The Nanotechnology in Science Fiction Bibliography
Maintained by Anthony S. Napier
Issue #23 May 18, 1998
http://www.erinet.com/prass/nanowars/ninsf/n_in_sf.html
This is primarily a list of Science Fiction novels & short stories that are nanotech related. I have not read everything on this list.
Additions and corrections should be sent to <n-sf@lucifer.com>. Thanks to all who have contributed to this bibliography.
Four stars **** nanotech is the center of the story Three stars *** nanotech is a major component of the story Two stars ** nanotech is a minor component of the story
Nanotech may be explicitly or implicitly stated, or be called by different names. People who have read one of the non-fiction books listed below should have a feel for the general definition of molecular nanotechnology.
Non-Fiction books on nanotechnology
1986 Engines of Creation K. Eric Drexler
1991 Unbounding the Future K. Eric Drexler, et al.
1992 Nanosystems - Molecular
Machinery, Manufacturing,
and Computation K. Eric Drexler
Further information can be obtained from http://www.foresight.org also see Sean Morgan's page at http://www.lucifer.com/~sean/Nano.html
T H E - L I S T
Isaac Asimov (1920-92)
Code (default is Novel)
(C) collection, anthology (N) novella, novelette (M) magazine, pulp (F) fantasy (R) reissue, reprint
(b) biotech pathway - organic molecules, "wet" environment.
(mm) molecular manufacturing - machine phase, "dry" environment,
indicates the work shows detailed portrayal of nanoengineering.
(si) Singularity (gg) Gray Goo (uf) Utility Fog (cr) Cryonics
(h-yy) Hugo award winner - year
(n-yy) Nebula award winner - year
Author Title Date,Code,RatingMy Favorite Books on the N-SF List - Anthony S. Napier
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Anderson K. & Beason D. Assemblers of Infinity 1993 4 Anderson, Kevin Antibodies (X-Files) 1997 3 Anderson, Poul Boat of a Million Years, The 1989 2.4 Anderson, Poul Harvest of Stars 1993 3 Anderson, Poul Stars are Also Fire, The 1994 Banks, Iain M. Feersum Endjinn 1994 3 Banks, Iain M. Excession 1996 2 Barnes, John Kaleidoscope Century 1995 Barnes, John Mother of Storms 1994 2 Baxter, Stephen Ring 1994 2 Baxter, Stephen Timelike Infinity 1993 2 Bear, Greg Anvil of Stars 1992 3 Bear, Greg Blood Music 1985 b 3.5 Bear, Greg Forge of God, The 1987 3 Bear, Greg Heads 1990 2 Bear, Greg Moving Mars 1993 n94 2 Bear, Greg Queen of Angels 1990 3 Bear, Greg Slant 1997 3 Benford, Gregory Furious Gulf 1994 2 Benford, Gregory Great Sky River 1987 2 Benford, Gregory Sailing Bright Eternity 1995 2 Benford, Gregory Tides of Light 1989 2 *Bischoff, David Space Precinct #01 1995 2 Bishop, Michael Secret Ascension, The 1987 2 Bisson, T. Pirates of the Universe 1996 2 Bova, Ben Moonrise 1996 3 Bova, Ben Moonwar 1998 3.5 Bova, Ben Voyagers 3: Star Brothers 1990 3.5 Brenner, Mayer Alan Spell of Apocalypse 1994 F Brin, David Earth 1990 2 Brunner, John Maze of Stars, A 1991 3 Bull, Emma Falcon 1989 2 Calder, Richard Dead Boys 1995 Calder, Richard Dead Girls 1995 Carter, Raphael Fortunate Fall, The 1996 Carver, Jeffrey From a Changeling Star 1988 2.5 Carver, Jeffrey Down the Stream of Stars 1990 2 Carver, Jeffrey Neptune's Crossing 1994 2 Clarke, Arthur C. Hammer of God, The 1993 2 Cramer, John G. Einstein's Bridge 1997 2.7 DeChancie, John Innerverse 1996 3.4 Egan, Greg Distress 1997 Egan, Greg Permutation City 1994 2 Egan, Greg Quarantine 1992 2.5 Elliott, Elton (Editor) Nanodreams 1995 C 4 England, Terry Rewind 1997 1.9 Feeley, Gregory Oxygen Barons, The 1990 3 Flynn, Michael Nanotech Chronicles, The 1991 C 4 Frankowski, Leo Copernick's Rebellion 1987 b 3.5 Gibson, William Idoru 1996 2 Gibson, William Mona Lisa Overdrive 1988 1.9 Gibson, William Virtual Light 1993 2 Goonan, Kathleen Ann Bones of Time, The 1995 2.5 Goonan, Kathleen Ann Mississipi Blues 1997 4 Goonan, Kathleen Ann Queen City Jazz 1994 4 *Grimwood, Jon Courtenay Lucifer's Dragon 1998 *Grimwood, Jon Courtenay Neoaddix 1997 Haldeman, Joe Forever Peace 1997 3 Halperin, James L. First Immortal, The 1998 cr,uf 3.7 Halperin, James L. Truth Machine,The 1996 2.9 Hamilton, Peter F. Reality Dysfunction, The 1995 2.7 Hamilton, Peter F. Neutronium Alchemist, The 1995 2.7 Harrison H. & Minsky M. Turing Option, The 1992 2.5 Jennings, Phillip C. Bug Life Chronicles 1989 3 Jones, Gwynneth White Queen 1994 Keith, William H. Warstrider [Series of Books] 1993- 3 Kilian, Crawford Gryphon 1989 3 Kress, Nancy Beggars and Choosers 1994 4 Kress, Nancy Beggars Ride 1996 Kube-McDowell,Michael P. Exile 1992 2 *MacLeod, Ken Stone Canal, The 1996 *MacLeod Ian R. Great Wheel, The 1997 McAuley, Paul J. Fairyland 1995 3.5 McAuley, Paul J. Red Dust 1994 3 McCarthy, Wil Murder in the Solid State 1996 McDonald, Ian Terminal Cafe 1994 3 Metzger, Robert A. Quad World 1991 Nagata, Linda Bohr Maker, The 1995 4 Nagata, Linda Deception Well 1997 2.9 Nagata, Linda Tech Heaven 1995 cr 4 Niven, Larry Destiny's Road 1997 2 Noon, Jeff Pollen 1995 Noon, Jeff Vurt 1993 Ore, Rebecca Gaia's Toys 1997 Platt, Charles Protektor 1996 Preuss, Paul Human Error 1985 b 3.5 Quick, W. T. Dreams of Flesh and Sand 1988 2.5 Quick, W. T. Dreams of God and Men 1989 2.5 Quick, W. T. Singularities 1990 Quinn, Daniel Ishmael 1995 R Robinson, Kim Stanley Blue Mars 1996 h97 2 Robinson, Kim Stanley Green Mars 1994 h94 2 Robinson, Kim Stanley Red Mars 1992 n93 2 Robinson, Spider/Jeanne Starmind 1995 Rucker, Rudy Freeware 1997 Ryman,Geoff Child Garden, The 1990 Sawyer, Robert J. Foreigner 1994 2 Sawyer, Robert J. The Terminal Experiment 1995 n95 2.5 Smith, L. Neil Venus Belt, The 1980 3 Steele, Allen Labyrinth of Night 1992 3.5 Steele, Allen King of Infinite Space, A 1997 cr 3.2 Stephenson, Neal Diamond Age, The 1995 h96,mm 4 Stirling, S. M. Drakon 1996 2.5 Sullivan, Tricia Lethe 1996 Swanwick, Michael Stations of the Tide 1991 n91 2.7 Varley, John Steel Beach 1992 2.8 Vinge, Joan D. Dreamfall 1996 Vinge, Joan D. Snow Queen, The 1980 h81 2.5 Vinge, Joan D. Summer Queen, The 1991 2.5 Vinge, Joan D. World's End 1993 2.8 Vinge, Vernor Fire Upon the Deep, A 1992 h93 3 Vinge, Vernor Marooned in Realtime 1986 si 2 Vinge, Vernor Peace War, The 1984 2.2 Watson, Ian Nanoware Time 1991 Williams, Walter Jon Aristoi 1992 mm 4 Wilson, Robert Charles Bridge of Years, A 1991 2 Wilson, Robert Charles Harvest, The 1993 3.2 Wolverton, Dave On My Way To Paradise 1989 Young, Jim Armed Memory 1996 Zindell, David Neverness 1988 2
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Bear, Greg .............................. Blood Music Nagata, Linda ........................... Bohr Maker, The Nagata, Linda ........................... Tech Heaven Stephenson, Neal ........................ Diamond Age, The Williams, Walter Jon .................... Aristoi
Books with <4 ratings:
Banks, Iain M. .......................... Excession Bear, Greg .............................. Forge of God, The Halperin, James L. ...................... First Immortal, The Robinson, Kim Stanley ................... R G B Mars Vinge, Vernor ........................... Fire Upon the Deep, A Vinge, Vernor ........................... Marooned in RealtimeHonorable Mention (predates modern nanotech concepts)
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1941 ...... Microcosmic God ............... Theodore Sturgeon 1942 ...... Waldo ......................... Robert A. Heinlein *1947 ..... Hobbyist ...................... Russell, Eric Frank 1952 ...... Surface Tension ............... James Blish 1954 ...... Autofac ....................... Philip K. Dick 1966 ...... The Mechanic .................. Hal Clement 1970 ...... Dancer at the End of Time ..... Michael Moorcock 1978 ...... Sight of Proteus .............. Charles Sheffield
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Short Stories or Serials - These are loose items that appear in magazines, collections, etc, amidst other non-nano related works.
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Brown, Molly
Doing Things Differently
(M) Interzone #111, British, September 1996
Rating 3
Burns, Stephen L.
Di Filippo, Paul Any Major Dude
Di Filippo, Paul
Up the Lazy River
Feeley, Gregory Mind's Place, The (C) Full Spectrum 4, 1993 Rating 2.9 Gresh, Lois H. Cafebabe
Gresh, Lois H. Digital Pistil
Gresh, Lois H.
Mandelbrot Moldrot
(C) DAW's Mistakonic University Antho, 1996
Rating ?
Johnson, Todd Legacy
Kress, Nancy Margin of Error (C) The Years Best Science Fiction #12, 1995 Rating ?
*Lee, Sharon
The AfterImage
(C) Variations Three, no date
McCarthy, Wil Castles
Niven, Larry Procrustes
Stiegler, Marc The Gentle Seduction(C) in collection of same name, 1990
Sterling, Bruce The Shores of Bohemia
Swanwick, Michael Griffin's Egg
Tonnies, Mac Alchemist's Planet
NanoWars Chapter 1: Breakthrough 1994
NanoWars Chapter 2: Propagation 1995
Issue # ? Valiant ComicsRating 3
Doom 2099
Issue # ?
Marvel Comics
Doom Patrol
Issue # ?
no other info at this time
Dirty Pair - Sim Hell
Issue # ?
Adam Warren
Hardware
Issue # ?
Milestone Comics
Rating 2
Raven Chronicles
Issue #13 "The Leader of the Pack" , 1997
Caliber Comics
Transmetropolitan
Issue #7 "Boyfriend is a Virus" , 1997
Helix/DC
Xombi (now discontinued)
Issue # 1-
Milestone Comics
Rating 2
Hsieh, Paul
Axioms
http://www.vix.com/pub/objectivism/Writing/PaulHsieh/axioms.html
Rating 2.2
Moran, Daniel Keys
On Sequoia Time
http://www.kithrup.com/dkm/dkmfic/ost.html
Rating ?
Napier, Anthony S.
Dead Reckoning
http://www.erinet.com/prass/nanowars/story/story2.html
Rating 4 (mm,gg)
Napier, Anthony S.
The Quiet Revolution
http://www.erinet.com/prass/nanowars/story/story1.html
Rating 4
Porter, Mitchell
Outward Bound
http://www.thehub.com.au/~mitch/fiction/suncorp.html
Rating ?
Vader, Paul
Post-industrial revolution
http://www.mcs.net/~pv/web/stories/postind.html
Rating 4 (mm,gg)
Van Oflen, Jeff
Notes from the G.O.D.
http://erie.csis.gvsu.edu/~vanoflej/NanoTech/TheBook.html
Rating 4 (uf)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1991 139 minutes.
Although the "n" word is not used, general consensus is that
nanotechnology is the only realistic way the T-1000 could be
implemented. James Cameron should take note of this when doing T3.
Rating: 2.5
VIRTUOSITY
1995 Paramount Pictures, 97 minutes.
Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington
With (silicon-based) nano, VR takes a physical form.
Rating: 3.5
Bombshell
SciFi Channel Original Movie, first aired August 9, 1997
In the near future, a scientist and his assistant work for Nanolab
developing cancer-fighting nano. Pretty much a low point of nanoTV
thus far...
Demolitionist, The
1996 [made for Cable-TV movie?]
Richard Grieco, Nicole Eggert
A villian is pursued by a dead policewoman who's brought back to life
by a daily dose of life-renewing serum.
Journey to Mars
1996 [made for TV movie?]
On Monday, March 25th, CBS ran a prime time movie of the week titled
"Journey to Mars." ...this had to be one of the top 10 worst movies of
all time. To compound the matter, it had a nanotechnology theme:
"Nanotech devices implanted in the landing module pilot/commander --
designed to systematically destroy neurons and synapses in the cortex,
thereby impairing the pilot's memory and ability to land." Very clever
-- HA! Rat poison would have been a lot easier and undeniably more cost
effective. - pwg@nanothinc.com
Outer Limits, The
"The New Breed" aired (U.S.) 07/09/95
Richard Thomas, Peter Outerbridge, Tammy Isbell
A scientist who's trying to find a way to repair damaged cells
develops robots of microscopic size - with which a lab assistant
secretly injects himself in hopes of curing his cancer.
Red Dwarf
BBC2 TV series. "In the RED DWARF tv show's latest series (VII),
the last episode is entitled NANARCHY, and nanites play a particulary
central role concerning the main character and the ship of the series
title."
Star Trek TNG
The STTNG "nanite" episode "Evolution" aired (U.S.) 09/23/89
http://nanotech.rutgers.edu/nanotech/papers/update7.html#StarNanotale
contains comments on this episode.
See Star Trek Appendix for further details on other episodes.
Star Trek VOYAGER
Scorpion Part I
Episode 67, Season 3, aired (U.S.) 05/22/97
Scorpion Part II
Episode 68, Season 4, aired (U.S.) 09/03/97
Borg assimilation technology is described as machine-phase chemistry.
Detailed graphics shows nanomachines attacking biological cells.
See Star Trek Appendix for further details on other episodes.
X-Files, The
"War of the Coprophages" aired (U.S.) 01/05/96
Extraterrestrial nanotechnology cocroaches anyone?
Apocalypse ................... Activision PlayStation Cybergeneration .............. RPG board game GURPS Ultra-Tech 2 ........... RPG/book - Steve Jackson Games Mission Critical ............. Commercial Software, PC NetBots ...................... Networked X11 game available on the net Obsidian ..................... Commercial Software, PC, MAC Outpost ...................... Sierra, PC SimEarth ..................... Maxis, PC, MAC*The Micromachine List
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Hogan, James P. Bug Park 1997
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M A I L I N G - L I S T - I N F O R M A T I O N
Nanotechnology in Science Fiction (N-SF)
This is a forum to discuss any work of fiction that has portrayed nanotechnology in some way. N-SF is an unmoderated list. The hypertext archive of the mailing list can be found on the world wide web at <http://maxwell.lucifer.com/n-sf/archive/>.
This bibliography (you are reading) can be used as a starting point for discussion. "Engines of Creation" by K. Eric Drexler will be used as the baseline definition of molecular nanotechnology (MNT).
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Nanothinc has a N-SF Book Review page at... http://nanothinc.com/NanoWorld/scifi/sfreviews.html
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Distribution List
n-sf@lucifer.com [N-SF Mailing List]
newsgroups:
sci.nanotech rec.arts.sf.written rec.arts.sf.movies rec.arts.sf.tv rec.arts.comics.misc comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc comp.sys.mac.games.misc rec.games.miscAppendix 2 - Relevant Internet Resources
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Forsight Update comments on "Nanotech & Science Fiction"
http://www.foresight.org/Updates/Update03/Update03.5.html#anchor968787 http://www.foresight.org/Updates/Update08/Update08.2.html#anchor347966 http://www.foresight.org/Updates/Update09/Update09.5.html#anchor107771
Internet Movie Database
http://us.imdb.com/
Book Catalog with over one million titles http://www.amazon.com/
Rebuttal to Scientific American April 1996 Nanotech Story http://www.foresight.org/SciAmOverview.html
HarperCollins Voyager Science Fiction Site http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/voyager
A form of this list is also maintained at nanothinc.com http://www.nanothinc.com/NanoWorld/scifi/tnscifi.html