The Metamorphosis Of Prime Intellect

Author: Roger Williams

The only thing missing from making this the perfect cocktail of naughty adult pursuits is some drug taking, because there is enough sex and violence to keep everyone's inner animal satiated. This should come with a warning: not for the weak or faint of heart as it starts off with the madness of mass suicide, brutal sex scenes and mutilation. This is not without reason: the novella explores the nature of human desire and how technology can be used to achieve this desire. Roger Williams, a computer programmer from New Orleans, wrote this novella in 1994. While it sexually graphic and violent, it deals with powerful issues of artificial intelligence capabilities, following the story of an uber-intelligent supercomputer that discovers a way to rewrite reality whilst studying quantum physics and creates an era of a technological singularity. The novella moves between two periods in time - the earlier where the supercomputer "Prime Intellect" was created by Lawrence, and 600 years later where humans live in elaborate fantasy worlds. It focuses on Caroline, the 37th oldest human who plays a sport called "Death Jockeying", which is as painful and final as it sounds, though the humans are brought back to life immediately by Prime Intellect. Bound by its programming, Prime Intellect interprets this first law of robotics by eliminating disease and imperfections, making society immortal. To satisfy the Second Law of satisfying human desires, it allows minor violations of the First Law. To more easily fulfill human desires and prevent harm, it introduced the "Change", where Prime Intellect has complete control over all aspects of the environment. Learning more about Prime Intellect, Caroline confronts its creator, and they bring about the fall of the technological singularity. It's been called one of the most important pieces to deal with the idea of a technological singularity, and a sequel called "the Transmigration of Prime Intellect" is underway.