Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Personality Upgrade

Briane Pagel's newest book, Codes, is out, and he's stopped by to do my work for me offer you this week's "what if?"

Liz has been kind enough to lend me her blog for a day so I can try to drum up publicity for my newest book, Codes, which has been published by Golden Fleece Press.


Codes tells the story of a guy named Robbie, who is the subject of a lot of interest from both a corporation and a disgruntled group of ex-corporate employees.  The corporation has figured out how to clone humans, and download their personalities into computers – and then tweak those personalities to create the perfect employee, or wife, or really anything. The group of ex-employees includes the creator of this technology, who doesn’t want to see it used to benefit a few elite people at the expense of the rest of humanity.  And they’re all trying to find Robbie, without anyone (including Robbie) knowing why he’s so important.

I know Liz has covered human cloning and similar topics in her prior What If? days, but my question is a bit different.  When I was sending Codes around to publishers, I wrote a short story that was sort of a take-off on Blade Runner, (called The Thinking Man’s Blade Runner, which was an inside joke as that was how I’d originally thought of marketing Codes).  In that short story, a man gets a ‘code’ girlfriend, a clone with a computer-programmed personality, and she discovers him one day contacting the company that made her.  She naturally accuses him of wanting to trade her in for a new girlfriend, but that’s not what’s going on at all.

(The entire story is on my website, Thinking The Lions, http://www.thinkingthelions.com, today.)

So here’s my question, related to that story and the idea of Codes in general:

What if you could have your personality modified the same way someone modifies a computer program: what would you change about yourself, given the chance?

Remember, it can be anything: you can erase memories, or add them, make yourself more artistically talented, better at math – or kinder, or tougher, or anything-er.

For me, it’s a hard question.  (Probably for everyone it’s a hard question.) The first things I figured I'd take away – insecurities and worries – are part of what make me myself, and I'm not sure who I'd be without them. But if I had to have it done, I think I'd get rid of the part that cares about what other people think – good or bad.  It’s nice to get compliments, of course, but if I could go through life truly not worrying what people thought about what I did or what I said, I think I'd be better off.  Or would I? No more white lies (because I wouldn't care if I hurt your feelings), no more polite excuses, no more pride when someone says good job? On second thought, maybe I'd just be better off fixing that part of me that can't stop thinking about the leftover slice of pizza in the ‘fridge.

Links:

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianePagel

My blog: Thinking The Lions: http://www.thinkingthelions.com

Buy Codes on 

Golden Fleece Press’ site: http://goldenfleecepress.com/catalog/fiction/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Codes-Briane-Pagel/dp/1942195109

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/codes-briane-pagel/1121816078?ean=9781942195115

16 comments:

  1. Sounds like an interesting book!! Wishing Briane much success with it!! If I could re-program myself I would definitely take worries and fear away, along with anxiety. I think I would also want to program in a bit more love and acceptance; the world definitely could use a bit more of that I think.

    betty

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    1. Yep, we could all use some more love and acceptance.

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  2. Ooh, that sounds interesting. :-)

    If I could modify my personality I think I would up my confidence and social skills. I'd maybe reduce my inclination towards procrastination as well. Otherwise I'm quite happy with myself.

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    1. I think I might have wanted that at one time, too.

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  3. Click: I like the idea of getting rid of procrastination. Maybe I'll do that someday...

    Betty: I'm with you on the love and acceptance, too.

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  4. That's really interesting, I just published a book about personality change too. I don't think it usually ends well. I don't think I'd like to be super confident, but having a bit more faith in myself would be nice.

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  5. is that the "Overcoming Adversity" book? Sounds like a good book for a great cause.

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  6. If I could modify my personality I would eliminate some of my shyness. I would love to be able to walk up to anyone and talk with them, instead of wanting to hide under the nearest table. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. That does, in fact, get easier. At least in my experience.

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  7. Alana -- I'm with you on that. It's hard for people to believe I'm shy but I am. It'd be nice to not have to work to overcome it.

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  8. I think I'd like a modified memory, photographic, perhaps, so that all that knowledge I discover will be forever at my beck and call. A little more motivation might not hurt either...

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  9. I would get rid of some of the fat I have built up so I would no longer have a bif (bum in front). I also would would want to tone down to "beating myself up" that I tend to do often

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  10. That sounds really interesting! And that's a great 'what if'. I'd have to echo Birgit and remove the part of my brain that is intent on beating me up for hours/days/years over the most trivial stuff. It's exhausting and really quite counter-productive. Wouldn't it be nice if it could just be wiped away :)

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  11. Wow, sounds like a great book and potential movie. I'd definitely have more patience wired into my hard drive. The older I get the more snappy and intolerant I get and I wasn't good to start with!

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I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.