Sid,

I can see why you would like this story but saying “it is a bit technical” is an understatement. Frankly, the main character, Ed, plays a secondary role compare to the descriptions given to the von Neumann matrix, infinite systems and Turing machines. While paragraphs are devoted to complex descriptions of the history of computers and AIs the only reminder the reader gets that they are reading fiction is a short “Ed remembered”, “Ed was there when”. That isn’t much development for the supposed lead character.

To its credit, this story did have a good ending. A short-story is designed to leave the reader thinking about something and Dyson did accomplish that. However, he did it in the last 2 paragraphs of the story, the other 26 paragraphs are too dense and exhaust the reader before the main theme can be introduced. “Ed” is the only thread that connects these paragraphs – and I use quotes here to emphasis that Ed is more of a word than a character. It is the only reminder the reader has that this is fiction writing. As I was reading through heavy descriptions of infinite systems and the digital universe I would scan for “Ed” like a “Where’s Waldo” in the text of A Brief History of Computing.

To me this seems like a non-fiction writer who had an idea for a short story but just didn’t have the experience or fiction-finesse to pull it off. He would have been better to collaborate with someone whose focus is short story writing.

As far as Stewart Brand’s introduction, I am with the publishers on this one. There is a reason this “George Dyson gem” didn’t get picked up – its called knowing your audience.