1981

• Atari starts trying to put PLATO on eight bits, but negotiations break down.

• Island of Kesmai is written by Kelton Flinn and John Taylor.

  " Island of Kesmai was written in 1980 and 1981, the goal being to soak up every bit of performance in the CS department's new VAX. We succeeded."

  ” Kelton Flinn

• William Gibson publishes Johnny Mnemonic in Omni.

• Vernor Vinge publishes True Names .