The Transhumanist Wager

Zoltan Istvan — 2013

Philosopher, entrepreneur, and former National Geographic and New York Times correspondent Zoltan Istvan presents his visionary novel, The Transhumanist Wager, as a seminal statement of our times. Scorned by over 500 publishers and literary agents around the world, his philosophical thriller has been called "revolutionary" and "socially dangerous" by readers, scholars, and religious authorities. The novel debuts a challenging original philosophy, which rebuffs modern civilization by inviting the end of the human species-and declaring the onset of something greater. Set in the present day, the novel tells the story of transhumanist Jethro Knights and his unwavering quest for immortality via science and technology. Fighting against him are fanatical religious groups, economically depressed governments, and mystic Zoe Bach: a dazzling trauma surgeon and the love of his life, whose belief in spirituality and the afterlife is absolute. Exiled from America and reeling from personal tragedy, Knights forges a new nation of willing scientists on the world's largest seasteading project, Transhumania. When the world declares war against the floating city, demanding an end to its renegade and godless transhuman experiments and ambitions, Knights strikes back, leaving the planet forever changed.

Reviews

DJ@defluo

Mar 21, 2023

WARNING: THIS POST ASSUMES YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK. (view spoiler)[This book is unbelievable. It was difficult to suspend belief while reading such fantastical nonsense. It was also a very interesting and fun read. As a serious work of transhumanism information, it fails spectacularly. The entire thing is so conveniently contrived. The book is also seriously misleading when taken seriously. It presents an argument claiming that insane scientific breakthroughs are merely a floating city away. Amazing medical breakthroughs are realized in mere months. Cure cancer! Synthetic transplants! Increase your life span by a hundred years! If only the world united to meet this goal, it would all go so smoothly! An entire nation is forged with ten billion dollars given away nearly arbitrarily and the main character is a seemingly invincible god who jumps through windows and rides storms. He'll do anything to live, including putting himself into life threatening situations. A character who, overall, uses reason and logic in every part of his life. Except death. He doesn't seem to know what the fuck to believe comes after death. Everything else in the book indicates that death is just a temporary problem, a failing of the physical, etc. Yet our protagonist is so concerned with what comes after death that he decides to temporarily "die" while awaiting a cure for his disease. This goes against the general philosophy presented throughout the book. A transhumanist doesn't believe there is anything magical or mysterious about death. It's just a problem that can eventually be overcome through technological advances. Wondering about what happens after death is like wondering what happens to the data in a cell phone after it's destroyed. My biggest concern with the book is the lack of actual scientific information. It mentions drivel that could be construed as pseudoscience at best, bullshit at worse. Science already faces enough adversity, watering it down with phrases like "teleportation into multiple dimensions" doesn't help. I do give the author artistic license though. The book wouldn't be a novel experience if it was all facts and no emotion. It's science-fiction and I'm probably taking it too seriously. That said, it's an amazing book that I couldn't put down. The ideas and general philosophy was something I think about often already. Immortality is a wonderful goal. Embracing science and reason is necessary for progress. Elevating scientists and freethinkers to celebrity status is great. The likes of Norman Borlaug will always be heroes to me. People who use science to change the world; I do believe they are the future, the only way to progress. Religious fools discussing fictional texts will never achieve anything great. This was written to be consumed by laypeople, and it performs wonderfully. It has action, adventure, and just enough philosophy to make us think, but not enough to induce boredom. It was written to be popular, not to be accurate. (hide spoiler)] In short, I loved it. It's a bit silly at times, but it's so entertaining and interesting. It was a unique experience in a world I have never known. Sorry for the meandering post, too lazy to edit.