you think about the future to come and how coming technologies will change and affect our lives.
A+++
October 14, 2019
Some stories stick out and got me thinking. I was surprised at the number of AI life form stories.
June 3, 2020
As someone who works in a technical field and has small children, I found this collection equally fascinating and discomforting.
Advancements are coming along so fast and while some of the stories balance the fight between maintaining gainful human employment and bowing down to our arch AI robot overlords.
This isn't my usual bag but technology, futurism, mixed with some kinda darkly dialog and stories without being too nerdy added up to an enjoyable read.
Advancements are coming along so fast and while some of the stories balance the fight between maintaining gainful human employment and bowing down to our arch AI robot overlords.
This isn't my usual bag but technology, futurism, mixed with some kinda darkly dialog and stories without being too nerdy added up to an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews