Transhumanist novel by Zoltan Istvan sparks intense dialog among futurists

By Vicki Larson Marin Independent Journal

ZOLTAN ISTVAN has no idea what to expect in 2014, but he's certain about two things: he will welcome a second baby and a lot more people are going to know about transhumanism.

His newly self-published debut novel, "The Transhumanist Wager," based on the science that uses technological advancements to enhance the human condition, especially radical life extension, will no doubt help make that happen. Often compared to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" and a best-seller on Amazon, it has not only sparked an intense dialog among futurists, scholars and religious authorities across the globe, but its controversial philosophy and ideas are also the subject of a forthcoming book. It's also brought him a fair share of hate mail.

The Mill Valley resident had more than an inkling it would stir up things. His protagonist, Jethro Knights, a man willing to annihilate the rest of humanity in his quest to be immortal, becomes dictator and causes a global revolution as he seeks to advance his transhumanist ideas.

While Istvan doesn't want to cause a revolution (although he believes it's inevitable), he shares many of Knights' ideas and libertarian philosophy.

"I am a person who loves life and doesn't want to die," says Istvan, 40, who became interested in transhumanism as a philosophy and religious studies student at Columbia University. "I think in the 21st century most scientists who are in longevity and who are in the field of trans-humanism believe if we can develop the technology we need, if we could have $50 billion and put it toward this technology, we would probably, within 10 years, solve the mechanisms for aging and be able to extend life indefinitely."

One of the book's controversial ideas would transfer those billions from programs that fund society's most vulnerable or as Knights says, "lazy welfare recipients," "mentally challenged, "uneducated repeat criminals" and "obese second-rate citizens bankrupting our medical system" as well as funding wars for oil.

Hardly PC for a Marin County resident, he agrees.

"Morality is defined by the amount of time you have left to live. I firmly believe that. Everyone when they're at the end of their life or they only have a couple days left to live makes very different moral choices," he says. "The transhumanist wager is really about how far do you take technology and science to make yourself the very strongest entity that you can become, and that's the question; if you could become all-powerful, would you do that?"

The novel, writes science writer and trans-humanist Giulio Prisco, "has the potential to become a cult book."

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Transhumanist novel by Zoltan Istvan sparks intense dialog among futurists