While I was catching up on my news backlog, the comments on a dystopian “AI-monitored customer service” story led me to a new book, Manna by Marshall Brain, available as a series of blog posts, or an equally free EPUB if you know where to look, or through Amazon if you’re really stupid. It’s a mix of dystopian and utopian thinking on the subject of automation taking jobs, and while I may have to think about it a little more, the utopian part left me pretty cold.
Since I was on his blog anyway, I clicked my way to the home page and blog feed to see what else was up with him, and the first thing I was was…
…yeah, I’m starting to guess why his utopian society started off capped at a billion “shares,” AKA citizens, and had no mention of population growth.
Anyway, that was his last post, in 2023. Because he died in 2024.
His obit mentioned his plans to build a helicopter and hike the Appalachian Trail. And the official cause of death was suicide, shortly after he angrily alleged he was being forced out of his university job for bullshit reasons. That all sounds like he wasn’t done trying to be creative or productive yet, and that he didn’t think he was anywhere near being a mere “burden” on society who needed to be “culled” from the “herd.”
He was 63.
Fuck Malthusians.
Ray of Infamy 
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