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Age-Decoded
This is the story of Nobel-winning genomicist Dr. Frieda Sengmeuller, who invents "age-decoding" – a genetic engineering method that stops human aging. When age-decoding is rolled out in the year 2053, corrupt Authority leaders secretly use CRISPR technology to remove peoples' "propensity to dissent". They fake Frieda's suicide, containing and tormenting her for two centuries as she is forced to research "reverse-aging". Frieda's daughter Ximena teams up with Authority insider Tavon Brooks to try to rescue her and preserve humanity. This book depicts the scientific and moral challenges our world may face with the expanded use of genetic engineering.
- GenresScience Fiction
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2021
11 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Mark P. Ryall
2 books7 followersMark Ryall recently retired from teaching economics at Hillfield Strathallan College, Hamilton.
The science fiction novel "Age-Decoded" (published March 2021) is Mark's first book. He wrote it to educate himself and the world about the imminent tsunami of genetic engineering technology and its potential impact on mortality and humanity.
Mark's second book, "Run Daughter, Run Father" (published September 2022) is an autobiographical account of the distance running ventures shared by him and his daughter Stephanie. It is loaded with exercise science, training insights, and humorous stories that will appeal to younger and older competitive runners.
Mark represented Canada in the ITU World Triathlon Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2023. He is an avid golfer and snooker player. His education includes a BSc, MBA, and Ph.D.
The science fiction novel "Age-Decoded" (published March 2021) is Mark's first book. He wrote it to educate himself and the world about the imminent tsunami of genetic engineering technology and its potential impact on mortality and humanity.
Mark's second book, "Run Daughter, Run Father" (published September 2022) is an autobiographical account of the distance running ventures shared by him and his daughter Stephanie. It is loaded with exercise science, training insights, and humorous stories that will appeal to younger and older competitive runners.
Mark represented Canada in the ITU World Triathlon Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2023. He is an avid golfer and snooker player. His education includes a BSc, MBA, and Ph.D.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 9, 2022
On addressing the moral challenges of genetic engineering
Lovers of the sci-fi genre know that it is much, much more than spaceships, aliens, blasters, and time travel. Innovative, thoughtful, soft sci-fi is frequently totally earthbound, totally devoid of space and space travel, and simply asks a difficult question that society is almost bound to encounter at some point in its future development. In AGE-DECODED, author Mark P Ryall certainly poses a mean one. What are the philosophical, societal, economic, political and government implications of the development of the genetic engineering ability to halt and reverse aging?
Ryall takes it as a given that government and politicians will act with a sadly predictable right-wing response – that the motivation behind government and political decisions is invariably the mean-spirited, self-interested solidification and retention of power. Beyond that, Ryall addresses both individual and society-wide human responses to the elimination of aging and the virtual elimination of death by anything other than disease. For example (and this is only one of many that Ryall puts forward), AGE-DECODED addresses the rather dreary reality of an enormous leap in the prevalence of suicide as a means of ending a life that no longer has a natural limitation.
An earlier reviewer characterized AGE-DECODED as a “detailed outline for a story that has yet to be written” and “an expositive infodump about the world’s economics and politics”. In one sense, I’m inclined to agree that a significant portion of the novel isn’t novel at all so much as a series of carefully crafted, speculative essays that postulate what might happen to today’s real world society if the switch on natural death and aging could be shut down. But, that said, I would add that many of the world’s greatest sci-fi writers did the same thing with different questions. Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD, Orwell’s 1984, and Asimov’s FOUNDATION, for example, come to mind. Indeed, the comparison between the character, scientist Ahmed Iftikhar whose “most famous work was his mathematical treatise for predicting chaotic aspects of human behavior”, and Asimov’s noted psychohistorian Hari Seldon is hard to miss. The point is that some readers might hope for a tiny bit more focus on plot and story-line but I’m willing to make allowances for the fact that this is Ryall’s debut novel. And it’s a damn fine effort with plenty of meat to chew on. Provocative food for thought, indeed.
Well done, Mr Ryall. I hope that you’ve got it in mind to write a sequel picking up the travails of an ageless society where AGE-DECODED left off.
Paul Weiss
Lovers of the sci-fi genre know that it is much, much more than spaceships, aliens, blasters, and time travel. Innovative, thoughtful, soft sci-fi is frequently totally earthbound, totally devoid of space and space travel, and simply asks a difficult question that society is almost bound to encounter at some point in its future development. In AGE-DECODED, author Mark P Ryall certainly poses a mean one. What are the philosophical, societal, economic, political and government implications of the development of the genetic engineering ability to halt and reverse aging?
Ryall takes it as a given that government and politicians will act with a sadly predictable right-wing response – that the motivation behind government and political decisions is invariably the mean-spirited, self-interested solidification and retention of power. Beyond that, Ryall addresses both individual and society-wide human responses to the elimination of aging and the virtual elimination of death by anything other than disease. For example (and this is only one of many that Ryall puts forward), AGE-DECODED addresses the rather dreary reality of an enormous leap in the prevalence of suicide as a means of ending a life that no longer has a natural limitation.
An earlier reviewer characterized AGE-DECODED as a “detailed outline for a story that has yet to be written” and “an expositive infodump about the world’s economics and politics”. In one sense, I’m inclined to agree that a significant portion of the novel isn’t novel at all so much as a series of carefully crafted, speculative essays that postulate what might happen to today’s real world society if the switch on natural death and aging could be shut down. But, that said, I would add that many of the world’s greatest sci-fi writers did the same thing with different questions. Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD, Orwell’s 1984, and Asimov’s FOUNDATION, for example, come to mind. Indeed, the comparison between the character, scientist Ahmed Iftikhar whose “most famous work was his mathematical treatise for predicting chaotic aspects of human behavior”, and Asimov’s noted psychohistorian Hari Seldon is hard to miss. The point is that some readers might hope for a tiny bit more focus on plot and story-line but I’m willing to make allowances for the fact that this is Ryall’s debut novel. And it’s a damn fine effort with plenty of meat to chew on. Provocative food for thought, indeed.
Well done, Mr Ryall. I hope that you’ve got it in mind to write a sequel picking up the travails of an ageless society where AGE-DECODED left off.
Paul Weiss
March 20, 2021
I thought Age-Decoded was a very intriguing story - and the second half really built to quite the climax!
Though the book is definitely action-packed, I think it also did a really good job of slowing down to thoroughly question not just the societal/political implications of Age-Decoding, but also the personal psychology & philosophy of halting biological aging.
Lastly, I also loved the vivid imagery and description of some elements of the future like the Spectre Societies!
Though the book is definitely action-packed, I think it also did a really good job of slowing down to thoroughly question not just the societal/political implications of Age-Decoding, but also the personal psychology & philosophy of halting biological aging.
Lastly, I also loved the vivid imagery and description of some elements of the future like the Spectre Societies!
March 20, 2021
Age-Decoded is a scary but beautifully written book about what could happen if anti-ageing genetic technology falls into the wrong hands. I found the book immensely engaging to read. It makes one ponder about the future if humanity fails to understand its place in the natural world and governments fail to create ethical laws that govern this type of progress.
May 1, 2021
This is not a story; this is an detailed outline for a story that has yet to be written.
With the exception of about five paragraphs wherein a character actually does something (runs away) - the first six chapters are straight expositive infodump about the world's economics and politics.
At one point, the author abandons even the pretense of any character being involved in the infodump, and simply starts listing off facts about the world's politics that no one in the scene could possibly know - let alone be thinking about.
In the first six chapters there are no less than 3 (three) bulleted lists . One of them is a page-long list of officials - their names and roles - in a meeting. Another is just a list of protocols, spoken by no one, asked-for by no one. (The number of bulleted lists that a novel *should* have is *zero*. People don't talk or think in bulleted lists.)
My opinion on this world-building exercise is that the author should use it as notes against which he should write the story he wanted to write.
With the exception of about five paragraphs wherein a character actually does something (runs away) - the first six chapters are straight expositive infodump about the world's economics and politics.
At one point, the author abandons even the pretense of any character being involved in the infodump, and simply starts listing off facts about the world's politics that no one in the scene could possibly know - let alone be thinking about.
In the first six chapters there are no less than 3 (three) bulleted lists . One of them is a page-long list of officials - their names and roles - in a meeting. Another is just a list of protocols, spoken by no one, asked-for by no one. (The number of bulleted lists that a novel *should* have is *zero*. People don't talk or think in bulleted lists.)
My opinion on this world-building exercise is that the author should use it as notes against which he should write the story he wanted to write.
May 1, 2021
An engaging and suspenseful account of a dystopian future where genetic breakthroughs have enabled immortality but at a price. This novel deals with important issues of the ethics of technology in societies and its impact on power structures and perception. It is told through the lens of likeable characters caught up in strange but seemingly possible future and is well worth a read!
March 28, 2021
Wow...well written, informative, scary and definitely leaves one to think about it. The book is a steady read and build. Characters are so unique and each one has its own dilemma and growth. The author takes the time to explain the science behind the story. A definite good read.
April 16, 2021
What a great debut novel from Mark Ryall. The concept is excellent, the story is well told and builds to a great ending. The character development is well done and makes you want the good guys to succeed. I really enjoyed this book and have recommended it to many others.
March 20, 2021
A wonderfully engaging read for those interested in the future of human genetics.
May 21, 2021
This book was thought-provoking and inciteful. In a world that is forever focused on staying youthful, the future advances in genetics may bring some unexpected outcomes. This is a great read.
October 16, 2022
Author Mark Ryall catapults eager speculative fiction fans directly into the pressing conversations of our time:
(1) What are the ethical, biological, and sociopolitical consequences of the latest advances in genetic engineering; and
(2) Who should decide how and if they should be used?
Age-Decoded is an extensively researched novel exploring how humanity uses the science and technology derived from the far-reaching Human Genome Project to deliver itself from the suffering of aging and death. Successful genetic manipulation does not come without significant consequences, however.
Believable and engaging characters struggle through personal and societal dilemmas in this well-written story spanning two hundred years of Earth's future history. Ryall builds convincing bridges between knowledge, wisdom, and fiction to create the exciting beginning to what promises to be a compelling exploration of the road humanity is travelling.
Well worth reading multiple times ~ highly recommended!
(1) What are the ethical, biological, and sociopolitical consequences of the latest advances in genetic engineering; and
(2) Who should decide how and if they should be used?
Age-Decoded is an extensively researched novel exploring how humanity uses the science and technology derived from the far-reaching Human Genome Project to deliver itself from the suffering of aging and death. Successful genetic manipulation does not come without significant consequences, however.
Believable and engaging characters struggle through personal and societal dilemmas in this well-written story spanning two hundred years of Earth's future history. Ryall builds convincing bridges between knowledge, wisdom, and fiction to create the exciting beginning to what promises to be a compelling exploration of the road humanity is travelling.
Well worth reading multiple times ~ highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews