The False Sophistication of Cynicism

There’s a passage by historian Will Durant that has stuck with me for a long time:

Rome was full of men who had lost their economic footing and then their moral stability... and a shallow sophistication prided itself upon its pessimism and cynicism. This was not a full picture of Rome, but a dangerous disease burning in its blood. — Lessons of History, Will Durant

Here he warns against "the false sophistication of cynicism." It’s easy to look at the future and think the worst. It’s very easy to sink into despondency.

Immortality Is Really Forever is a satire that pokes fun at our obsession with longevity and technology. But at its heart, it’s a rejection of this cynicism. Through the eyes of Matt Sella, we get to see that living forever doesn't necessarily mean you've figured everything out, you’ve just had more time to make more mistakes.

In this book, I wanted to challenge the idea that the future is a bleak, soulless void, until of course it does actually become a bleak soulless void. (!) The future is messy and complicated, but it’s inevitably human, even with AI running around. (metaphorically now, but not so metaphorically later on!) Over time, I’ll be looking into the themes that inspired the writing of this book; from the philosophy of time to the absurdities we encounter in everyday life. That means that everything is on the table, so I hope you’ll visit from time to time to see what’s going on here.

About Robert Laconil

Robert Laconil is a writer and musician, author of the novel Immortality Is Really Forever. His work is defined by four core narrative pillars:

Social Satire / Absurdist Fiction: Exploring the quirks and contradictions of modern and future societies.
Philosophical / Visionary Inquiry: Delving into the deep questions of existence, sentience, and the future of humanity.
Epic / Existential Fiction: Writing that explores the burden of eternal life.
Romance & Isolation: The emotion cost of extreme longevity and the passage of ages.

He is the creator of Immortality Et Al., a platform dedicated to exploring the concept of eternal life through literature, philosophy, and digital media. Through Taylonet Publishing, he is currently bridging the gap between traditional prose and cinematic AI storytelling. This includes the rollout VEO3 videos and shorts of his literary universe, some featuring timeless orchestral scores.

He continues to live and work in NYC with his wife, Abigail. While his Ghost site serves as a personal home for his thoughts and creative projects, his book and related media are published under license by Taylonet Publishing.

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