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Summary: Resistance Is Futile
Review: I am mystified by the comments I've read by other reviewers. Halperin postulates a world in which we will someday all be Borg. Most of humanity has nothing to do, nothing to contribute. Everyone is bioengineered to perfection, and everyone is within three pounds of their ideal weight. Religious, political, and cultural differences are all leveled, because we now all know and pursue the same "truth." Can you say "Borg"? Essentially, in this "optimistic" world, everyone perfectly fits the "ideal" mold. I think we would all love living in this world stripped of difference, of choice, and opinion--if we believed in the human perfectability of the Nazis. Hitler tried it first, and it was ugly as hell then, too. P.S. Have you ever noticed that all dictatorships--whether they are communistic, fascist, or technological--all start with the premise of the "ideal" man/woman, and end with the obliteration of all differences? In real life, the obliteration is just like what it sounds like: Hitler's & Stalin's mass murders. In fiction, we get these robots that pass for human beings in novels such as "The First Immortal." Really--what is the point of living forever if you are simply going to be exactly like everyone else? Technology is not our savior. It is a collection of tools, and tools can be used for good or for ill. Remember that as many lives as technology has saved, it also made Hitler's death machine possible. Nazi Germany was the technological and bureaucratic powerhouse of its time--and what two facets of society reach their crowning glory in Halperin's utopia? The same two. Out, d$$$ spot.
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Summary: The First Immortal is a great book!
Review: It's nice to see someone show us how positive the future can be if you are willing to put some effort into it. I closely follow the on-going developments in Nanotechnology... (as I have a friend that is studying at the Rice University Center for Nanoscale Sicence and Technology), and it's interesting to witness the birth of this technology. Some of the technology that will enable this positive view of the future is well on the way to becoming a reality right now!
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Summary: Phenomenal! Makes you think. Makes you emote.
Review: Incredible (though I liked the Truth Machine even better). Stockpiled with interesting ideas relevant to our time, brought forward in an engaging story.
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Summary: Thoughtful and philosophically intriguing book!
Review: I was fascinated by the technological insights in The First Immortal, as I was with The Truth Machine. I can't say I totally agree with the opimism regarding the human condition, and I must also add that in my opinion, the characters were not quite as well developed as in Truth Machine, but nevertheless, the book was fascinating and held my attention through another marathon reading session, and has induced me to reconsider my thoughts on cryonics and genetic/bio-technology. Born as I was in 1979, I can hold some hope that I may see some of the predicted wonders within my lifetime.
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Summary: Two GREAT reads!
Review: I just finished The Truth Machine and The First Immortal and loved them! It's not often that you read a thoroughly enjoyable novel that is so thought provoking.
Rating: 
Summary: Well worth reading
Review: I found the book depressing through most of the first half, mostly because it was about death and misery as much as anything else. But it got progressively more optimistic, reaching a point where it was far more optimistic about mankind's ability to adapt than I could accept. I found it to be a great discussion of the ethical issues surrounding life extension and what people might lack if everything worked perfectly without human intervention. My Halperin has clearly done a lot of deep thinking, and I enjoyed reading about it. The religious arguments were not one-sided, and although I generally agree with the characters' asessments of the value of religion in society, I also thought that the presentation of those ideas was simple and clear. I'm also enjoying browsing throught the books and web sites listed in the bibliography, though I'd substitute Dawkins' memetics book for Brodie's (Brodie's is indeed accessable, but it's also less deep). Now I'm looking forward to reading The Truth Machine.
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Summary: I loved The First Immortal
Review: As others have said, it's so nice to read a book with an optimistic view of the future. One thing that no one has mentioned is the effect of nanotecnology on the medical industry, social security, etc. As a 50-year-old working wife, I was dreading getting older. I watched my mother go downhill for years, dying as a near vegetable at the age of 87, last September. No, I wouldn't have wanted her placed in cryostasis. She had a horrible life. I may someday in the future see about having her cloned. Give her a chance at a much better one. Anyway, I think, when we have developed the nanotechnology to repair cells, it should be first used on the terminally ill, & those unfortunates in nursing homes. Many of those people, my mother was one, are supported entirely by Medicare. To return them to health, to be productive again, would remove a huge tax burden that we all pay. Next, the para & quadraplegics. Christopher Reeve may be Superman again! The Social Security issue for we Baby Boomers would be moot. Who needs to retire if we have the physical & mental health of a 23 year old? Needless to say, this book has made me look forward to the future as a delightful experience, nearly euphoric. Until I read it, I dreaded getting old. I have enough aches & pains, stiffness, etc. I didn't want to live as long as my parents, if that was what was in store for me. Now, I'm sure it will be much better than that. I know the book is fiction, yet it isn't, really.
Rating: 
Summary: Some interesting aspects,
Review: This book has a few things going for it, but I felt it lacked the tension and drama I look for in this sort of thing. If you liked this novel, you might want to check out "The Last Day," by Glenn Kleier. It's a far more thought-provoking suspense thriller with a truly unusual, surprising plot. My favorite read in '99, so far.
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Summary: Preachy, anti-religious, yet worth reading.
Review: "The First Immortal" opened up many new possibilities for me. It's part of a new kind of science fiction, where the future described has to be taken much more seriously than in most older examples of the genre. One problem I had with the book was with its "preachiness" about a materialistic worldview. James Halperin, ok, you don't believe in God, an immortal soul, heaven, Jesus, etc. That's fine, but why tie in your beliefs about religion to cryogenics, something that really should be able to cut across all religious beliefs as well as none at all? It's very cool that you might wish to promote the possibilities of cryogenics, but why tie it in with your -- now excuse me if this sounds a bit nasty -- lack of revelation about God? Cryogenics is too important a subject to be connected to an author's personal beliefs about God. It would be unfortunate if your readers think that the two ideas are intricately connected. Anyway, I'm going to look for your other book, "The Truth Machine." Peace Out, Paul Auerbach
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Summary: entertaining yet amazingly realistic.
Review: I first of all want to say how much I completely enjoyed reading both TTM and TFI. I read both books faster than I have ever read any others. I just finished TFI and must say that I am blown away. This book has made me think about my mortality and the future more than I ever have before. I can remember about seven years ago as a senior in high school discussing with some classmates the prospect of being frozen when I died. I was probably the only agnostic in a Catholic school and everyone except one other person either laughed at the idea or told me I would be sent straight to hell, etc. Even one of my teachers told me this. Anyway, it was so nice to read the words of someone with the intelligence and insight to realize that not only is being revived in the future possible, but maybe even probable. Cryonics is something I will now seriously look in to and consider. Thanks, Billy Malone
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