Bookworm, Run!
Encyclopedia
"Bookworm, Run!" is a science fiction
short story
written by Vernor Vinge
; it is Vinge's second published work of fiction. It appeared in Analog Science Fiction Science Fact in 1966, and was reprinted in True Names... and Other Dangers in 1987, and in The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge
.
As with many of Vinge's later works, "Bookworm, Run!" deals with intelligence amplification
: Norman Simmons, the bookworm of the title, is a surgically altered chimpanzee
with human-equivalent intelligence.
. By accident, he is given access to the United States Government's main database. Seeking knowledge for its own sake, Norman asks for all the data stored within; one of the first facts he consciously realizes from his direct-brain download is that, by accessing classified data, he has just committed a federal crime with severe penalties.
Norman uses his new knowledge of the layout of the facility he inhabits to escape, and then correlates several seemingly unrelated facts to (correctly) deduce not only that there must be Soviet
spies living in town, but who they are; he makes his way to the agents, hoping that they will help him reach the Canadian border and escape the US Army.
As Norman nears the limit of the wireless link's range, he and the agents are captured; the Soviets' memories are surgically read and erased. Within the agents' memories is the revelation that the Soviet Union has performed similar intelligence-amplification experiments, but on a dog
instead of a chimpanzee, foreshadowing a new arms race
.
that the "important" sequel
to Bookworm would have featured the first human
with amplified intelligence; however, when he attempted to sell such a story to John W. Campbell
, Campbell rejected it with the explanation "You can't write this story. Neither can anyone else."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by Vernor Vinge
Vernor Vinge
Vernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels and novellas A Fire Upon the Deep , A Deepness in the Sky , Rainbows End , Fast Times at Fairmont High ...
; it is Vinge's second published work of fiction. It appeared in Analog Science Fiction Science Fact in 1966, and was reprinted in True Names... and Other Dangers in 1987, and in The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge
The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge
The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge is a collection of science fiction short stories by Vernor Vinge. The stories were first published from 1966 to 2001, and the book contains all of Vinge's published short stories from that period except "True Names" and "Grimm's Story".-Bookworm, Run!:Also...
.
As with many of Vinge's later works, "Bookworm, Run!" deals with intelligence amplification
Intelligence amplification
Intelligence amplification refers to the effective use of information technology in augmenting human intelligence...
: Norman Simmons, the bookworm of the title, is a surgically altered chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
with human-equivalent intelligence.
Plot summary
As part of an experiment, Norman's brain has been given a wireless link to an enormous databaseDatabase
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
. By accident, he is given access to the United States Government's main database. Seeking knowledge for its own sake, Norman asks for all the data stored within; one of the first facts he consciously realizes from his direct-brain download is that, by accessing classified data, he has just committed a federal crime with severe penalties.
Norman uses his new knowledge of the layout of the facility he inhabits to escape, and then correlates several seemingly unrelated facts to (correctly) deduce not only that there must be Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spies living in town, but who they are; he makes his way to the agents, hoping that they will help him reach the Canadian border and escape the US Army.
As Norman nears the limit of the wireless link's range, he and the agents are captured; the Soviets' memories are surgically read and erased. Within the agents' memories is the revelation that the Soviet Union has performed similar intelligence-amplification experiments, but on a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
instead of a chimpanzee, foreshadowing a new arms race
Arms race
The term arms race, in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for the best armed forces. Each party competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation...
.
Sequel
Vinge has saidthat the "important" sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Bookworm would have featured the first human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
with amplified intelligence; however, when he attempted to sell such a story to John W. Campbell
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
, Campbell rejected it with the explanation "You can't write this story. Neither can anyone else."