New YA spec-fiction work on ultra-longevity explores future that could be just around the corner
Cairns, Australia (MMD Newswire) September 01, 2011 – – What would life be like if people could live for 400 years or more, maintaining their vigor, health, and youthful appearance? In light of recent advances in longevity research and anti-aging medicine, this could become more than an academic question in the near future. News media are filled with intriguing reports of progress in the quest for Methuselah: animal research involving exceptionally long-lived species such as the naked mole rat; the development of powerful new anti-aging drugs and nutritional supplements; new developments in cryogenics technology; and advances in tissue and organ regeneration and synthesis… It all sounds so promising until one begins to ponder the unintended consequences of ultra-longevity. For instance, if human population continues to grow unchecked but the human life span is increased fivefold at the same time, how will this impact the overall quality of life? What further stresses will be put on the planet’s already overtaxed resources? How would such a dramatic increase in longevity affect the individual, relationships, and society? These questions and many more are explored in a novel way (so to speak) in “Ever Essence,” a new young-adult speculative fiction work by Australian author David Hollands Curran.
In the tradition of spec-fiction classics such as Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World, Curran’s work offers an unsettling look at a plausible future. Longevity and immortality have long been standard fare for science fiction and speculative fiction novels, but as Curran notes, these themes are even more pressing as modern medical science finds new ways to transform science fiction into reality. And while “Ever Essence” is intended to be engaging as a novel, it also provides a framework for a serious exploration of social, medical, and moral issues. Those who might be tempted to overlook the work because it is written for the young-adult market should be aware that the YA genre is scorching hot at the moment – and not just for the target audience. Many YA works have a passionate fan base of adult readers, and Curran believes “Ever Essence” will too.
“Ever Essence” takes place in a slightly futuristic setting, opening with the dramatic initiation of its hero, Markus Billings, into a secret society. Billings is unaware that he has been chosen to lead the group one day and to ultimately control the technology developed to attain mastery over human life. Few people will ever really know the extent to which their lives are controlled by this secretive group, whose public face is revealed in its hosting of the latest Medical Olympics. It is at this event that Alzheimer’s is pronounced to be a disease of the past, resulting in a media frenzy over the possibility of salvation through technology. While clues to the main purpose of Billings’ future role in the secret society remain obscure, he is tested by a life-threatening event, and subsequently is treated to a gruesome display of an advanced technology involving human corpses. Before long Billings and a couple of other protagonists find themselves pawns in a monstrous game of human chess, engaging in a desperate fight for their lives. As the story unfolds the reader is introduced to an array of fascinating and sometimes sinister characters in a fast-moving tale involving mystery, murder plots, secretive and amazing inventions, and an incremental revealing of disturbing truths. The final showdown reveals a subterfuge that has festered for decades, and the consequences of those actions introduce to the world a phenomenon that, once discovered, will remain forever: Ever Essence.
And that 400-year lifespan? It has something to do with shopping for attractive, healthy new body parts to surgically replace the worn-out ones, enabling the shopper to maintain vitality and a masquerade of youth almost indefinitely. Details are in the book; suffice to say that body-part shopping is a game changer on so many levels.
Though framed as a fiction tale, “Ever Essence” explores several serious themes, including the effects of healthy longevity on the individual and society; the ways that excessive longevity might shift thinking and priorities; and the effects of “extreme” medical technologies and communication breakthroughs that are light-years beyond anything in use today. And Curran is serious about his mission to not merely entertain readers but also to ignite discussion; he believes “Ever Essence” will set off a veritable discussion storm.
“Humanity is on the cusp of leapfrogging forward generationally, with exponential evolution designed by us,” he says. “What I mean by this is that we actually have the power of our own evolution in our hands, in ways that we’ve never previously had. That’s both frightening and exhilarating.”
Curran also believes that “Ever Essence” touches on some areas that medical research is already exploring, but doesn’t want the public to know about just yet. “As medical science leads to the gradual achievement of ideas suggested in the book,” he says, “we all need to remain vigilant to uncover and monitor such developments in whatever form they present, in order to protect ourselves from misuse.”
A banker by trade, Curran considers writing to be his real vocation and purpose in life, and he has long been fascinated with the themes explored in “Ever Essence.” In both his thinking and his writing he takes a multi-disciplinary approach; there is no arbitrary delineation between philosophy, religion, law, science, and politics. “I like to view the inter-relationship of everything from a perspective that challenges thinking, but also seeks to anticipate developments and their unintended consequences,” he says.
Though he has only recently completed “Ever Essence” – the first of an intended series – and is currently looking for a publisher, he is already planning more books, original concepts, and ideas to follow the Ever Essence series. “My purpose is to use my mind in an original way for the betterment of the future,” he says. That might sound a bit grandiose until one considers that novels have influenced individual lives as well as entire movements and schools of thought. Some have even changed history.
Letizia De Rosa, Founder and Director of ‘Book Creators Circle, says, “David Curran is a person with incredible enthusiasm for life and a deep passion for writing. The concept of living 400 years is certainly thought-provoking, and not out of the realm of possibility.” She adds that she believes “Ever Essence” will trigger readers to want to discover more about the possibilities raised in the book.
There is a deeply personal aspect to Curran’s fledgling writing career as well. His young mother, Cherie, whom he considered to be a lifelong best friend, became unexpectedly ill at the end of the writing of “Ever Essence,” and passed away four weeks later. He feels that this first book, as well as all of his subsequent writing efforts, will be “spiritually linked” to her, and will serve as a tribute to her memory.
Curran considers “Ever Essence” to be more than a kick-off for a book series and an eventual movie (he notes that it has all the elements for a memorable action-packed flick). “You could say that ‘Ever Essence’ is a movement, a generational event, an indicator of thinking in our times,” he says. “The first novel is a warning and a portent of a brilliant new world, but it is just a starting point to trigger conversation, to prepare us to face what awaits us.”
He adds, “As technological capability continues to envelop the medical sphere, there are certain repercussions, with humans attaining mastery over life. There are lessons for humanity that must be realized before any of this actually happens. We can and should be wary, but we also have the opportunity to be proactive and utilize the positive power – rather than waking up one day and wondering ‘what happened’ or ‘how did we get here.’ I think we all need to be seriously thinking about where we are heading and what we would like our society to be.”
And, he adds, we should start today and not wait until that 400-year life span becomes a reality. By then, it will be too late.