InterstellarNet: Origins

InterstellarNet #1

by Edward M. Lerner

When the First Call from the Stars Comes, Do We Even Dare to Answer?
Life changes for everyone in general -- and for physicist Dean Matthews in particular -- when astronomers detect a radio signal from a nearby star. First Contact forces humanity to face hard questions, and do it fast. Every answer spawns new questions. Every solution sets in motion a new and more daunting crisis to challenge Dean, his family -- and an expanding number of interstellar civilizations -- for generations to come.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

290 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2010

About the author

I'm a physicist and computer scientist (among other things). After thirty years in industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, I now write full-time. Mostly I write science fiction and techno-thrillers, now and again throwing in a straight science or technology article.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lerner, Edward M. InterstellarNet: Origins. InterstellarNet No. 1. Foxacre, 2010.
I love the future history premise behind this collection of narratively related short stories: What if SETI got a message from a nearby star in 2002. Your average science fiction writer would have used that as a jumping-off point for some sort of FTL or wormhole gate. But Learner is a much too hard-science guy for that. Instead, he deals with the problem of developing a common language and eventually establishing an information-based trade between star systems. Lerner’s background includes work in physics and computer science, as well as an MBA. He is thus able to ask some good questions about this kind of long-distance first contact. What information about ourselves and about our technology should we not trade? How open-sourced should we make the information we receive? What would be the impact on Interstellar communication on our economy and world politics? Finally, with disturbing prescience, he wonders how we might deal with an Interstellar ransomware attack. An alien AI would have it all over your average Russian cybercriminal. The book began as a series of stand-alone short stories in Analog. Lerner revised and expanded them, so they read a bit like a novel that follows one family for several generations. The stories are not always as tightly bound together as I would like, but they are generally well-plotted. I look forward to reading the second volume. 4 stars.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of the "short stories that track a family over it's history" type of book. Too many times the family drama overshadows the stories.

However, this case is the exception. The individual stories in this book are well crafted, easily capable of standing on their own. In this way, it reminds of Heinlein's Future History. The technology described is easily extrapolated from our current state of the art and the human drama is believable. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Harsh Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the way this story and next one developed - Fabulous concept and story -"infosphere" - same term used in https://www.goodreads.com/series/1261...

[Alan Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories, but the author's writing style needs improving - he doesn't always describe things very clearly, so the plot is not very easy to follow.

[Flash Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating Future, Disappointing Stories about (Mostly Human) Misbehavior

I felt short-changed after the first story — I wish the rest of the book had lived up to Dr Schmidt’s blurb. The origin story set up fascinating but plausible initial communication with aliens; in subsequent stories we learn very little about them, even though the characters presumably do, with commerce in scenic videos between worlds, for instance.

Analog rejected “Strange Bedfellows”; it doesn’t particularly belong in this book or this universe. The plot also fails because of Singularity Denial: millions of portable AIs with intelligence slightly more than human, but no reference to the inevitable AIs smarter than that.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent "mash-up" of a number of previously published short stories to make a fascinating novel. A believable first contact story see through the eyes of the Matthews' dynasty which fits with what we know or believe is possible. I will read many more of Edward M Lerner's books as a result of reading this one.

[John Mosman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of interstellar trade through signals rather than galactic beings meeting in person. Of course there are problems and one family that one way or another solves them over many instances and years. It became as bit complicated for me, but still like the overall idea.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on first contact, which takes place through radio signals. Enjoyable and entertaining, while also making you think.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good 'alternative history' after contact with ET in 2002. The InterstellarNet is the vehicle of communication and commerce among the species without FTL.