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Emortality #2
Inherit the Earth
In the twenty-second century, biomedical nanotechnology has given everyone in the world long life and robust health. It is the New Utopia, and all live in the expectation that true immortality will soon be realized.
Damon Hart, son of the scientist responsible for much of the wonders of the new world, would rather forget his famous father and get on with his own life. But a shadowy terrorist group forces Damon to confront his heritage, launching a cat-and-mouse game that pits Damon against the terrorists, Interpol, and the powerful corporations that control the biotechnology of the future...a game Damon is ill-equipped to survive.
Damon Hart, son of the scientist responsible for much of the wonders of the new world, would rather forget his famous father and get on with his own life. But a shadowy terrorist group forces Damon to confront his heritage, launching a cat-and-mouse game that pits Damon against the terrorists, Interpol, and the powerful corporations that control the biotechnology of the future...a game Damon is ill-equipped to survive.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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151 people want to read
About the author
Brian M. Stableford
885 books134 followersBrian Michael Stableford was a British science fiction writer who published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford. He also used the pseudonym Brian Craig for a couple of very early works, and again for a few more recent works. The pseudonym derives from the first names of himself and of a school friend from the 1960s, Craig A. Mackintosh, with whom he jointly published some very early work.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 28, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in September 2000.
Inherit the Earth is heavily influenced by the cyberpunk subgenre exemplified by the novels of William Gibson: there is the same high tech, decayed urban background; the same cynical view of the world. Stableford's novel (first in a trilogy) is set much further into the future than most cyberpunk has been, after the world has begun to recover following decimation of human and animal populations by genetically engineered diseases in what are known as the Plague Wars. Now the rich (and even, to a large extent) the moderately well off) are protected by biological and microscopic computer hardware augmentations to their natural immune system, and the major concern of the large firms which effectively rule the world is the development of what is known as "emortality", where these enhancements make death only a remote possibility.
Damon Hart is the son of Conrad Helier, whose invention of the artificial womb had made possible the survival of the human race at the end of the Plague Wars. He has rejected his inheritance (both material and intellectual, walking out on the members of Helier's research team who acted as foster parents) to become a knife fighter in underground virtual entertainments (where experiencing the pain of a wound is one of the main pleasures) and then a programmer of virtual environments. He is drawn back into the world of his original background when police come to question him after one of his foster parents has been abducted.
An exciting story with a meticulously constructed background, Inherit the Earth is one of the best science fiction novels I have read in the last few years. It has a broader scope than most cyberpunk novels had, and is rendered more believable for reading now because it extrapolates from current trends in computing rather than those of fifteen or twenty years ago. (Computers and particularly interfaces have developed so fast that they have left science fiction behind - the most dated looking scenes in Star Wars, for example, are those involving computer displays.)
Inherit the Earth is heavily influenced by the cyberpunk subgenre exemplified by the novels of William Gibson: there is the same high tech, decayed urban background; the same cynical view of the world. Stableford's novel (first in a trilogy) is set much further into the future than most cyberpunk has been, after the world has begun to recover following decimation of human and animal populations by genetically engineered diseases in what are known as the Plague Wars. Now the rich (and even, to a large extent) the moderately well off) are protected by biological and microscopic computer hardware augmentations to their natural immune system, and the major concern of the large firms which effectively rule the world is the development of what is known as "emortality", where these enhancements make death only a remote possibility.
Damon Hart is the son of Conrad Helier, whose invention of the artificial womb had made possible the survival of the human race at the end of the Plague Wars. He has rejected his inheritance (both material and intellectual, walking out on the members of Helier's research team who acted as foster parents) to become a knife fighter in underground virtual entertainments (where experiencing the pain of a wound is one of the main pleasures) and then a programmer of virtual environments. He is drawn back into the world of his original background when police come to question him after one of his foster parents has been abducted.
An exciting story with a meticulously constructed background, Inherit the Earth is one of the best science fiction novels I have read in the last few years. It has a broader scope than most cyberpunk novels had, and is rendered more believable for reading now because it extrapolates from current trends in computing rather than those of fifteen or twenty years ago. (Computers and particularly interfaces have developed so fast that they have left science fiction behind - the most dated looking scenes in Star Wars, for example, are those involving computer displays.)
May 24, 2008
OK, I waited a rather long time to get around to this (more like mindlessly procrastinated to get around to it) and I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. Before I get into any faults though, let's talk about good points.
I like the idea of the world created. Biotech and nanotech have advanced to the point where people won't live forever, but they certainly have almost the next-best thing. IT (Internal Technology) has advanced the average lifespan to 160 years on average, with the carrot of true 'emortality' hanging ever present with each new advance. As a result, society has changed in many ways, not all of them good. Youth is more violent and restless and the old simply have begun to create a glass ceiling that the young cannot break through. It mixes high-tech futures with dystopian social structure - typically a good start for a lot of my prevailing tastes. As a world, it's a good start.
The problem is that the book doesn't start, it never really went anywhere. For all of the settings and even halfway compelling characters, there's just not a lot of impetus. With IT being what it is and with the ability to fake death so prevalent and so easy, there's just not much at stake and as such there's no consequence. I couldn't ID a climax.
This is ironic, because all of those years ago when I picked this book up, I did so so I could try to break into the sequel which I'm not sure I'll get around to reading on the lukewarm reception of this book.
I like the idea of the world created. Biotech and nanotech have advanced to the point where people won't live forever, but they certainly have almost the next-best thing. IT (Internal Technology) has advanced the average lifespan to 160 years on average, with the carrot of true 'emortality' hanging ever present with each new advance. As a result, society has changed in many ways, not all of them good. Youth is more violent and restless and the old simply have begun to create a glass ceiling that the young cannot break through. It mixes high-tech futures with dystopian social structure - typically a good start for a lot of my prevailing tastes. As a world, it's a good start.
The problem is that the book doesn't start, it never really went anywhere. For all of the settings and even halfway compelling characters, there's just not a lot of impetus. With IT being what it is and with the ability to fake death so prevalent and so easy, there's just not much at stake and as such there's no consequence. I couldn't ID a climax.
This is ironic, because all of those years ago when I picked this book up, I did so so I could try to break into the sequel which I'm not sure I'll get around to reading on the lukewarm reception of this book.
December 16, 2019
Taut bioengineering/nanotech hard-SF thriller. 4.5 stars.
Set in the bioengineered nanotech future of "Les Fleurs du Mal" and the eponymous novella, Inherit the Earth is a taut and well-drawn thriller. Life-extension internal technology (IT) is good enough that the people who put the world back together after the Crash and Plague Wars some 75 years before still rule the world, albeit behind the scenes. Stableford is exploring a familiar sfnal question: If rich, powerful people get life-extension first -- as they will -- how do you ever get rid of them?
Stableford's writing and characters, at their best, are as good as anyone's in the business.
My 2004 review:
https://www.amazon.com/review/RPETK1T...
Set in the bioengineered nanotech future of "Les Fleurs du Mal" and the eponymous novella, Inherit the Earth is a taut and well-drawn thriller. Life-extension internal technology (IT) is good enough that the people who put the world back together after the Crash and Plague Wars some 75 years before still rule the world, albeit behind the scenes. Stableford is exploring a familiar sfnal question: If rich, powerful people get life-extension first -- as they will -- how do you ever get rid of them?
Stableford's writing and characters, at their best, are as good as anyone's in the business.
My 2004 review:
https://www.amazon.com/review/RPETK1T...
May 1, 2018
This book has a pretty unique premise that pulled me immediately into it; what would the generation on the verge of immortality be like, and how would they cope with the societal changes that would accompany such a technological breakthrough?
However, the primary reason I picked this book up is that I continue to love mysteries set in sci-fi, and this novel is full of people pulling hidden strings and political maneuverings, such that it leads us to a larger understanding of the universe that the novel embodies. The mystery itself is the book's biggest strength, though I don't think it likely that anyone would actually be able to figure out all the details on their own before the book spells it out.
My main issue with this book is it's complete lack of interesting female characters. The most prominent female character in this book is regulated to the role of obsessed ex-girlfriend, who seems to exist only to pine for the return of the main character into her life. This might be forgivable if only the character wasn't a former tough as nails street fighter (supposedly, we never actually get to actually experience this) and if the book didn't end on her complaining about the main character ending their relationship, which she does every time she is in the book.
There are four other women who only have minor supporting roles, and all of them seem to be pretty featureless except for a two of them which are remarkable mostly for their physical age. The "Old Lady" hacker at least had an interesting back story, but it seems only partially filled out, as if the author really wanted to include his stubbornly tenacious grandma who has survived multiple cancers in the story but also needed a way to shoehorn the character in as an elite hacker.
I could go on, but really, it's a decent mystery and a cool setting spoiled by bad characters. That said, I will still read the next book in the series because I'm a sucker for these types of books and I want to see if the next book actually has better characters, female or otherwise.
However, the primary reason I picked this book up is that I continue to love mysteries set in sci-fi, and this novel is full of people pulling hidden strings and political maneuverings, such that it leads us to a larger understanding of the universe that the novel embodies. The mystery itself is the book's biggest strength, though I don't think it likely that anyone would actually be able to figure out all the details on their own before the book spells it out.
My main issue with this book is it's complete lack of interesting female characters. The most prominent female character in this book is regulated to the role of obsessed ex-girlfriend, who seems to exist only to pine for the return of the main character into her life. This might be forgivable if only the character wasn't a former tough as nails street fighter (supposedly, we never actually get to actually experience this) and if the book didn't end on her complaining about the main character ending their relationship, which she does every time she is in the book.
There are four other women who only have minor supporting roles, and all of them seem to be pretty featureless except for a two of them which are remarkable mostly for their physical age. The "Old Lady" hacker at least had an interesting back story, but it seems only partially filled out, as if the author really wanted to include his stubbornly tenacious grandma who has survived multiple cancers in the story but also needed a way to shoehorn the character in as an elite hacker.
I could go on, but really, it's a decent mystery and a cool setting spoiled by bad characters. That said, I will still read the next book in the series because I'm a sucker for these types of books and I want to see if the next book actually has better characters, female or otherwise.
July 20, 2022
About 160 years have gone by since the events of The Cassandra Complex. There has been a major plague known as The Crash which left humanity unable to reproduce naturally. A clever fellow named Conrad Helier developed and quickly rolled out an artificial womb technology. His son Damon is the protagonist of this book.
A hundred years or so have gone by since then. The explosive population pressure is gone. There has been some progress in research to extend human longevity. "Emortality" is widely believed to be right around the corner and many people who are not already wealthy are trying to build some kind of a nest egg to be able to afford it when the time comes, or to purchase the incremental upgrades that are available.
This is all just the setup for the second volume in this cyberpunkish yarn. There's a bunch of conspiracy theories and some actual conspiracies floating around. I found this to be a real page-turner, felt annoyed when I realized the end was coming up. Of course, there are another two books.
I'm finding a new respect for this author. The first thing I read by him was a book called The Empire of Fear. That was OK, but it didn't really make a huge impression on me or anything. This is way better.
A hundred years or so have gone by since then. The explosive population pressure is gone. There has been some progress in research to extend human longevity. "Emortality" is widely believed to be right around the corner and many people who are not already wealthy are trying to build some kind of a nest egg to be able to afford it when the time comes, or to purchase the incremental upgrades that are available.
This is all just the setup for the second volume in this cyberpunkish yarn. There's a bunch of conspiracy theories and some actual conspiracies floating around. I found this to be a real page-turner, felt annoyed when I realized the end was coming up. Of course, there are another two books.
I'm finding a new respect for this author. The first thing I read by him was a book called The Empire of Fear. That was OK, but it didn't really make a huge impression on me or anything. This is way better.
September 30, 2025
Damon Helier is the son of a bio-scientist who saved humanity after a number of man-made plaques made all women sterile, but a shadowy group has emerged who believe he caused the plaque in order to make himself rich and famous and want to make him pay. the problem is that Dr. Helier supposedly died a hundred years ago... Brian Stableford has put together a neat little tale of biotechnology and human folly which examines the motivation to have children and the possible ramifications of
increased human lifespans. Is Damon's father dead? And if not, why the charade? Stableford is almost prescient about deep fakes on the internet too. )
increased human lifespans. Is Damon's father dead? And if not, why the charade? Stableford is almost prescient about deep fakes on the internet too. )
May 28, 2019
Although this book is over two decades old, it certainly feels like it could have been written recently. A lot of in depth consideration into the future of big corporations, nanotech, biotech, VR, and what happens to society when tech advances enough to significantly extend the human lifespan.
Unfortunately it's wrapped up in a somewhat convoluted mystery story that isn't nearly as entertaining as the concepts themselves.
Unfortunately it's wrapped up in a somewhat convoluted mystery story that isn't nearly as entertaining as the concepts themselves.
August 14, 2020
An interesting mystery thriller set in a future when people are living to extreme age but who cannot reproduce except with the help of an artificial wombs. There is also a hope that true immortality might be just around the corner. However, the question is raised: Who has the right to live forever?
In spite of the Biblical echo, the world is utterly secular. I found it sad.
In spite of the Biblical echo, the world is utterly secular. I found it sad.
June 2, 2025
Reads like a bad techno-thriller. The whole story is nothing more than "guy gets chased around by mysterious assialants...who can he trust?"
The core concept of the birth with immortality only being avaalible to the rich is barely touched on and implications of this aren't dealt with or shown, just passively mentioned.
The core concept of the birth with immortality only being avaalible to the rich is barely touched on and implications of this aren't dealt with or shown, just passively mentioned.
October 15, 2017
This book is #2 in a series - but I picked it up at a little indy bookstore that was closing for about 10 cents. Haven't read book one, might not read book 3 - but absolutely enjoyed book 2. If you like Sci-fi, questions about mortality and the morals of bio-tech - I would recommend
May 14, 2016
Pretty good, although the ending was a little weak. Such a big build up to it, and then it's kind of like *shrug*
May 10, 2011
Excellent read, and well-plotted.
August 2, 2011
started off strong, but kind of a weak ending. I loved all the nanotech, and the world. I just thought the ending was kind of lame.
August 6, 2013
Great build up to the plot and the ending just fizzled...
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews