The Unincorporated Man

by Dani Kollin and Eytan Kollin

Book Overview

The Unincorporated Man is a provocative social/political/economic novel that takes place in the future, after civilization has fallen into complete economic collapse. This reborn civilization is one in which every individual is incorporated at birth, and spends many years trying to attain control over his or her own life by getting a majority of his or her own shares. Life extension has made life very long indeed. Now the incredible has happened:...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765318997
• ISBN13: 9780765318992
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 478 Pages
• Weight: 1.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

On of the best looks at alternative as well as current society make-up.

First I did not buy the dead-tree version I bought the Audible audiobook version, unabridged of course so the book I listened to is verbatim the novel others have read or you will read. I have to begin that is you liked the works of Robert Heinlein, especially Stranger in a Strange Land, you will find this take on societal evolution quite fascinating. If you enjoyed the basic make-up of Heinlein's Friday or the novel Starship Troopers this will be a fun read for you. Last I feel if you found Jennifer Government a fun read/listen, this is a book for you. In fact it is very similar in overall philosophy yet from a much different perspective so it comes across as a fresh take on the Corporate-State sort of society. I am not going to delve into the realm of spoilers but will comment in general. Oh, I also suspect fans of Edward Abbey will enjoy this title as well...Abbey (along with Heinlein) is one of my top five favorite writers of the modern era and possibably of all time. For me this is a group I could not possibly rank in order because I enjoy them all for differing reasons. The book takes a quite novel peek at how we value our individuality and how easily may will trade this for some sense of "security". It does not matter if the security is real or not, we all simply want to feel our lives are indeed secure and under out control, even if through self-delusion or indoctrination by the society in which we are raised. From beginning to end this book held my attention, and very few audiobooks will keep me focused on the book throughout the entire book. This is a completely character driven work with some obvious liberties taken but done in a fashion that it's not a "jump the shark" sort of liberty for any given character. The protagonist is well written and developed, a few liberties are taken of course, as any novel of this sort must take. But the character is consistent, intelligent but far from flawless in the personality created. Most importantly the character evolves as the novel develops and he faces numerous ethical dilemmas the other characters in the novel would never think twice about. Accordingly, each decision to act/not-act results in consequences, most could be anticipated and others one raised on our current societal belief system might never anticipate. It is within these unanticipated results where the real meat of the work reside. For the uninitiated, my comparison to Heinlein was due to Heinlein being a staunch believer in accountability of the individual for their/our own actions as well as accepting that often doing the required thing means great sacrifice as well as accepting when we make a decision we need to make the best decision we can and usually based on incomplete information, but we are still accountable for our own decisions to act or not act, as in capitulate to the needs of the moment even if it's the morally wrong thing to do. But at the same time each of us as individuals must navigate the compl

Page-turner

I enjoyed this book immensely, from the characterizations to the many plot twists. But I would have to say that its best aspect is how creative the authors are in imagining a future world, interdependent in all its parts and internally consistent, that has taken off from ours. Of course, as in all great science fiction, those aspects are simply a way of commenting about our current word. Adding to my own personal enjoyment is that this is the first book I read on my Kindle. Although I did not think the moniker "page turner" would be apropos in that environment, to my delight I find that it absolutely fits.

THE UNINCORPORATED MAN Stretches Beyond the Sci-Fi Genre and Brings a Hauntingly Possible Future to

Imagine this: Asia is obliterated. Space travel is possible. Cars fly (finally!). There is no war. There is no unemployment. And while you are imagining all of this, add in the fact that you are incorporated at birth, and that in order to get a job or an education, you must trade stock of yourself. Imagine also that you likely do not own the majority of your own stock, thus your investors decide where you can work and even where you can live. Is this slavery? Or does it encourage a person to invest in others as a way of improving the whole? That is the question raised in THE UNINCORPORATED MAN. Justin Cord is a brilliant businessman in the early 21st century, and his success is only matched by his sorrow to hear that he has cancer. Using his vast wealth, Justin constructs a cryogenic tomb and freezes himself. When he awakens, slowly coming to realize that the cryogenic act was a success, Justin finds himself 300 years into the future. Although there are cosmetic and some technological changes as one would expect, he is more concerned by the future incorporation of mankind. After being bullied (but refusing) to sign an incorporation agreement, thereby no longer owning himself, Justin becomes a central figure in a sinister and complex political machine in the new incorporated world. THE UNINCORPORATED MAN is a stunning debut. Truly. Forget the genre clichés of laser guns, spaceships, and journeys through black holes and the like. This book is part Heinlein, part Bradbury, and part Asimov. This is no space adventure but a socio-economic envisioning of the future. As such, it would easily fit alongside, say, 1984 or BRAVE NEW WORLD as a chilling and thought-provoking treatise on possible futures. Brothers Dani and Eytan Kollin have crafted a world here that is at times technologically stunning and exciting and sometimes frightening. Throughout the pages of this novel, you will encounter well-detailed environs peopled with wholly lifelike people --- some are wonderful, others are downright villainous. They have deftly designed a book that will have you questioning the economic principles and the very nature of personal freedom and individuality. Even if you are not a fan of science fiction per se, THE UNINCORPORATED MAN stretches beyond that genre and brings a hauntingly possible future to life. --- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

Compelling read!

I saw the Kollin brothers read an excerpt from this book at last year's BayCon and was intrigued enough to pre-order. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book on a couple of levels and found myself discussing the well thought-out economic and social implications of personal incorporation on an almost daily basis before I'd reached the last page. The Unincorporated Man is a great combination of high concept science fiction and hard science extrapolations. This book fits perfectly in my bookcase. It's hard to write one of these without sounding cliche, so let me just end by saying that I had the rare pleasure of looking forward to a sequel after putting the book down. Well worth your time.

Timely Social Commentary and a Great Read

The Kollin brothers take the concept of a corporation as an artificial person and turn it on its head. In their world, everyone is their own corporation and they and others own shares in themselves. The government does not collect taxes, but owns 5% of everyone. When a 300 year old CEO is found in a life pod, they bring him back and in the process disrupt their world. He is not part of their incorporated world - hence the Unincorporated Man. The book works both as great fiction and as an interesting "what if" in how the individual affects others in his culture. It is also an interesting study into the power of both individuals and corporations.