From the introduction by Stanley Schmidt
"Despite a popular misconception, science fiction has never been in the
business of making predictions. We who write it do not try to say what the
future will be, but to imagine a wide range of ways that it might be."

This is a very good point. And one that is often misunderstood by those who don't read or care to understand Science Fiction. You know, the stuffy folks who insist that if it is not a biography or has not been on the Ophra list, then it is not really literature.
When it all comes down to it, Science Fiction is a world of "What if's" and Edward Lerner is pretty good at asking 'what if?"
Like, "What if the government is tracking everyone by the labels in their clothes?"
Now, to me this sounds like a really good idea for a conspiracy story. And as a good friend said to me just the other day, "Who doesn't like a good conspiracy story?" Probably the people who manufacture and sell clothes, at least from Lerner's first story in Creative Destruction, a collection of his works dealing with computers and AI.
The Day of the RFIDs is a reference to the classic film Day of the Triffids as well as to the little tags that permeate clothing, credit cards, and just about anything electronic anymore that you might carry or do. For a little more information on RFIDS, take a look here.
Now, I could talk about each and every story, but I am not going to. Instead, I am thinking mostly about this one, which was my favorite. It might not have been written the best, or been the most intriguing, but it was my favorite. Why?
Well, I'll tell you. Several years ago they opened a brand new Target here in Modesto. And every time I went in the door of the place, the security alarm went off. The guard would come over, look over my packages or have me empty my pockets. Then it would happen again when I left the store. Same thing, guard come over, yada yada. It was embarrassing, and I hated it. It didn't matter what clothes I wore or which pair of shoes, I still heard that horrible "BEEP BEEP BEEP" every time I went in or out.
Then one day no "BEEP BEEP BEEP." I was happy. It was fixed. Then I realized I had left my wallet in the car. Patti and I emptied my wallet, then went back and forth for almost an hour before we figured out what was causing it. We took out one item at a time until we found the culprit.
My Hollywood Video card was causing the scanner to go off. The store thought it was funny as heck. At first, so did I.
A few weeks later, I stopped carrying my public Library card, Hollywood or Blockbuster cards unless I was going to use them that day.
This first story combines a bit of humor with what is actually a very frightening idea. And I won't go any deeper into it, except to say "Read the story, and read the web-site." Luckily, I am not a paranoid person or I would start to microwave my money. I wonder if it would work?
Oh well; each story in Creative Destruction tries to look at what Computing might become or even has become in just a few decades. And yes, there are some people who actually think computers have been around forever. After all, they have had them and used them their whole life.
If you stop to think about it, the computer you are reading this on or working on everyday was only created about two decades ago. Computers in the home or in a car or in an IPOD or PDA are only a few years or even a couple of decades old. And look at how far they have come. How far can they actually go?
In the film 2001 A Space Odyssey, the computer, HAL, went somewhat crazy and began to try and control the ship. The Terminator came from a computer software program. Cylon's were created to serve Man.
What could be next?
Well, try this: all jobs done by robotics in the future. Just where does that leave the average "Working Joe" then? Even teaching is done by computer in the future. So where does someone with a degree in Liberal Arts find a job?
Imagine every thing around you built cheaper, smaller and connected wirelessly. And all of it smarter then you are.
And you have Creative Destruction. This is a collection of what life could be like in the next hundred years or so. Software that is smarter then us, and if possible, even meaner then we are that thinks it has more of a right to this world then we do.
And they can create their own soldiers and weapons out of electronics, data-bits and networking software.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.

CONTENTS
Introduction by Stanley Schmidt
Foreword
The Day of the RFIDs
Survival Instinct
What a Piece of Work Is Man
By the Rules
Iniquitous Computing
Catch a Falling Star
Settlement
Creative Destruction
Afterword