Life Imitates Art

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Passing through Heathrow T5 just after Xmas on my way to Bavaria for a meeting or two, I grabbed Charles Stross’ “The Jennifer Morgue” to read on the plane – and doubtless, in some airports too, since ground temperatures dropped to -20 practically while I was in the air.

Stross is definitely Our Kind Of Author, though I find he has that breathless Linux-Nerd way about his writing which immediately puts my teeth on edge (but doesn’t stop me reading). He clearly has some technology scars about his person and has done at least one book (Halting State) which suggests a high degree of familiarity with the online world and software development.

Anyway, at one point in “the Jennifer Morgue”, Stross stymies his heroes by having their transport crash – in software, not by running into something solid. As he no doubt intends, I had a nerdy chuckle at that while the Airbus 319 speared through the crystal-clear air across a Europe whiter then even the dreams of the BNP could make it.

Then I got in my hire car.

(more…)