Black Maven's second interview with Steven Wood Collins

This is my second interview with Steven Wood Collins, the author of the science fiction novel Puramore - The Lute of Pythagoras and The Patricians blog. He's graciously agreed to continue the interview at his home in Escazu, Costa Rica.

Mr. Collins...

You can call me Steven, Black Maven since we're friends of longstanding.

First, Steven. I want to thank you for allowing me to continue the interview in your home. I love it here.

It's my pleasure, Black Maven. This is where I feel most comfortable and at ease. I seldom travel these days, so I can't imagine the possibility of the interview being conducted anywhere else.

Then let's begin.

Firstly, I'd like to revisit your purpose and interest in developing The Patricians series of articles you've authored. It's quite interesting, often amazing in consideration of not only your direct genealogical relationship with important historical personages, of note, but also because of the insight into their character that can often result.

I'm curious about what made you embark upon this wonderful enterprise. Would you please be so kind as to explain your motive?

I wouldn't mind at all.

The Patricians represents an outgrowth of my genealogical research I started several years ago, then only an avocational pursuit since I couldn't play golf anymore due to my physical disabilities. I'm afraid I got a bit carried away as it became almost a transcendental experience for me. You must understand that I previously possessed no real knowledge of my ancestral heritage. So, the discovery process overwhelmed me and I spent countless hours doing little else other than building my family tree over millennia up until the Flood. The transcendental part began when I began to notice patterns in genealogical history that started to reveal a process, perhaps Divine in nature, in the seemingly unrelated lives of my ancestors. At any rate, I won't go further into that somewhat arcane discussion at present, mainly because it's a work-in-progress, but what I will say is that it intrigued me enough to make me want to write about it as represented in The Patricians blog articles. Most of the articles, however, reflect a contribution to the development of a thesis to that effect.

Would you cite a few examples for the sake of exposition?

Take, for example, Sir Francis Bacon. He, as you know, was one of the fathers of modern science. As a practicing alchemist, like his illustrious contemporaries Robert Boyle and Sir Isaac Newton, he played an important role in the liberation of the human mind from the yoke of medievalism during the period when it could have only occurred - namely, the Elizabeth Age. What he and his fellows began was a completely new human paradigm that resulted in the development of the bourgeoisie class that largely rules or manages the world today. It later supplanted monarchy management in subsequent centuries, largely because individuals were allowed to fully realize their potential in almost every respect for their benefit and everyone else. It's as if an invisible hand guided Bacon and his contemporaries to develop a practical science for that purpose. Robert Boyle, who was, again, an alchemist, clearly was of that ilk. There's no small measure of irony in that realization in that none of them, as alchemists and members of the elite and staid nobility, were motivated by "Christian" ideals to provide any sort of relief or material furtherance for the bourgeois cause, either contemporarily or in the future. Nevertheless, the entire superstructure of modern life grew out of their experience.

I hasten to add that the British Empire reaped untold benefits from scientific development during this era. For instance, the military hegemony it held for several centuries afterward came about initially from Issac Newton's invention of differential calculus, which enabled English warships to direct cannon fire with pinpoint accuracy.

Do you see that trend continuing?

As an economist, I perceive some cracks beginning to develop with the employment of advanced computer science in everyday life that's could result in the replacement of lower and middle management resources by an artificial intelligence system of management. Already, in more advanced economies, such as in the case of the U.S., middle-class populations are dwindling in importance as a force for the advancement of human welfare. It's not so much an impression but a reality instead of economic numbers demonstrating the ever-increasing gap between the upper classes and the lower classes continues to widen. And I don't see that gap closing until the full advent of the new paradigm takes root within the next twenty years or more if it ever does.

Do you feel threatened by that possibility?

Me? No, I'm not involved in managing people at present. If I were, though, I'd be thinking about other career paths for myself and my children. If you look rationally at the sorry state of world affairs today, you might conclude that the chemical mindset is incapable of managing advanced technological systems of the future. We've already witnessed the dreadful results of that tendency with the near-collapse of world financial systems less than a decade ago. In my opinion, the malaise the world economy is experiencing is simply a product of a transitional period leading to the new paradigm that may well offer a salutary replacement for the old one started by the scientific revolution during the 17th century.

Did your work on The Patricians lead you to that opinion?

Not really. I posited that development nearly fifteen years ago when I first started writing Puramore - The Lute of Pythagoras. Moreover, I then predicted, as part of the overall theme, the emergence of China as a world power, one rivaling and possibly replacing the U.S. as the major political power during the first half of the 21st century.

Did you have other motives for developing The Patricians?

Many. Firstly, it's a good way for me to showcase my writing abilities or lack thereof. Secondly, it indulges my armchair interest in history. Thirdly, the blog gives me the motivation to write, which is important to me because I'm retired and need some reason to get me out of bed every morning. Fourthly, it's assisting me in developing a thesis for the sequel to Puramore, which is entitled The Retopians.

Oh, I have a few more motives, one of which is to firmly establish Earl Edward de Vere, one of my ancestor/cousins, as the legitimate author of Shakespearean literature.

How are you progressing on that count?

Rather well, I must say. I've now established the fact that he's directly related to most if not all the main protagonists of the histories and tragedies. I can assure you that William Shakespeare wasn't.

Are you currently writing The Retopians?

Yes and no. I started the first draft about a year ago. But it's been shelved for a while until I finally stop work on The Patricians. I'm somewhat loathed to continue writing the novel because it involves my having to envision the next paradigm and how it'll affect mankind throughout the next millennium. Well, it's only science fiction anyway.

What inspired or motivated you to write Puramore - The Lute of Pythagoras?

As an economist, I've always been interested in futurism, particularly within the context of socio-economics. Earlier in my life, I read almost all the science fiction novels written by Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury as well as dystopian novels authored by Huxley and Orwell. Given that interest, however, I really can't explain the reason I sat down and began to write the novel over fifteen years ago and became obsessed with finishing it. I never had any background in writing fiction before. Then about a year ago I discovered that Sir Francis Bacon, one of my ancestors, wrote an almost identical science fiction novel, entitled New Atlantis, which he failed to complete. Perchance I completed it for him. Anyway, it made my hair stand on end at the moment I made the discovery and gave me pause to consider another philosophy.

What kind of philosophy?

I don't know precisely, perhaps one based on ancestor worship. As you know, I'm not inclined to maintain any religious view as possessing an overarching validity, but, if I found one that might qualify as such, it might be ancestor veneration.

Do you think that The Patricians represents some form of ancestor veneration?

That's a distinct possibility, now that I think of it. I feel sometimes that my ancestors are guiding me at times, mainly because so much of my life has been self-directed from childhood after my father abandoned me and my sister. There were times when I almost threw in the towel, so to speak, to sink into abysmal despair about my failures in life, but inexplicably some force within me made me overcome whatever it was the vexed me and succeed to a certain extent despite it. Whatever the influence was, or is today, I'm a better person because of it, maybe even better than had my father taken a real interest in my welfare during his lifetime. Anyway, the experience inured me to self-reliance and pragmatism. Maybe that's a lesson I need to learn as a transcendent being.

You make many references to dream-states in the novel. What sort of philosophy is at play in that regard?

I would say that it's a kind of Guadapadism, for lack of a better word to describe it. Guadapada of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy essentially stated that consciousness is nothing more than a manifestation of a dream. If you're not familiar with the philosophy, it possesses elements of Singularity as represented by futurist Ray Kurzweil. It's also considered important by many theoretical physicists and cosmologists. There's no beginning and no ending to anything and no causality. As it turns out, the philosophy may lead to the reconciliation of quantum mechanics with relativity. I won't go any further about that as it would lead to a usurpation of academic privilege.

Sounds rather frightening. Do you believe that?

My rational consciousness tells me not to, but my dream states tell me otherwise. It's kind of a slippery slope to deal with on a rational level, so I would suggest treading lightly on the topic at first. If the idea repulses you, then, by all means, don't even start to consider it. For your information, the entire field of psychiatry is devoted solely to dream interpretation.

You might also be interested to know that Bertrand Russell also explored dream state consciousness as an existential state of being. The topic perplexed him so much he once stated (or at least once stated), "...“I do not believe that I am dreaming yet I can not prove that I am not.” Well, coming from one of the top mathematicians who ever lived that's sufficient enough proof to know Guadapada consciousness cosmology possesses a scientific validity in the fields of advanced physics and mathematics. Perhaps Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle will be regarded someday as a corollary of a unified field theory based on Guadapadan consciousness cosmology.

Shamanism is also a recurrent theme of the novel. What should the reader make of it?

Well, a religion of any form is naturally based on shamanism. Consider Hebrewism, for example. most of the main patriarchs, such as Solomon, exhibited shamanistic powers in one form or another. And, if we trace the development of Christianity, we find rooted in many Celtic pagan worship practices without question. Juan Aguilar, the shaman in the novel, represents a shamanistic guide through what can only be described as a dream created by the protagonist, George Smythe. He's not taking him anywhere but to a transcendent experience of his creation with some of his guidance along the way. He pretty much serves the function as Merlin did in King Arthur's Court.

Some sort of apotheosis appears to be looming on the horizon towards the end of the novel. Does the sequel deal with that prospect?

Yes, within the context of Earth graduating to a Class 1 planet by the end of this century, it'll be an evolutionary imperative. In Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke posits the same scenario, so it's nothing new. I'm simply revising his to a kind of an evolutionary baby-step so that mankind doesn't go from homo sapiens to ethereal gods of creation in one giant leap. I like the idea of exploration of the material universe as an immortal free of basic survival fear. I also think that we'll be more readily accepted by other Class 1 planets as a result.

I didn't know there were any.

I don't think they want you to until then, not even in your dreams. A little levity.

The novel also presents the scenario whereby man, instead of some alien influence, reengineers the human body to a state of physical and mental perfection with the aid of artificial intelligence, a so-called quantum computer. Do you believe that's possible?

I wouldn't say that it's impossible. I would say that the flaws of the human body can be overcome with genetic re-engineering - that's already occurring. Moreover, space travel in any meaningful fashion outside our solar system will be impossible given our current physiological makeup. So, rather than waiting millions of years for mankind to evolve into a suitable form, why not just totally re-engineer the human body when the capability comes about?

On the face of it, that seems sacrilegious from the standpoint of many religious quarters. Is it, in your opinion?

No doubt. But Zen Buddhists wouldn't have any problem reconciling it with their religious canon. If you were to poll the Japanese, you'd find they have no qualms whatsoever in support of the idea.

As portrayed in the novel, the sociological implications for mankind of that development are more than a bit dreadful to consider. It implies that mankind is on the verge of extinction as a race by either by its hand or malevolent beings or both.

Is that your thesis?

Possibly, but not entirely, at least not at the superficial level since duality is also at play. Firstly, let's consider the advent of A.I. In my mind, its innovation and utilization do represent a potential danger to human beings but not any more so than the element of fire did when homo sapiens (and/or neanderthals) first started to use it for their survival advantage. Like fire, A.I. must be properly managed from the outset, or it may well have the potential to spread like a wildfire to destroy mankind in the Hollywood apocalyptic sense, probably with far greater facility than Adolph Hitler would have treated the mass of humanity had he prevailed. Futurist Ray Kurzweil renders probably the finest description yet proffered of AI in assisting in properly managing technology to benefit the welfare of posterity. On the other hand, Cambridge University cosmologist Stephen Hawking recently stated a dim view in a press statement in which he expressed the grave concern that AI will ultimately destroy our race.

Do you think Hawking's assessment is valid?

Well, after it does kick in with a vengeance, AI at an intermediate stage won't have much more use for any of us than we have for a flower vase. At that point, everyone alive may well be relegated to pursuing careers as materially wealthy, professional sports fans. Look, to give you a poignant example, there will reach a point wherein AI will possess the capability of monitoring and controlling the actions of every human being on the planet, day and night - even during sleep. It'll also tirelessly orchestrate and choreograph virtually every aspect of worldwide affairs to perfection. It'll be a highly utilitarian existence that may well lead those with higher I.Q.s to opt-out (commit suicide) or rebel to extinction. So Stephen does have a good point to make in my estimation.

I don't know if I would like to live in that kind of perfect world. Would you?

Not at least one of AI's making. I think it's imperative to preserve the human spirit, but realize that may not come about unless the race evolves into a physical and mental being to match or compete with AI cyberintelligence. If that never comes about, at least it'll enhance the management of resources, both tangible and intangible, perhaps to the extent to improve the human condition to allow everyone to enjoy material wealth on an equal basis.

How will that ever come about?

Again, as a science fiction genre, it may be through bioengineering of the human genome from top to bottom. I posit somewhat of a "Brave New World" process for that achievement. You should understand, though, the thesis of the book deals with social science fiction as to how mankind may or may not address the broader brush sociological issues associated with the advent of AI in everyday human life.

What will the newly-evolved humans do afterward?

Many would be suitable for interplanetary and deep-space exploration in that form. In effect, the obstacle of transporting homo sapiens through space would no longer be insurmountable as a result of their advent. The new and improved brand will be conceived, educated, given earthly identity, and "birthed" as mature adults inside a spacecraft during a gestation period that will commence six months or less before entering the atmosphere of an alien world. The astronauts stepping onto the surface of the planet will have the same minds and personalities of, say, "back home" research scientists contained within almost immortal humanoid bodies. Imagine, if you will, a spacecraft of that design drifting thousands of light-years through space to eventually reach a final destination discovered by a benign AI computer while en route.

I don't see the sense of it. How would the astronauts ever communicate with Earth? Also, there's no chance they'll ever return to Earth. What, then, would be the purpose of such a space mission?

The purpose would be first and foremost to preserve the human identity and spirit from extinction from a catastrophic event, such as a meteor strike, or rampaging AI or simply boredom of existence on Earth. My idea would be to launch hundreds of such space vehicles, as spore blown into the four winds, with one-way tickets to colonize uninhabited, but habitable worlds. Communication with Earth will be all but impossible as spore spacecraft move further and further away from our solar system; accordingly, it won't be necessary or even desired. As long as Earth survives, however, it'll continue two-way telemetric communication with individual spacecraft. Also, as long as a spacecraft survives, it'll be part of a telemetric communication web with the other space vehicles. Though it's likely to fail altogether at some point in the far, far distant future, clues as to the potential whereabouts of the spacecraft may result from AI navigational analysis. Be that as it may, it's pretty much Bye, Bye Birdie time for any of the celestial astronaut-colonists chance to establish any meaningful voice communication with Earth. They flat-out never will. But there'll be a slim chance of discovering the potential location of sister vehicles that may lead to some form of inter-communication.

Right, Steven, that pretty much concludes what I wanted to accomplish with this interview today.

Well, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to answer your questions and concerns about Puramore and The Patricians, Black Maven.

You're welcome, Steven.