The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

A Novel by Roger Williams

Updated November 2011...
Please update your bookmarks.

I am grateful to Rusty Foster and the folks of Kuro5hin for talking me into putting my novel on the web, and especially to Rusty for hosting it in those days when most hosts that didn't cost a fortune would have folded when Slashdot reviewed it. Tens of thousands of people have read the story I once gave up on because getting it published seemed impossible.

There is still a sequel in the oven. Really! One of the reasons I asked Rusty to forward the old link to this new domain is so that I might be able to do something different, like serializing the sequel. Plans are still in the air but the thing is, the reason this site never got updated very much is that I had to email changes to Rusty because I didn't have direct access to the site.

I'm still figuring out exactly what I will do with it. But it will be something.

In the best possible future, there will be
no war, no famine, no crime,
no sickness, no oppression,
no fear, no limits, no shame...
...and nothing to do.

This online novel contains strong language and extreme depictions of acts of sex and violence. Readers who are sensitive to such things should exercise discretion.

The "Jacket Copy"

Lawrence had ordained that Prime Intellect could not, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. But he had not realized how much harm his super-intelligent creation could perceive, or what kind of action might be necessary to prevent it.
Caroline has been pulled from her deathbed into a brave new immortal Paradise where she can have anything she wants, except the sense that her life has meaning.
Now these two souls are headed for a confrontation which will force them to weigh matters of life and death before a machine that can remake -- or destroy -- the entire Universe.

License and Rights
It's free off the Web, but it's still copyrighted. Click here to read the annoying disclaimers and find out exactly what rights I am giving away.

Read It Online
The complete text of The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect online, courtesy of kuro5hin.org.

Podcast Interview
On August 20, 2006 author Roger Williams was interviewed by Cameron Reilly of The Podcast Network for his regular podcast radio show GDAY WORLD!!!. In this hour long interview we talk about my background, the origin and ideas behind this book, the Singularity, life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and why it's taking me so long to write the sequel.

How It Was Written
This is a strange book in many ways, but so is the story of how it came to exist. (Some spoilers)

The Tech
A discussion of the technology and cosmology of the novel. (Lots of spoilers)

The Singularity
A discussion of the how the ideas in the novel intersect with modern Singularity theory. (Beaucoup spoilers) (and link finally fixed)

Tip Jar
It may be crass, but nothing says "that was a great novel, man" like money.

Dead Tree Project
If you would like a bound, printed copy of this novel, those are now available thanks to Print On Demand publisher Lulu.com. (Updated)

.ZIP Archive
Download this entire site, including the novel and all bonus material, as a convenient .ZIP archive (302K).

Other Stuff Online
Writing as localroger, Roger Williams has contributed a number of stories to the community-edited news site kuro5hin.org. (Updated)

E-Mail the Author

If you liked this book and you want more Prime Intellect, be sure to check out A Casino Odyssey in Cyberspace which is a short story set in the Prime Intellect universe.

I am working on a sequel. It will be called The Transmigration of Prime Intellect, and it is about half complete. I had been planning to finish it long ago, but there have been distractions. (Among other things, I live near New Orleans. I'm all right, but the whole hurricane situation is kind of distracting.) I am still planning to resume work on it though, and hope to finish it ~~by early 2007~~ (what happened).

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