Accelerando

The novel follows three generations of the Macx family—Manfred, his daughter Amber, and her son Sirhan—as they navigate the rapid onset of the technological singularity. Each generation adapts to an increasingly post-human world where biology, economics, and artificial intelligence merge. Their personal struggles serve as a lens for the massive societal shifts happening around them.

Manfred works as a 'venture altruist,' continually brainstorming and giving away profitable ideas to others via a distributed network of artificial intelligence. He operates in a near-future economy where reputation and intellectual property are more valuable than traditional money. His reliance on wearable computing and networked agents keeps him constantly ahead of the curve.

The novel features the concept of corporations as decentralized, artificially intelligent algorithms that operate autonomously in the background of human life. These 'smart contracts' eventually evolve into predatory economic entities that seek to exploit human matter and energy. This capitalistic evolution culminates in the 'fast feed,' a post-human economy that moves too quickly for biological humans to comprehend.

Yes, a significant portion of the plot involves Amber Macx and a group of post-human explorers uploading their consciousnesses into a robotic spacecraft. They travel to a router system in the outer solar system to visit an alien virtual reality network. This journey highlights the sheer scale of time and distance involved in even highly advanced interstellar exploration.