The Transported Man
July 25, 2017 10:30 AM Subscribe
"Teleportation killed the Mona Lisa." So begins The Punch Escrow , a novel about everyday teleportation gone awry in the year 2147, by MeFi's own analogue . Available all over the interwebs today from places you buy books.
from the author's about-the-book info at the publisher site:
"The story began as a water cooler discussion I had with the CEO of a company I worked for a few years ago. It started along the lines of the usual "mind blown" zone one enters when they realize that every time Scotty teleported Captain Kirk he was actually killing him in one place and replicating him somewhere else. This concept has been explored almost ad nauseum on Youtube and clickbait sites. You might even say it’s jumped the shark since Conan had Professor Brian Cox delve into it on his show . While there are several good books and movies that address the existential problems teleportation would introduce should it ever become a viable transportation mechanism none have adequately presented a hard science solution to that problem. Since I build products for a living, I decided to solve the problem using a strategy known as Wardley Mapping . The "product" came in the form of The Punch Escrow."
The Punch Escrow won the Geek and Sundry / Inkshares' Hard Science Contest , and Liongsate has acquired rights to a movie version.
from the author's about-the-book info at the publisher site:
"The story began as a water cooler discussion I had with the CEO of a company I worked for a few years ago. It started along the lines of the usual "mind blown" zone one enters when they realize that every time Scotty teleported Captain Kirk he was actually killing him in one place and replicating him somewhere else. This concept has been explored almost ad nauseum on Youtube and clickbait sites. You might even say it’s jumped the shark since Conan had Professor Brian Cox delve into it on his show . While there are several good books and movies that address the existential problems teleportation would introduce should it ever become a viable transportation mechanism none have adequately presented a hard science solution to that problem. Since I build products for a living, I decided to solve the problem using a strategy known as Wardley Mapping . The "product" came in the form of The Punch Escrow."
The Punch Escrow won the Geek and Sundry / Inkshares' Hard Science Contest , and Liongsate has acquired rights to a movie version.
Sounds like a fun read, thanks!
posted by Cranialtorque at 10:37 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Cranialtorque at 10:37 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
The title of this post gave me a start, as I just went to see this exhibit.
posted by 41swans at 10:38 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by 41swans at 10:38 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Don't forget The Prestige!
(Book sounds like fun, congrats to analogue!)
posted by chavenet at 10:43 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
(Book sounds like fun, congrats to analogue!)
posted by chavenet at 10:43 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Which is why teleportation will hopefully never be a thing. I'm rooting for mini-wormholes.
posted by grumpybear69 at 10:45 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 10:45 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Oh man, so many feels. If anyone's got questions about the book... I'm kicking off my book tour today but will do my best to answer here (it just may take me a while). I'm also doing an AMA on /r/Fantasy in August.
posted by analogue at 10:54 AM on July 25, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by analogue at 10:54 AM on July 25, 2017 [6 favorites]
Which is why teleportation will hopefully never be a thing. I'm rooting for mini-wormholes.
Presumably grumpybear1 through grumpybear68 (RIP) were of the same mind?
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:03 AM on July 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
Presumably grumpybear1 through grumpybear68 (RIP) were of the same mind?
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:03 AM on July 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
Wow! I've been seeing this everywhere in the publishing industry newsletters/marketing materials (nobody loves to talk about themselves amongst themselves like the publishing industry.) Now I look forward to checking it out.
posted by lyssabee at 11:29 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by lyssabee at 11:29 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
(The Paperback purchase option at inkshares includes the ebook in mobi and epub. That wasn't obvious at all (but a nice surprise!))
posted by Skorgu at 11:52 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Skorgu at 11:52 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I had the same issue with the 'immortality' of "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" There are just backups. When you die, 'you' still die, you're just cloned from the last backup. That's not so great.
I mean, better than no backups, but still.
posted by leotrotsky at 12:19 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
I mean, better than no backups, but still.
posted by leotrotsky at 12:19 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
ha! just like how Dean and Hank Venture are cloned over and over because they die all the time.
posted by numaner at 12:27 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by numaner at 12:27 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Star Trek has repeatedly shown that consciousness is sustained during transport, even when being stored in the pattern buffer. It may not make a lot of sense, but it does address the issue, at least on the show.
posted by thecaddy at 12:32 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by thecaddy at 12:32 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Those links didn't really give me an idea of what the story is actually about. Something about teleportation and mosquitoes? What's the elevator pitch?
posted by runcibleshaw at 12:34 PM on July 25, 2017
posted by runcibleshaw at 12:34 PM on July 25, 2017
Oh, wow! I didn't know a mefite wrote this - I was just reading about it twenty minutes ago, considering it for my vacation Kindle load-up. I'm going to buy it right now!
posted by something something at 2:03 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by something something at 2:03 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
"The manuscript, which will hit bookshelves from publisher Inkshares this July, is being pitched as Looper meets Ready Player One..."
Oh Hollywood, don't you ever change. Despite this tagline, I'm curious to read it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:12 PM on July 25, 2017
Oh Hollywood, don't you ever change. Despite this tagline, I'm curious to read it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:12 PM on July 25, 2017
And in a partnership between two of MeFi's Own Science Fiction authors, analogue has a "Big Idea" feature on jscalzi's blog. At this rate, MetaFilter membership is rapidly approaching 50% with book deals.
Still, to me the defining moment in Star Trek's handling of transporter technology, and my response to anyone who overthinks its impossibility, is two words: Thomas Riker. Punch THAT escrow.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:15 PM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Still, to me the defining moment in Star Trek's handling of transporter technology, and my response to anyone who overthinks its impossibility, is two words: Thomas Riker. Punch THAT escrow.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:15 PM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
oneswel - yes, I disguised the 'big idea' link as the 'water cooler discussion' link up top. ;) (Also I think your link points to imdb?) fyi!
posted by bitterkitten at 2:25 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by bitterkitten at 2:25 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
When you die, 'you' still die, you're just cloned from the last backup.
This is a fallacy though. Technically, this is happening every second at a cellular level.
posted by iamck at 3:04 PM on July 25, 2017
This is a fallacy though. Technically, this is happening every second at a cellular level.
posted by iamck at 3:04 PM on July 25, 2017
> Technically, this is happening every second at a cellular level.
Not every cell dies at the same time. The culture is continuous until teleported.
posted by Phssthpok at 4:27 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Not every cell dies at the same time. The culture is continuous until teleported.
posted by Phssthpok at 4:27 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
"Read the book" 😉
posted by analogue at 5:04 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by analogue at 5:04 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Not every cell dies at the same time. The culture is continuous until teleported.
This. Ship of Theseus style consciousness transfer we'd all be OK with, but if I'm drowning when SCUBA diving, the fact that a copy of me from before the dive will get rebooted afterwards is a cold comfort.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:30 PM on July 25, 2017
This. Ship of Theseus style consciousness transfer we'd all be OK with, but if I'm drowning when SCUBA diving, the fact that a copy of me from before the dive will get rebooted afterwards is a cold comfort.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:30 PM on July 25, 2017
Eh. It's an inevitable consequence of materialism, just one we haven't had to deal with until contemporary sci fi thought experiments.
posted by iamck at 10:32 PM on July 25, 2017
posted by iamck at 10:32 PM on July 25, 2017
"Contemporary" can sometimes mean "60 years old" (or 70, as this chapter is the fruit of discussions held in 1947-1950).
posted by hat_eater at 12:16 AM on July 26, 2017
posted by hat_eater at 12:16 AM on July 26, 2017
What a great novel this is. analogue sent me an advance copy (from the earlier Projects post) and it broke me out of my six month reader's block (is that a thing?). Seriously, since January I hadn't been able to read a single page of anything. Between the kids and work and regular life, every time I picked up a book I would stare at it blankly for a while before giving up. Thankfully this book came along and broke through my barrier. Am I gushing? I feel like I am gushing.
posted by Literaryhero at 2:23 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Literaryhero at 2:23 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Ditto, I got an early copy from analogue, it was great! I hope the movie gets made. Congrats @analogue.
posted by askmehow at 3:55 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by askmehow at 3:55 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
analogue: ""Read the book" 😉"
"RTFB" is, I believe, the preferred style
posted by chavenet at 7:06 AM on July 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
"RTFB" is, I believe, the preferred style
posted by chavenet at 7:06 AM on July 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
analogue, I'm curious why you chose Inkshares over Unbound, Kickstarter, or Amazon. Congrats!
posted by dobbs at 12:00 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 12:00 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Congrats, Analogue! Looking forward to diving into this!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 8:01 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 8:01 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
dobbs: I'm going to write a long form post on the subject, but the main reason was the Geek & Sundry / Legendary Pictures affiliation. I love Geek & Sundry, and I knew their audience was a perfect fit for my book.
posted by analogue at 9:43 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by analogue at 9:43 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
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