The Federov link towards the end of this piece remindeded me of some older science fiction on the topic, specifically, C. S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength (published 1945, just before the atomic bomb got the genre's attention.) In this work, the central conspiracy has just (haltingly) achieved the artificial resurrection of a human brain, and this capability is the lynchpin of their scheme to take over the world. In the excerpt below, our protagonist Mark finally learns of the advance from the scientist Filostrato, while the slightly deranged preacher Straik theologizes (he might have been Federov-inspired.) It's all very much in line with the incredible possibilities of consciousness-abuse that is covered here.
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"It is the beginning of Man Immortal and Man Ubiquitous," said Straik. "Man on the throne of the universe. It is what all the prophecies really meant."
"At first, of course," said Filostrato, "the power will be confined to a number--a small number--of individual men. Those who are selected for eternal life."
"And you mean," said Mark, "it will then be extended to all men?"
"No," said Filostrato. "I mean it will then be reduced to one man. You are not a fool, are you, my young friend? All that talk about the power of Man over Nature--Man in the abstract--is only for the canaglia. You know as well as I do that Man's power over Nature means the power of some men over other men with Nature as the instrument. There is no such thing as Man--it is a word. There are only men. No! It is not Man who will be omnipotent, it is some one man, some immortal man. Alcasan, our Head, is the first sketch of it. The completed product may be someone else. It may be you. It may be me."
"A king cometh," said Straik, "who shall rule the universe with righteousness and the heavens with judgement. You thought all that was mythology, no doubt. You thought because fables had clustered about the phrase 'Son of Man' that Man would never really have a son who will wield all power. But he will."
"I don't understand, I don't understand," said Mark.
"But it is very easy," said Filostrato. "We have found how to make a dead man live. He was a wise man even in his natural life. He live now forever: he get wiser. Later, we make them live better--for at present, one must concede, this second life is probably not very agreeable to him who has it. You see? Later we make it pleasant for some--perhaps not so pleasant for others. For we can make the dead live whether they wish it or not. He who shall be finally king of the universe can give this life to whom he pleases. They cannot refuse the little present."
"And so," said Straik, "the lessons you learned at your mother's knee return. God will have power to give eternal reward and eternal punishment."
One consistent plot/reflection item I see missing from these stories (I definitely may have missed stories although - happy for references) is beyond the "creation/invention/conquest", deeper into the "maintenance" part (the part that nature goes about with the birth/reproduction/death cycle).
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"It is the beginning of Man Immortal and Man Ubiquitous," said Straik. "Man on the throne of the universe. It is what all the prophecies really meant."
"At first, of course," said Filostrato, "the power will be confined to a number--a small number--of individual men. Those who are selected for eternal life."
"And you mean," said Mark, "it will then be extended to all men?"
"No," said Filostrato. "I mean it will then be reduced to one man. You are not a fool, are you, my young friend? All that talk about the power of Man over Nature--Man in the abstract--is only for the canaglia. You know as well as I do that Man's power over Nature means the power of some men over other men with Nature as the instrument. There is no such thing as Man--it is a word. There are only men. No! It is not Man who will be omnipotent, it is some one man, some immortal man. Alcasan, our Head, is the first sketch of it. The completed product may be someone else. It may be you. It may be me."
"A king cometh," said Straik, "who shall rule the universe with righteousness and the heavens with judgement. You thought all that was mythology, no doubt. You thought because fables had clustered about the phrase 'Son of Man' that Man would never really have a son who will wield all power. But he will."
"I don't understand, I don't understand," said Mark.
"But it is very easy," said Filostrato. "We have found how to make a dead man live. He was a wise man even in his natural life. He live now forever: he get wiser. Later, we make them live better--for at present, one must concede, this second life is probably not very agreeable to him who has it. You see? Later we make it pleasant for some--perhaps not so pleasant for others. For we can make the dead live whether they wish it or not. He who shall be finally king of the universe can give this life to whom he pleases. They cannot refuse the little present."
"And so," said Straik, "the lessons you learned at your mother's knee return. God will have power to give eternal reward and eternal punishment."