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Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by watersb on Tuesday August 23, 2022 @08:48PM (#32573637)
How funny! Just a few hours ago, I finished reading through Charles Stross' "The Laundry Files" sci-fi/fantasy series.

https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2020/10/the-lau...

The central premise is that magic and computation are essentially the same thing, information/entropy exchange that can open channels to other multiverse inhabitants when performed at sufficient scale. As computers have become more powerful and widespread, a secret government agencies have been drafting those who stumble upon particularly dangerous algorithms -- which can invoke bugs and close encounters.

So the central protagonist of an IT guy for the UK secret ministry, "The Laundry". Visual Basic macros are not allowed!

Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by cglodt on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @03:55AM (#32576129)
I'm also reminded of Max Gladstone's "Craft Sequence" novels, which have some meso-american themes in a universe where "lawyers ride lightning bolts, souls are currency, and cities are powered by the remains of fallen gods". Highly recommended.
Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by tazjin on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @06:11AM (#32577307)
Is it an enjoyable read for tech people? (i.e. no"CSI tech" where suspending disbelief becomes hard)
Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by mudita on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @07:20AM (#32577854)
The author has a degree in computer science and worked as a programmer and technical writer before becoming a full-time science fiction author, so yes.
Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by watersb on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @10:21PM (#32588644)
IIRC, @cstross (who is on the HN here at times) had his first published work in contributions to the AD&D Monster Manual.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Manual

Legit.

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=cstross

Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by lburton on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @07:07AM (#32577750)
Yes, generally not much in the way of CSI tech... just some magic ;) at least as far as I recall.. the first few books had some pretty amusing 90sish IT stuff but that mostly falls away as the universe gets built / the mc does very little IT.
Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by watersb on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @10:17PM (#32588626)
There is, however, at least one nasty incident of souls sucked away by PowerPoint. You have been warned. :-)
Re:Common tech jobs described as cabals of Mesoamerican wizards by zenron on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @10:11AM (#32579702)
Yeah they are an absolutely fantastic read. Computer Shopper meets James Bond meets Cthulhu.