A Review of Jim Halperin's "The First Immortal"

Review of:

The First Immortal
by Jim Halperin

Would you like to live forever?

If you're like most people, you probably haven't thought about it too much. What would be the point? We don't have the technology yet for that sort of thing, and even if we did, who would want to take advantage of it?

Everyone.

tight-black-amzn-associates.gif (1294 bytes) Everyone, you scoff? Well, sure... maybe not at first. Like automobiles and tennis shoes, most every worthwhile technological advance takes time to be widely accepted. But over and over again mankind has seen fringe ideas transformed into technological possibilities, then into practical applications, ultimately becoming the unquestioned status quo. Once people's lives start being impacted positively by a new technology, it's just matter of time before there is an urgent call to distribute it as widely as possible.

Imagine being near-sighted but having no chance at obtaining corrective lenses. Imagine having the flu but no chance at obtaining cough syrup. Imagine being asthmatic but having no chance to purchase an inhaler. Now imagine suffering from the world's most universal, debilitating disease (aging), and having no possibility of seeking treatment. Okay, so that may not be such a stretch for you, right now. But what about future generations? How will they view this situation?

If you believe Jim Halperin, they will count the irreversible loss of human life due to aging or disease among the most horrible nightmares... unthinkable, and to be avoided at all costs. Based on past models of medical and technological advance, and the very promising research emerging in the fields of nanotechnology, anti-aging medicine, and cryonics, Halperin envisions a future in which life is valued on a level that would seem unattainable to most people alive today. (Most people, that is, except for the very scientists and activists involved with nanotech, cryonics, and anti-aging research.)

In his new book, The First Immortal, Halperin weaves the tale of Benjamin Franklin Smith, doctor, World War II vet, and cryonic suspension patient. Through his eyes, and those of his extended family (some of whom must also undergo cryonic suspension), we get to see the transformation of mankind from the merely human to the fully transhuman. At times, the journey is simply breathtaking.

If you enjoy thinking about the impact that today's emerging technologies will have on the human race, then you will love this book. Furthermore, if you accede to even the slight possibility that we might some day solve the biggest problems facing us through intelligence and effort, then this book will inspire you. Halperin really did his homework on this one, interviewing numerous scientists (and skeptics) from all of the disciplines relative to cryonics, and even submitting numerous (20+) drafts and revisions of his work to their critical eyes before publication. In fact, he goes so far as to claim that The First Immortal is the most thoroughly researched fictional treatment of cryonics ever written. As far as we can tell, he is correct.

The story is interesting, but the ideas simply boggle the mind. If you haven't yet purchased this book, or if you have but would like to purchase another (perhaps as a gift for an interested friend), then by all means, go right now to amazon.com and order a copy of The First Immortal.

(Please note that in doing so you will be supporting cryonics in two ways. First, and most generally, you will be increasing sales of the book and thereby encouraging publishers to solicit similar material for future publications. Second, TRANS TIME is a bona fide "Amazon.com Associate," so we receive a small fee for each copy sold via the links from this web site. We promise to put it to good use!)

We don't think you'll regret it. Quite the opposite, we think you'll thank us for seeing you off on one of the wildest intellectual adventures you've ever experienced.

One final note: Halperin has been busy since the publication of the book. There are even rumors floating around that it might be developed into a television mini-series. To find out more and keep track of the latest happenings, be sure to visit The First Immortal web site.

Tell them we sent you!