Bill Gates wants to get 'Simply Connected'

He must have read my story. Bill Gates wants to wire up everyone's houses. I'm all for that. "Computer. Turn on the television set." "Yes, master. The toaster is now in the bathtub." "Eeeek!" "Sorry honey!"

Actually, some years ago I wrote a short story called Simply Connected. It was the third in a series of stories (of which I only have copy for the first and the third) about a young programmer named Jim Curtis who constantly finds himself in the middle of unusually demanding technical glitches.

The first story, called Ill Logic, is about a mini-computer that goes on a rampage. It introduces Jim and a girl named Debbie (Deb). In "Simply Connected", they are dating steadily and go to spend the weekend with Deb's parents. Jim's anxieties about meeting the girlfriend's parents don't really live up to the experience.

Anyway, at least I know these older stories are still a bit on the cutting edge.