After months of procrastination, I finally got around to read ‘Lord of Light’, an epic science fiction/fantasy novel by American writer, Roger Zelazny. The timing is good because this coming Friday, we’re having a workshop on Avatar Societies with Mark Meadows as guest lecturer.
‘Lord of Light’ (awarded the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and nominated for a Nebula Award in the same category) is about ‘gods’, their avatars and their epic battles, touching on many points of Hindu and Buddhist teachings. It’s set on a planet colonized by the remaining people of a destroyed “Urath”, Earth. It’s a strange planet occupied by hostile indigenous race. To be able to survive, the crew of the ‘Star of India’ used chemical treatments, biofeedback and electronics to control their minds and manifest superhuman powers. They achieved near-immortality through reincarnation using the growth of new bodies and electronic mind transfer. So these ‘first peoples’ managed to continue controlling the planet by being birthed as different avatars.
An avatar in Hindu philosophy refers to the incarnation or bodily manifestation of a divine being, or the Supreme Being (God) onto planet Earth. The Sanskrit word avatāra-means “descent” (avatarati) and usually implies a deliberate descent into lower realms of existence for special purposes.In the world of information technology and interactive media, avatars most commonly refer to the representation of a user. At the very core, it uses an image or name or a combination of both, residing in an environment which usually allows interaction with other users.At least, that’s what I think.
What do you think? Did you ever stop to think how many ‘avatars’ or representatives of yourself is out there in the brave new world of interactive media?
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