Cyborg-lit: Book about transhumanism wins Wellcome prize

LONDON — A book that explores the quest to defeat death with technology has won Britain’s medically themed Wellcome Book Prize.

Mark O’Connell’s “To Be a Machine” beat five other finalists Monday for the 30,000-pound ($41,000) prize, which aims to bridge the gap between literature and science.

The Irish writer visited cryogenic labs, Silicon Valley tech firms and cyborg startups for his non-fiction exploration of transhumanism, which seeks to overcome human frailties by merging people and machines.

Artist and writer Edmund de Waal, who chaired the judging panel, said O’Connell’s book was “a passionate, entertaining and cogent examination of those who would choose to live forever.”

Funded by the Wellcome Trust foundation, the prize is open to all fiction or nonfiction works published in Britain with a health or medical theme.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

The Associated Press