The Rapture of the Nerds

Abstract

Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross’ The Rapture of the Nerds introduces the misanthropic and technophobic protagonist Huw, part of the Tech Jury Service, in a future where death is no longer an issue, since those who die can have their minds uploaded to a Cloud in the solar system. There, they can continue to have a non-physical existence, transcending their bodies, and becoming super beings. These former humans usually send scientific and technical information to Earth about disruptive and destructive technologies, and, on the planet, the Tech Jury Service is a division tasked precisely with determining the value of these technological possibilities and deciding whether or not to release and/or develop them. Besides addressing transhumanism and posthumanism, the novel reflects on the so-called technological singularity, a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and can result in catastrophic consequences for humans and the planet.