Book Review: The Prospect of Immortality
The Prospect of Immortality by Murray Ballard – £35
The unmistakable and unavoidable aspect of survival is the understanding that our time, and body is limited and should ultimately end. The notion of death is something that quite rightly produces a natural fear, which has actively kept the current species of the world alive. To be alive is to understand the concept of death – it is understandable therefore that many people live a large portion of their life in fear.
The concept of ultimate survival is a seductive one; it is that primordial, unquestionable success of both species and individual – so, as technologies become more advanced, and natural lifespans are at their peak, it seems to make sense that people are inclined to go about extending their time here.
In 1962 a man named Robert Ettinger published a book on a subject that would become ingrained in the lore of modern fiction and in the pursuits of contemporary science: cryogenics. This book would later be translated into nine languages and in several editions. The work of Ettinger has been reduced by some to simple romanticism, and whilst it would be hard to describe the ideology of cryogenics as anything unromantic, it cannot be said that the theories and experiments put forward are unimportant – be that in terms of science, theology or ethical debate.
Today, one is more likely to be talking about cryogenics in works of fiction or thought experiments as available technology lags behind somewhat from the technological utopia cryogenics heralds… However, as with all revolutionary thinking, there is somebody, somewhere experimenting with the foreign concept and pushing theories into popular systems of thought. These are the people that UK photographer, Murray Ballard has sought out and whose stories feature in Ballard’s first book published this year by GOST: The Prospect of Immortality.
Where Ettinger’s book of the same name introduces the significance of, the then unnamed, cryonics – Murray’s serves as more of an unofficial history, the collective memoirs and journals of those involved.
Nine years and three countries in the making, The Prospect of Immortality is a sizeable yet tightly edited tome of more than 80 photographs that bears the weight of it’s content; the stories of love, desperation, faith, comfort and despair of very mortal humans attempting to covet the ownership of the very last possession any person has. Murray’s work does not glorify cryogenics, nor does it attempt to quash the experimental nature of the processes involved. Ballard remains respectful and inquisitive without forcing any particular views, instead acting more as an interested archivist and allowing the stories to be understood dependent on each individual viewing, making more of an object for discussion instead of the altogether more common religious or scientific propaganda.
Reflecting the title, The Prospect of Immortality, although relentless in its scope and understanding, is not necessarily about the endeavors of Robert Ettinger, or even cryonics in a wider sense. Ballard’s work successfully describes the very human way a group of dedicated people come to terms with the ever-present and universal fear we all have to face.
Published by Gost, The Prospect of Immortality is available in our independent book shop for £35.
Written by Declan Connolly
www.declanconnolly.co.uk
