Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Greg Egan’s Diaspora is one of the most ambitious and mind-bending science fiction novels ever published. It came out in 1997 and originally started as a short story called “Wang’s Carpets.” That story ended up as a chapter in the novel. Diaspora is: dense, smart, and way ahead of its time.
This is hard science fiction to the core. Egan invents entire new branches of physics. He reimagines life, consciousness, time, space — even what it means to be human. The book doesn’t ease you in. There’s a glossary, invented physics theories like Kozuch Theory, and characters that don’t even have genders. But if you stick with it, what you get isn’t just a story, it’s a look at what the future might actually become.
By the year 2975, humanity isn’t one species anymore. It’s split into three groups: Fleshers: The biological humans, including the “statics” (unchanged baseline humans) and all sorts of heavily modified versions — underwater people, gene-hacked thinkers, even “dream apes” who gave up speech to live closer to nature. Gleisners: AIs in robotic bodies that live in space. They care about the physical world and experience time like regular humans. They’re kind of old-school, still sending ships to the stars, trying to build things in real space. Citizens: These are digital minds that live entirely in simulated worlds called polises.
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Hyperion Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUfgKLf-CBr5VCC2xM0qX8Xh
Dune Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUdsgN_vFaZmfjc6bXxPqajV
Foundation Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUeQMsBkZJ72aIIG8nR-No6J
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Greg Egan’s Diaspora is one of the most ambitious and mind-bending science fiction novels ever published. It came out in 1997 and originally started as a short story called “Wang’s Carpets.” That story ended up as a chapter in the novel. Diaspora is: dense, smart, and way ahead of its time.
This is hard science fiction to the core. Egan invents entire new branches of physics. He reimagines life, consciousness, time, space — even what it means to be human. The book doesn’t ease you in. There’s a glossary, invented physics theories like Kozuch Theory, and characters that don’t even have genders. But if you stick with it, what you get isn’t just a story, it’s a look at what the future might actually become.
By the year 2975, humanity isn’t one species anymore. It’s split into three groups: Fleshers: The biological humans, including the “statics” (unchanged baseline humans) and all sorts of heavily modified versions — underwater people, gene-hacked thinkers, even “dream apes” who gave up speech to live closer to nature. Gleisners: AIs in robotic bodies that live in space. They care about the physical world and experience time like regular humans. They’re kind of old-school, still sending ships to the stars, trying to build things in real space. Citizens: These are digital minds that live entirely in simulated worlds called polises.
👽 Please consider supporting this channel on Patreon: patreon.com/ideasoficeandfire
or PAYPAL - paypal.me/QuinnsIdeas?locale.x=en_US
🎨 Art: Adobe Licensed.
🎵 Music: youtube.com/@JamezDahlMusic
📚 Get These Books! Affiliate link*
amzn.to/3HSixNx
Quinn's Discord: discord.gg/uGx4WsjVCZ
FOLLOW QUINN ON TWITTER: Twitter: twitter.com/IDEASOFICE_FIRE
I NOW HAVE A SUBREDDIT: reddit.com/r/IdeasofIceandFire
Quinn's New Graphic Novel: quinnhoward.net/theliebehindthestar
Buy Quinn's Comic Books: quinnhoward.net/shop
Quinn's Website: quinnhoward.net
Like me on Facebook!: facebook.com/IOIAF
🎥 Mentioned Videos
🎬 Other Playlist
Three-Body Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUfIzEhovpQJ2ENiNvJoOD2A
H.P. Lovecraft Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUcMoc_ZljrDbgrRi3x_CLYD
Hyperion Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUfgKLf-CBr5VCC2xM0qX8Xh
Dune Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUdsgN_vFaZmfjc6bXxPqajV
Foundation Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXGGVBzHLUeQMsBkZJ72aIIG8nR-No6J
Feel free to leave a comment like and subscribe! Thanks For Watching!
