Thomcat
4/5/2017
Originally published as a novella in 1981, this version of True Names contains illustrations by Bob Walters and an afterword by Marvin Minsky. I read this back in 1984, and really enjoyed re-reading it on a plane flight across the country. Recommended!
While some of the tech is a little dated, Vinge keeps it mostly in the background. At one point, the protagonist utilizes other computers to increase his "power" online, and this is not so different from networked computers participating in a DDOS attack today. For a story written in 1981, the author was remarkably prescient.
Other aspects of the plot are also well done, and I found the female protagonist (Erythrina) well written. Using fantasy metaphors for the imagined "cyberspace" works well. The conclusion provides a satisfying and believable resolution to the story.
This novella was republished a few years after that in a collection titled True Names... and Other Dangers, which I need to read next. I plan to hand this publication to a friend who absolutely hated Neuromancer, in an attempt to show that not all cyberspace is bad.