The anti-human religion of Transhumanism

The anti-human religion of Transhumanism

Author: Damien Walter June 9, 2022 Duration: 1:28:23
Transhumanism makes grand claims about the future of humankind, from genetic engineering and artificial wombs to immortality and uploading humanity to the cloud. Lead by pseudo-scientific thinkers like Ray Kurzeil, Transhumanism has become a popular ideology among Silicon Valley tech leaders including Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. In recent years it has also become the focus of conspiracy theorists from Anti-Vaxxers to Qanon, who claim the ultimate goal of the "global elite" is to turn humans into post-humans. The truth is that Transhumanism is a fantasy born in the pages of science fiction. While authors like Bruce Sterling and William Gibson warned against the terrors of Transhumanism, today's Transhumanists see it as an inevitability, and have transformed the fantasy of Transhumanism into an anti-human religion. 00:00:00 The Torment Nexus 00:01:34 Welcome to the Science Fiction podcast 00:04:06 Beyond our ape brained meat-sacks - a profile of Elise Bohan 00:08:23 We are in a time between worlds & Transhuman conspiracy theories 00:13:14 Understanding Transhumanism as narrative, storytelling and modern mythos 00:19:15 ONE - Transhumanism is Utopian 00:24:06 TWO - Transhumanism assumes fundamental change 00:26:00 THREE - Transhumanism is a pseudo-science 00:29:34 FOUR - Transhumanism is a religious vision of transcendence 00:34:38 FIVE - Transhumanism is authoritarian 00:39:12 SIX - Transhumism wants to liberate us from our human bodies 00:44:38 SEVEN - Transhumanism is science fiction 00:48:04 EIGHT - Transhumanism believes technology is the force of progress 00:51:40 NINE - Transhumanism devalues the human 00:55:58 TEN - "We're building God you know." 01:06:53 ELEVEN - Transhumanism is a power structure 01:13:01 TWELVE - Transhumanism is dystopian 01:16:20 THIRTEEN - Transhumanism is anti-humanism Beyond Our Ape Brained Meat Sacks - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/04/beyond-our-ape-brained-meat-sacks-can-transhumanism-save-our-species Jonathan Rowson on Zak Stein and our time between worlds - https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Rowson/status/1532318004071084034 Follow the the Science Fiction podcast and become a member https://damiengwalter.com/podcast/ Advanced Scifi & Fantasy Writing https://damiengwalter.com/advanced-scifi-and-fantasy/ The Rhetoric of Story https://damiengwalter.com/the-rhetoric-of-story/ Join the discussion on the Science Fiction community https://www.facebook.com/groups/324897304599197

Damien Walter has spent years thinking about how the future shapes our present, and in his Science Fiction podcast, he shares those conversations. Rather than just reviewing books or films, this series digs into the ideas that make the genre so vital, using it as a unique lens to examine everything from current technology and social change to ancient myths and human psychology. Each episode feels like a thoughtful discussion with a well-read friend, one who can draw a line from classic novels to the latest TV series with ease. You’ll hear analysis of stories that predicted our world, explorations of how fictional futures reflect our deepest anxieties and hopes, and considerations of why certain narratives endure. Walter’s background as a writer and storyteller informs a approach that is both accessible and deeply insightful, making connections across the arts, science, and popular culture. This isn't about escapism; it's about using the imaginative tools of science fiction to better understand the reality we're all living in. For anyone who finds themselves wondering about the world that's coming next, this podcast offers a compelling and regular dose of perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 88

Science Fiction
Podcast Episodes
Kim Stanley Robinson | Interstellar travel is a religious fantasy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:19
Science fiction is fighting a doctrinal war. Between those who believe that humankind's future is still the stars, and those - like Kim Stanley Robinson - who believe interstellar travel is a fantasy of religious belief.…
The failure of Foundation is a lost opportunity for Apple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:15
Stories that last through the ages aren't just great storytelling, they also serve the power structures of their time. Powerful people have always patronised great stories. The epic poem Beowulf, The Divine Comedy of Dan…
Thoughts after watching Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:42
If science fiction is a gateway to the psychedelic, then DUNE is a portal to...awakening. Frank Herbert's seminal novel and David Lynch's baroquely weird movie are both powerful works of art on the theme of human awakeni…
The true meaning of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:46
It's more than a little ironic that the motion picture widely called the greatest science fiction story ever told was made by an artist who hated science fiction. Stanley Kubrick thought science fiction was a failure at…
There Is No Antimemetics Division – an interview with Qntm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:45
It's logical that the best science fiction being written today has its origins online and in collaborative forums. There Is No Antimemetics Division began life as part of the SCP Foundation wiki, a collaborative writing…
What is science fiction? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:51
Look at a list of the 20th century's most important artistic and cultural movements and you won't find science fiction listed. Why not? We need a better definition of science fiction to help reclaim it...from itself. Fol…