Mind storage and cloning concept

[Jarizschmaal]

As a new one here I did a search on "Concept" in order to figure out where it would be appropriate to discuss possible concepts in a science fiction story. Not entirely sure, but I figured this would be the most likely place.

So the idea is - you have been doing your daily chores and suspect nothing, or at least you think you have, and then all of a sudden you happen to be a thousand years into the future. You haven't been transported to the future, and the body you are now inhabiting might not even be remotely familiar, but your mind, your conciousness and your expectations of what that is going to happen next as it was a thousand years ago has been recreated.

You learn that your mind has been cloned several times during the past thousand years, and it might interest you how previous yous have managed, what they have written down, and communicated specifically to future versions of yourself.

I wonder how original this concept is. I recall that there were mind-copying, including fabrication of memory, in a cloning-related movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger - The 6th Day, but I'm not sure how common it is in written fiction and how often this includes such explorations of the concept that I've outlined in the two first paragraphs.

 

[chrispenycate]

You'll find a complete society based on cloned bodies/recorded memories in John Varley The Ophiuchi hotline and dozens of other stories or the Peter Hamilton 'Commonwealth' series.

For it happening to an individual without him knowing in advance it was going to, try Lerry Niven's "World out of time"

And for an entire planetworth of people reconstructed, Philip José Farmer's "To your scattered bodies go"

There are several books where the rich and important get to go on, while the mass of society are allowed to die off, and at least one where the crew of a multi-century starship are reconstructed at the end of the journey knowing they can't go back because the recording technology hasn't been transported with them (and I can't only not remember the title I can't off hand see what difference this makes with hibernation)

But generally the recording/reinstallation of memories is a facet of a story, not the major theme.

 

[zachariah]

Sounds exactly like God Emperor of Dune with the multiple Duncans.

 

[Ursa major]

I've read a number of books in the last year or so that describe the effects of this type of technology, including novels by authors such as Alastair Reynolds, Richard Morgan, Dan Simmons and Charles Stross, amongst others.

Needless to say, these authors all have different takes on the consequences of these technologies, the extent of their use, and the uses to which they are put.

 

[ctg]

Don't forget William Gibson. The Flat-line was a character, that had his concious mind transferred into a box. Result was death of course, but beyond that he was living forever and ever again. Or as much as you can do inside an electronic circuitry. Wonder what happens when the lights are turned off? Does the guy actually die, or go in torpor until the lights are turned back on?

I know so many question and so few answers.

 

[n2so4]

Lemme see, this plot is exactly the same as the film "Aeon Flux", it's also similar to the Altered Carbon series.

I seem to remember a handful of short stories with the same, if not similar, theme as well.

 

[reiver33]

There's also 'Voice Of The Whirlwind' in which the character had clone insurance but neglected to keep his memory recordings upto date, so the 'beta' wakes up with a 15-year gap between yesterday and today.

 

[Strain Of Thought]

Think Like A Dinosaur!

I'd post a link, but I'm not allowed to yet. You'll just have to Google it.

 

[BookStop]

Similar to one of Wade's shorts STEEL EUTHANASIA