Macrolife
Encyclopedia
Macrolife: A Mobile Utopia is a 1979 science fiction
novel by American author George Zebrowski
.
for the nearer stars.
originated the term "Macro Life" in his 1961 book The Ultimate Human Society, though the idea of using asteroid
s as mobile "societal containers" is a common theme in science, and science fiction.
Cole defined Macro Life as "life squared per cell", i.e. "Macro Life is to man what man is to the cell". Zebrowski, in the novel, regards Macrolife as an open-ended, expansive union of organic, cybernetic and machine intelligences
(human and alien) with spacefaring as its means of dissemination.
(I) Sunspace: 2021 ... The Bulero family/corporation, inventors and marketers of Bulerite which is used to build the huge cities which house the Earth's (and colonies) teeming millions, are at the pinnacle of their influence and wealth. Unfortunately, it is discovered - too late - that the substance is inherently flawed, in that after a time it destabilizes and self-destructs with spectacular results. Gradually, all the Bulerite on Earth, and that on and in the space colonies throughout the solar system becomes unstable, causing destruction and megadeath.
The devastation precipitates a war with Earth's colonies on the outer planets, with whom a struggle for control of the solar system existed. Many nuclear-tipped missiles explode on Earth which adds to the Bulerite destabilization. The combination of the Bulerite and the nuclear explosions cause a mysterious shroud of radiation to envelop the Earth. All humans on the planet are assumed dead.
Before this final devastation, many refugees manage to escape to the Moon, Mars, and Asterome, an orbiting colony situated inside a hollowed-out asteroid
at the Moon's L5 point. Included amongst the refugees are most of Bulero family who end up on Asterome.
The leadership of Asterome are now faced with several severe challenges: Handling the influx of refugees, removing any Bulerite used in the construction of Asterome, consolidating their resources now that the Earth can no longer supply them with finished goods, and preventing increasingly aggressive attempts by the outer colonies and remnants of Earth's government to take control and plunder Asterome.
When a means of providing Asterome with propulsion is discovered, the leadership of Asterome decide that leaving the solar system is the best option available to ensure Asterome's short-term survival as well as proving a way for Mankind to survive should the solar system be destroyed by the after-effects of Bulerite and war.
After overcoming attempts to stop them, Asterome finally manages to leave the solar system, heading for Alpha Centauri
, the nearest star.
(II) Macrolife: 3000 ... A thousand years later, Asterome has grown by adding concentric layers of shells around itself, and is now host to millions of humans and Humanity II
cybernetic organisms.
The invention of engines that can surpass the speed of light
has made it possible for the colony to explore far and wide; the second part finds them studying a planet orbiting the star Praesepe
over 500 light years
away. John Bulero, a young clone of one of the original Bulero's, decides to see what life is like on a planet, and lives for a while amongst the natives, descendants of a human colony that has reverted back to savagery. His experiences, while tragic, enable him to grow as an individual.
Eventually, Asterome travels back to the solar system to see how events there have unfolded. Their arrival coincides with the first time humans meet an intelligent alien species which is itself experimenting with Macrolife, and, together, the species begin a process of intermingling and further expansion into the universe.
(III) The Dream of Time ... A hundred billion years have passed, and Macrolife is now the dominant culture throughout the universe, which is, at this stage, beginning to contract into its final death throes. Most life is in the form of a Hyperpersonal Aggregate; an amalgam of individuals of all kinds. The aggregate re-individualizes John Bulero again, to help them solve the problem of how Macrolife can survive beyond the death of the Universe. Eventually, they discover many Macrolife survivors from many previous cycles of the universe, who help them to conquer time itself.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by American author George Zebrowski
George Zebrowski
George Zebrowski is a science fiction author and editor who has written and edited a number of books. He lives with author Pamela Sargent, with whom he has co-written a number of novels, including Star Trek novels.Zebrowski won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1999 for his novel Brute Orbits...
.
Plot introduction
By 2021, Earth's nations are at (relative) peace, and even the erstwhile poorer nations are beginning to enjoy stable political and economic regimes. The invention of a super-strong material named Bulerite is partially responsible for this, which enables Earth to, at last, initiate a burgeoning space industry. However, events unfold which result in the first "Macrolife" colony leaving the solar systemSolar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
for the nearer stars.
Explanation of the novel's title
Scientist Dandridge M. ColeDandridge M. Cole
Dandridge MacFarlan Cole was an American aerospace engineer, futurist, lecturer, and author.-Parents and education:Cole was born February 19, 1921 in Sandusky, Ohio to Robert MacFarlan Cole III and Wertha Pendleton Cole, the daughter of bishop William Frederic Pendleton.He attended the Academy of...
originated the term "Macro Life" in his 1961 book The Ultimate Human Society, though the idea of using asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s as mobile "societal containers" is a common theme in science, and science fiction.
Cole defined Macro Life as "life squared per cell", i.e. "Macro Life is to man what man is to the cell". Zebrowski, in the novel, regards Macrolife as an open-ended, expansive union of organic, cybernetic and machine intelligences
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
(human and alien) with spacefaring as its means of dissemination.
Plot summary
The novel is split into three main sections.(I) Sunspace: 2021 ... The Bulero family/corporation, inventors and marketers of Bulerite which is used to build the huge cities which house the Earth's (and colonies) teeming millions, are at the pinnacle of their influence and wealth. Unfortunately, it is discovered - too late - that the substance is inherently flawed, in that after a time it destabilizes and self-destructs with spectacular results. Gradually, all the Bulerite on Earth, and that on and in the space colonies throughout the solar system becomes unstable, causing destruction and megadeath.
The devastation precipitates a war with Earth's colonies on the outer planets, with whom a struggle for control of the solar system existed. Many nuclear-tipped missiles explode on Earth which adds to the Bulerite destabilization. The combination of the Bulerite and the nuclear explosions cause a mysterious shroud of radiation to envelop the Earth. All humans on the planet are assumed dead.
Before this final devastation, many refugees manage to escape to the Moon, Mars, and Asterome, an orbiting colony situated inside a hollowed-out asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
at the Moon's L5 point. Included amongst the refugees are most of Bulero family who end up on Asterome.
The leadership of Asterome are now faced with several severe challenges: Handling the influx of refugees, removing any Bulerite used in the construction of Asterome, consolidating their resources now that the Earth can no longer supply them with finished goods, and preventing increasingly aggressive attempts by the outer colonies and remnants of Earth's government to take control and plunder Asterome.
When a means of providing Asterome with propulsion is discovered, the leadership of Asterome decide that leaving the solar system is the best option available to ensure Asterome's short-term survival as well as proving a way for Mankind to survive should the solar system be destroyed by the after-effects of Bulerite and war.
After overcoming attempts to stop them, Asterome finally manages to leave the solar system, heading for Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
, the nearest star.
(II) Macrolife: 3000 ... A thousand years later, Asterome has grown by adding concentric layers of shells around itself, and is now host to millions of humans and Humanity II
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
cybernetic organisms.
The invention of engines that can surpass the speed of light
Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
has made it possible for the colony to explore far and wide; the second part finds them studying a planet orbiting the star Praesepe
Beehive Cluster
The Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesepe , M44, NGC 2632, or Cr 189, is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. It is one of the nearest open clusters to the Solar System, and it contains a larger star population than most other nearby clusters...
over 500 light years
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
away. John Bulero, a young clone of one of the original Bulero's, decides to see what life is like on a planet, and lives for a while amongst the natives, descendants of a human colony that has reverted back to savagery. His experiences, while tragic, enable him to grow as an individual.
Eventually, Asterome travels back to the solar system to see how events there have unfolded. Their arrival coincides with the first time humans meet an intelligent alien species which is itself experimenting with Macrolife, and, together, the species begin a process of intermingling and further expansion into the universe.
(III) The Dream of Time ... A hundred billion years have passed, and Macrolife is now the dominant culture throughout the universe, which is, at this stage, beginning to contract into its final death throes. Most life is in the form of a Hyperpersonal Aggregate; an amalgam of individuals of all kinds. The aggregate re-individualizes John Bulero again, to help them solve the problem of how Macrolife can survive beyond the death of the Universe. Eventually, they discover many Macrolife survivors from many previous cycles of the universe, who help them to conquer time itself.
Characters in "Macrolife"
- Richard Bulero : Central character.
- Jack Bulero : Richard's father, head of Bulero Enterprises.
- Janet Bulero : Richard's mother.
- Samuel Bulero : Richard's uncle
- Orton Blackfriar : lawyer ; Governor of New Mexico.
- Margot Toren : Richard's girlfriend, later wife.
- John Bulero : Clone of Samuel Bulero.
- Rob Wheeler : John Bulero's exemplar.
- Anulka : John Bulero's wife on the planet Lea.
- Tomas Blakfar : Lean descendant of the Blackfriar family.
Follow ups
Several other books have been written to take place in the same fictional world:- Transfigured Night and Wayside World, two novelettes published in 1978, are "set in the planned Macrolife mosaic of short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels". Wayside World (part of a shared-universe project generated by Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
) was also the name of a chapter in the novel. - In the Distance, and Ahead in Time a Macrolife novelette, was published in Amazing StoriesAmazing StoriesAmazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
in 1993. It was also the title of his 10-story short-story collection of 2002 (ISBN 0-7862-4687-1). - In 1999, Zebrowski wrote Cave of Stars, set in the same universe as Macrolife (though not a sequel).
Release details
- 1979, USA, Harper & Row (ISBN 0-06-014792-X), Pub date ? ? 1979, hardback (First edition)
- 1980, UK, Orbit / Futura Pubns (ISBN 0-7088-8060-6), Pub date ? May 1980, paperback
- 1981, USA, Avon (ISBN 0-380-55483-6), Pub date ? ? 1981, paperback
- 1990, USA, Easton Press (ISBN ?), Pub date ? ? 1990, hardback
- 2006, USA, Pyr (ISBN 1-59102-340-8), Pub date 2 January 2006, hardback
- 2006, USA, Pyr (ISBN 1-59102-341-6), Pub date 2 January 2006, paperback
External links
- Author's homepage
- Infinity Plus interview with author
- Scans from Dandridge Cole's Beyond Tomorrow
- http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/2000/ben0002.htmEssay by author and Gregory BenfordGregory BenfordGregory Benford is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine...
on SFsite]