Immortality, Inc.

By: Robert Sheckley

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Want to be immortal? You can be in AD 2110. Just go to the Hereafter Insurance Corporation and hook yourself up to the Machine. There’s nothing to fear. That is, if it happens to be working right, and if nobody slips another mind into your body when you’re not looking, and if you’re not on a poltergeist hatelist…

First published in 1959 as a startling, revolutionary novel of the future—then pushed to new cinematic limits as the feature film adaptation Freejack in 1992—Robert Sheckley’s unsettling vision of tomorrow is a trenchantly witty novel of a future where everything has improved except the bumbling human race, which just can’t let itself enjoy a good thing when it finally gets it.

Thomas Blaine awoke in a white bed in a white room and heard someone say, “He’s alive now.” Then they asked him his name, age, and marital status. Yes, that seemed normal enough—but what was this talk about “death trauma”?

Thus was Thomas Blaine introduced to the year 2110, when science had discovered the technique of transferring a man’s consciousness from one body to another, when a man’s mind could be snatched from the past, as his body was at the point of death, and brought forward into a “host body” in this fantastic future world.

But that was only a small part of it, for the future had proved the reality of life after death and discovered worlds beyond or simultaneous with our own—worlds where, through scientific techniques, a man could live again, in another body, when he died here—and had in the process established the reality of ghosts, poltergeists, and zombies.

What did it all mean? How had this discovery of what they called the “hereafter” shaped the world of 2110?

Thomas Blaine found himself living in a future where the discoveries and techniques imagined by people of his time, though realized, were completely overwhelmed by discoveries no one had ever dreamed of.

©1959 Robert Sheckley (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Robert Sheckley: “Sheckley has long been considered one of the genre’s leading humorists.” ( New York Times Book Review)

50s, 60s sci fi

forgot how good these books from my youth were. engaging from start to finish. you won't regret it.

Enjoyed It

Nice and simple read that is sometimes funny. It jumps in a little fast and assumes you understand American culture during the current epoch, so I would guess this won’t have staying power. Regardless I really like it.

very good world building

This was a very weird, well conceived future. One in which the hero from the past doesn't instantly master the future. it is worth the read for that alone.

Fun romp, somewhat dated. Excellent reading.

A Fun romp, albeit somewhat dated story, from a top “classic sf” author. Excellent, fun reading and great recording.

It's super funny

Es una historia bastante creativa que te sumerje a la vida real de los 60s es 100% el futurismo de esa épocas.

Great story with an outstanding narraration

Robert Sheckley is a master science fiction writer, but I really didn't initially think that a 61-year-old book that relied heavily on technology could still be fresh and interesting, but I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be a better experience that most sci-fi novels I've read in the last couple of decades. Sometimes older sci-fi novels miss the mark so badly it makes the story, even if clever and well-written, difficult to enjoy. It is absolutely not the case here. Add to that Bronson Pinchot's masterful narration, and it was an overall a delightful, imaginative, and thought-provoking ride.

Now don't think that Sheckley was able to foresee all the technological innovations we've enjoyed since 1959, but his adaptation of his own era's tech added to his imaginative creations and prognostications worked very well and not once did was I pulled out of the narrative of the story by ill-conceived predictions of the future. His phones are portable, but still have dial tones, and his portable newspaper readers use microfilm instead of digital chips, but they never seemed awkward or anachronistic.

The story itself was a flight of imagination as good as any modern story. It was thought-provoking and raised interesting philosophical questions without being too serious. Pinchot's incredible acting ability, doing a range of characters, accents, and voices, really added to the story. Overall, listening to this novel was time very well spent.

What a Gem!

I am always surprised when someone writes something that holds up to the passage of time and even might predict elements of our future.

Drawn Out, but Interesting Concepts

*2nd Attempt to Post, Plz forgive any Errors*
E
If You’re looking for an Action Packed Book, Keep Looking.
If You’re Looking for a Movie Like “Inception” with Body Jumping…Well, there is definitely Body Jumping, but very little of the action, secret agent coolness in this book.

This book slowly and steadily takes You deep into the current society, way in the Future, where Death is handled a LOT differently than in our day and age. In the Future, they have the science to transfer from one body to another, and as with most things and even in our current society, the Rich have full access while the poor are left out.

But, someone had to be the 1st! And that’s kind of where this book comes in, a 20th Century Man is ripped out if this time and dropped in the Future by a Big Corporation. This book covers the ramifications of that Act, the desire of the 20th century Man’s desire to find himself a place in this new and strange extremely high tech society.

Along the way, the main character runs into a large cast of characters, most only momentarily and then they fade back into the background…Except perhaps (approx.5?), these individuals have a profound effect on the main characters path and life, for good or bad…and I’ll give a *SPOILER ALERT* do NOT READ BELOW, ID YOU DO NOT WANT INSIGHT & FOREKNOWLEDGE‼️

There ends up being a ‘Zombie’, which is someone who occupied a body, but unfortunately did it long after the body was dead, which means that they basically inhabited a dead body (or at least a “dying” body), as all Zombies bodies are deteriorating (it’s just a matter of how long until their body dies permanently). The other thing with Zombies is that they don’t always remember Who they were in life, sometimes it takes them time to remember it all. So, i this case, there ends up being this Zombie, who tells the main character that He remembers the main character is important to him. But, he can’t recall the “Why”, so this Zombie tells him that when he figures it out, he’ll be back and be will find him again. Well, the Zombie ends up watching the main character, and keeping an eye on him, etc.. Which makes sense since the main character is literally the ONLY thing the Zombie can remember..There are several instances where the Zombie contacts the Main Character through out the stoy for various reasons.

Wow, ok I’m done, I had written a LOT MORE to this review and it got eaten just before I hit post. Sorry but I don’t have it in me to rewrite it.

Basically, it’s long drawn out, covers a bunch of philosophical big questions around life and death. The Ending was disappointing and landed firmly between “Awww…that’s Cute!”…and “Meh, Seriously? that’s it?!”

• Would I Read this Audio Book again? NOPE!
• Did I Enjoy the Read/Listen the 1st time? For the most part Yes, like I said it tended to discuss some rather high minded concepts about Life and Death & the here after if it exists..(according to the book)

It was a good read

It sounds a little like a run on sentence, but that reflects the pace of the man’s experiences in 2200. It is super science fiction imagining for an author in the 1960’s. I am religious, but the imagining of the various parts of the afterlife did not offend me. As a Christian, i believe in Christ’s declaration that He is the truth and the way.

Sheckley Is The Best There Is

Any additional comments?

When it comes to science-fiction authors you have never heard of, there are none more talented than Robert Sheckley. Aside from "Immortality Inc.", (which is amazing), his novel "Dimension of Miracles" & as well as a handful of short-stories adapted into radio dramas for the 1950's program "X-Minus One" have earned him the honor of owning the spot in my heart as my favorite obscure writer.

"Immortality Inc." plays with your mind only the way that Sheckley can. The story itself blends ideas from subjects such as time travel, the afterlife, immorality, reincarnation, and zombie folklore into ONE book that reads like a "I-can't-put-it-down" page-turner. I also found it interesting that a book which was written over 50 years ago had its protagonist be a self-proclaimed atheist. Rare for that time period in fiction.

Definitely worth the credit. You won't be sorry.

9.4 / 10