Ghosts In The Machine
By John Auckland
A novel about one woman's fear of dying and her relentless pursuit of eternal life
Publication date: Spring 2018
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At some stage in your life you’ve probably considered the possibility of living forever. But can you imagine the impact a cure for aging would have on the population? What would we really do if we discovered the secret to eternal life? These questions run throughout Ghosts in the Machine, – speculative fiction that spans the genres of sci-fi and human interest.
Ghosts in the Machine is the story of Angela, a successful businesswoman who has an overwhelming fear of death. Her anxiety is so strong that it drives her towards a ruthless career in the pharmaceutical industry, where as the CEO of a global organisation she diverts much of the company’s research budget towards finding a cure for aging.
Angela discovers that she has terminal cancer, which forces her to consider her legacy. To leave her mark on history she creates a Nobel-style prize fund in her name and also donates some of her healthy eggs to a couple who are unable to conceive, leaving behind a video diary and her fortune to any offspring they produce.
Her daughter Marie continues Angela's life work until she is forced to face the reality of a world increasingly crowded by an aging population. Marie uncovers a shocking plot by the world’s elite to reduce the global population and puts her life on the line to fight them. In turn, they will stop at nothing to find an aging cure and secure their eternal playground.
Meanwhile, the decay of the human race continues, in a dystopian landscape that Angela has helped to create. The immortal remnants of humanity, who are mad from having lived too long, must attempt to stop the aging cure from ever being found.
Ghosts in the Machine explores the human conditions of death and aging, and in doing so responds to a terrifying thought – what happens if we actually find a way of living forever?
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When you think about the not-too-distant future, are you hopeful and optimistic, or fearful and pessimistic when considering how advancements in science, technology and healthcare will impact on society and the human race in general?
Hi Jamie, thanks for your question. My answer is that I'm both hopeful and fearful. Think of it like 1984 - the technology Orwell predicted has indeed permeated out lives, and many of his political and social premonitions have also come true. However, his dystopia hasn't been fully realised because, I believe at least, Orwell's book showed people the dark side, so we didn't allow ourselves to become so severely subjugated. I attempt the same thing in Ghosts in the Machine, to show the worst that can happen from following our current trajectory, and hope it will lead to society exercising more caution.
Hi John, What do you make of the 'other end' of the dilemma - voluntary euthanasia? Perhaps not as (allegedly satirically) proposed by Martin Amis, several years ago: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jan/24/martin-amis-euthanasia-booths-alzheimers But why should what he's saying be considered anymore offensive than Angela's mission? Looking forward to the novel! Catherine
Hi Catherine. That's a very good question, and a topic with deeply divisive views that, I must admit, I'm conflicted about. I think it should be allowed on the basis that it should be an individual's right to choose to end their pain, but it's such a difficult area because it's open to exploitation. Framing it in the background of my book, I think voluntary euthanasia will become a necessity in the future as we live longer and find more ways of extending life. People will always endure hurt and suffering no matter how far medical science advances, and all medicine/technology will do is extend the pain. However you look at it, we need to find a resolution to that problem.