Macrolife

infobox Book |
name = Macrolife: A Mobile Utopia


image_caption = First-edition cover
author = George Zebrowski
cover_artist = Rick Sternbach
country = United States
language = English
series = Macrolife
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Harper & Row
release_date = May 1979
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 284 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-06-014792-X
(First edition, hardback)
followed_by = Cave of Stars (1999)

Macrolife: A Mobile Utopia is a 1979 science fiction novel by American author George Zebrowski.

Plot introduction

By 2021, Earth's nations are at (relative) peace, and even the erstwhile poorer nations are beginning to enjoy stable political and economic regimes. The invention of a super-strong material named "Bulerite" is partially responsible for this, which enables Earth to, at last, initiate a burgeoning space industry. However, events unfold which result in the first "Macrolife" colony leaving the solar system for the nearer stars.

Explanation of the novel's title

Scientist Dandridge M. Cole originated the term "Macro Life" in his 1961 book "The Ultimate Human Society", though the idea of using asteroids as mobile "societal containers" is a common theme in science, and science fiction.

Cole defined "Macro Life" as "life squared per cell", ie "Macro Life is to man what man is to the cell". Zebrowski, in the novel, regards Macrolife as an open-ended, expansive union of organic, cybernetic and machine intelligences (human and alien) with spacefaring as its means of dissemination.

Plot summary

The novel is split into three main sections.

(I) Sunspace: 2021 ... The "Bulero" family/corporation, inventors and marketers of "Bulerite" which is used to build the huge cities which house the Earth's (and colonies) teeming millions, are at the pinnacle of their influence and wealth. Unfortunately, it is discovered - too late - that the substance is inherently flawed, in that after a time it destabilizes and self-destructs with spectacular results. Gradually, all the Bulerite on Earth, and that on and in the space colonies throughout the solar system becomes unstable, causing destruction and megadeath.

The Bulero family manages to escape to "Asterome", an orbiting colony situated inside a hollowed-out asteroid at the Moon's L5 point. Eventually, a means of providing Asterome with propulsion is discovered - necessary, as it becomes clear that there is so much Bulerite on Earth it is creating an expanding field of energy that could encompass the entire inner system. Asterome finally manages to leave the solar system, heading for Alpha Centauri, the nearest star.

(II) Macrolife: 3000 ... A thousand years later, Asterome has grown by adding concentric layers of shells around itself, and is now host to millions of humans and "Humanity II" cybernetic organisms.

The invention of engines that can surpass the speed of light has made it possible for the colony to explore far and wide; the second part finds them studying a planet orbiting the star Praesepe over 500 light years away. John Bulero, a young clone of one of the original Bulero's, decides to see what life is like on a planet, and lives for a while amongst the natives, descendants of a human colony that has reverted back to savagery. His experiences, while tragic, enable him to grow as an individual.

Eventually, Asterome travels back to the solar system to see how events there have unfolded. Their arrival coincides with the first time humans meet an intelligent alien species which is itself experimenting with Macrolife, and, together, the species begin a process of intermingling and further expansion into the universe.

(III) The Dream of Time ... A hundred billion years have passed, and Macrolife is now the dominant culture throughout the universe, which is, at this stage, beginning to contract into its final death throes. Most life is in the form of a "Hyperpersonal Aggregate"; an amalgam of individuals of all kinds. The aggregate re-individualizes John Bulero again, to help them solve the problem of how Macrolife can survive beyond the death of the Universe. Eventually, they discover many Macrolife survivors from many previous cycles of the universe, who help them to conquer time itself.

Characters in "Macrolife"

*Richard Bulero : Central character.
*Jack Bulero : Richard's father, head of Bulero Enterprises.
*Janet Bulero : Richard's mother.
*Samuel Bulero : Richard's uncle
*Orton Blackfriar : lawyer ; Governor of New Mexico.
*Margot Toren : Richard's girlfriend, later wife.
*John Bulero : Clone of Samuel Bulero.
*Rob Wheeler : John Bulero's exemplar.
*Anulka : John Bulero's wife on the planet "Lea".
*Tomas Blakfar : "Lean" descendant of the Blackfriar family.

Major themes

Throughout the novel, the author makes the point that planet-based civilizations are doomed to failure, as resources are too limited, populations tend to outgrow the resources, and there is no way for those who wish to rebel against the society they are part of to express themselves safely. Only spacefaring cultures can escape this fate, Zebrowski seems to be saying.

Follow ups

Several other books have been written to take place in the same fictional world:
*"Transfigured Night" and "Wayside World", two novelettes published in 1978, are "set in the planned Macrolife mosaic of short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels". "Wayside World" (part of a shared-universe project generated by Poul Anderson) was also the name of a chapter in the novel.
*"In the Distance, and Ahead in Time" a Macrolife novelette, was published in Amazing Stories in 1993. It was also the title of his 10-story short-story collection of 2002 (ISBN 0-7862-4687-1).
*In 1999, Zebrowski wrote "Cave of Stars", set in the same universe as "Macrolife" (though not a sequel).

Links

* [http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/alt/projects/zebrowski/ Author's homepage]
* [http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/intzebrowski.htm "Infinity Plus" interview with author]
* [http://www.philosophyinc.com/beyond/index.htm Scans from Dandridge Cole's "Beyond Tomorrow"]
* [http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/2000/ben0002.htm Essay by author and Gregory Benford on "SFsite"]

Reviews

* [http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2006/02/macrolife_a.shtml Strange Horizons]
* [http://www.concatenation.org/frev/macrolife.html Concatenation]
* [http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/289.html SFF World]
* [http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/articles/books/2006/nz10061.php SF CrowsNest]

Release details

*1979, USA, Harper & Row (ISBN 0-06-014792-X), Pub date ? ? 1979, hardback (First edition)
*1980, UK, Orbit / Futura Pubns (ISBN 0-7088-8060-6), Pub date ? May 1980, paperback
*1981, USA, Avon (ISBN 0-380-55483-6), Pub date ? ? 1981, paperback
*1990, USA, Easton Press (ISBN ?), Pub date ? ? 1990, hardback
*2006, USA, Pyr (ISBN 1-59102-340-8), Pub date 2 January 2006, hardback
*2006, USA, Pyr (ISBN 1-59102-341-6), Pub date 2 January 2006, paperback