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YASID: Immortal man exposed by world government relates his life from pre-history to present
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Lynn McGuire
Jul 26, 2023, 7:49:52 PM7/26/23
to
YASID: Immortal man exposed by world government relates his life from
pre-history to present
From:
https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/15a628a/repost_immortal_man_exposed_by_world_government/
"I read this book from my local library in the early- to mid- seventies.
It was hardcover (library bound) and the dust jacket had a printed
burlap or canvas background. The back flap mentioned that the author's
name was a pseudonym. (And not some 'that name will sell books'
pseudonym, but an 'I'm hiding my true identity' one.) The book had lots
of conversation, anecdotes and opinions with little to no 'action'.
It begins shortly after the formation of a world government, and the
President of Earth is presiding over the trial of Earth's only immortal
man, for the crime of withholding the secret of immortality. Much of the
book is taken up by his narration of stories of his life, from his birth
in prehistoric times to the present. This could almost be the backstory
of 'The Man From Earth', but IIRC the main character was never a famous
person.
One anecdote I remember is what he called 'Pavlov's Other Experiment',
with the supposed discoveries by the scientist after the surprising
results of the 1924 Leningrad flood. The novelist added a vitamin
deficiency factor that became an important plot point. There was also a
story I recall as being very amusing about a British military steamship
in Egypt before or during the occupation in the eighteen hundreds.
And finally, as a major plotline (such as it is), everybody is taught
the simple trick to become immortal. When dead people are cloned and
become 99.99% similar, their soul and memories are reunited with their
bodies and they are taught immortality; time-traveling robots collect
DNA from everyone who has ever lived and they become immortal as well.
As I said, I've been on the lookout for this book for the last
thirty-five forty-five plus years, so if anybody can help, you will have
my eternal gratitude."
Lynn
pre-history to present
From:
https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/15a628a/repost_immortal_man_exposed_by_world_government/
"I read this book from my local library in the early- to mid- seventies.
It was hardcover (library bound) and the dust jacket had a printed
burlap or canvas background. The back flap mentioned that the author's
name was a pseudonym. (And not some 'that name will sell books'
pseudonym, but an 'I'm hiding my true identity' one.) The book had lots
of conversation, anecdotes and opinions with little to no 'action'.
It begins shortly after the formation of a world government, and the
President of Earth is presiding over the trial of Earth's only immortal
man, for the crime of withholding the secret of immortality. Much of the
book is taken up by his narration of stories of his life, from his birth
in prehistoric times to the present. This could almost be the backstory
of 'The Man From Earth', but IIRC the main character was never a famous
person.
One anecdote I remember is what he called 'Pavlov's Other Experiment',
with the supposed discoveries by the scientist after the surprising
results of the 1924 Leningrad flood. The novelist added a vitamin
deficiency factor that became an important plot point. There was also a
story I recall as being very amusing about a British military steamship
in Egypt before or during the occupation in the eighteen hundreds.
And finally, as a major plotline (such as it is), everybody is taught
the simple trick to become immortal. When dead people are cloned and
become 99.99% similar, their soul and memories are reunited with their
bodies and they are taught immortality; time-traveling robots collect
DNA from everyone who has ever lived and they become immortal as well.
As I said, I've been on the lookout for this book for the last
thirty-five forty-five plus years, so if anybody can help, you will have
my eternal gratitude."
Lynn
Lynn McGuire
Jul 26, 2023, 10:27:16 PM7/26/23
to
Years", Heinlein's Lazarus Long, Borges' "The Immortal", Zelanzny's
"This Immortal". The main character was not a time traveler or the
Wandering Jew. It is possible I'm getting the similarity thing confused
with van Vogt's Null-A, but there was something like that.
The immortal man was likely 6000-8000 years old, and the time of the
novel in a future not far from now. His prehistoric tribal roots being
near the invention of agriculture? (maybe)"
Lynn
Quadibloc
Jul 27, 2023, 8:07:30 AM7/27/23
to
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 8:27:16 PM UTC-6, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> "This is not Bixby's "A Man From Earth", Anderson's "Boat of a Million
> Years", Heinlein's Lazarus Long, Borges' "The Immortal", Zelanzny's
> "This Immortal". The main character was not a time traveler or the
> Wandering Jew.
And I'm pretty sure it wasn't Edgar Rice Burroughs' "A Princess of Mars"
> "This is not Bixby's "A Man From Earth", Anderson's "Boat of a Million
> Years", Heinlein's Lazarus Long, Borges' "The Immortal", Zelanzny's
> "This Immortal". The main character was not a time traveler or the
> Wandering Jew.
either!
John Savard
Charles Packer
Jul 28, 2023, 3:43:10 AM7/28/23
to
"President of Earth" and restricting it to books published
before 1980.
Kevrob
Jul 28, 2023, 6:43:13 PM7/28/23
to
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/The-Flash-1959/Issue-137?id=8585#14
Maybe we should ask Mell Brooks?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Year_Old_Man
--
Kevin R
a.a #2310
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