Laugh Lines
Ben Bova
Language: English
Pages: 688
ISBN: 1439133247
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Future is Coming, and It’s Going to be Hilarious! First Time in Paperback for This Wildly Comic Look by a Best-Selling and Award-Winning Writer at Several Possible—and Bizarre—Tomorrows, Including Two Complete Novels
Ben Bova, best-selling and award-winning author of the “Grand Tour” and “Asteroid Wars” series, takes a sardonic look at the humorous possibilities of future technology.
The Starcrossed: Bill Oxnard, a young technological genius, had perfected true three-dimensional television, making ordinary TV obsolete. He thought he would be rich and famous—but he hadn’t realized how deranged the executives running the industry were; nor what sort of programs they were planning to broadcast using the new process in the maniacal quest for ratings.
Cyberbooks: Carl Lewis has a dream—to make books accessible and affordable to every person in the country, and thinks his “cyberbook,” about as large and as cheap as a pocket calculator, will make it possible for anyone to download books directly and cheaply. But he has no idea what he’s about to get into, nor does his contact at Bunker Books, lovely but naïve aspiring editor Lori Tashkajian. Will they survive this foray into the cut-throat world of big publishing? And just who is suddenly murdering all those nice elderly people on the streets of New York, anyway?
These two full-length novels of twistedly comic, but very possible futures, plus six shorter but equally witty works, add up to a generous volume of futuristic fun and hilarious high-tech.
you have to get up before dawn and spend half the day travelling to and from your office." Carl held himself back from replying. But he thought, I'm going to change all that. The electronic book is just the beginning. I'm going to revolutionize the whole business world, all of it. I'm going to put an end to senseless commuting and make the world safe for trees. "Maryann Quigly weaves baskets and sells them to anybody she sink her hooks into," Lori was explaining. "Didn't you notice them all
swearing. And from the rigging itself came shrieks and groans. Finally, the star of the show went gracefully swooping past Westerly, smiling manfully, as a trio of tiny unattended cameras automatically tracked him from the floor, like radar-directed antiaircraft guns getting a bead on an intruding attack plane. The technicians were clustered around the controls and watched their monitor screens. "Beautiful!" somebody shouted. Meanwhile, Dulaq had traversed the length of the studio, still
entertain a sadistic king. Only the scintillations and shimmerings of the imperfect three-dee projection betrayed the fact that they were watching holographic images, rather than real, solid, miniature figures. Earnest touched a button in the keyboard that was set into the arm of his recliner chair and the sound of pain and cheering disappeared. But the game went on. "Imagine how terrific the games will look," Earnest said in his nasal, oily way of speaking, "when Oxnard's new system is used.
editing's finished." The PA. system blared something unintelligible about a flight to Los Angeles, Honolulu and Tahiti. "That's me," Montpelier said. "I'd better dash." He started fumbling in his pocket for cash. "Go on, catch your plane," Brenda said. "I'll take care of the tab." "Gee, thanks." "Give B.F. my love." "Will do." He grabbed his travelbags and hurried out of the bar. Brenda turned from watching him hurry out the doorway to the three-dee set behind the bar. The football game
never substantiated." "But there were only a half-dozen Concordes flying," said the junior Senator. "If we build a whole fleet of SSZs—" Before she could go any farther Goodyear fairly shouted into his microphone, "Rest assured that we are well aware of the possible pollution problem." He popped his P's like artillery bursts. "More importantly, the American aerospace industry is suffering, employment is in the doldrums, and our economy is slumping. The SSZ will provide jobs and boost the