A world of designer drugs of viruses, bacteria, gut microflora, hormones and pheromones and neurotransmitters; leveraging the interaction of mind and body, the idea of a static personality becomes obsolete, identity itself re-constructable. Influencer personalities spread like memes. "The self" as a choice which most reject.
Oh my god, this is an amazing idea. Scratches all the PKD itchy spots I have!
ReplyDeletePKD was a big inspiration on me for sure. I wasn't consciously thinking of him when I wrote this but I can definitely see what you mean, thanks :)!!!
DeleteBeen on fire with these micro-fictions recently! This one hits in particular - when I first came across Eclipse Phase, I thought the psychosurgery rules/fluff were some of the most evocative and interesting elements in the entire game, but that interest waned when I soured on the hard (pseudo-)Cartesian dualism baked into the concept as written. This is a *much* more interesting take on the idea of tailoring personality through craft.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I haven't read Eclipse Phase but ya that doesn't surprise me haha.
DeleteThis is a terrifying glimpse of something that is far too close. I mentioned this before but in the age of mass media we really already do this. I think of Para social relationships with streamers and KPop fans
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the instinct to find this terrifying or dystopic, I take a somewhat more neutral perspective on it. There's certainly a version of it that is existentially barbaric, but it's kind of just an extrapolation of human behavior as it is and has always been, except on a larger scale, and that's only a bad thing to the extent that one finds humanity itself terrifying. There will be people who allow their personalities to be subsumed, but maybe that's what they want. There will also be people who become monolithic personalities. Or others that are small and in their own corner, quietly doing all sorts of amazing things. And others doing it not so quietly.
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