![]() ![]() Following research into biotechnology and cryonics, the conception that not having to die of old age might soon be a medical reality gained popularity-reflected in the non-fiction works The Prospect of Immortality by Robert Ettinger from 1964 and Conquest of Death by Alvin Silverstein from 1979-and since at least the 1980s, there has been a trend of more analytical treatments of immortality in fiction, as well as contes philosophiques. This division continued at least until the 1960s. ![]() Sharp and Damon Knight depicting it as a cause of stagnation. Jones and Laurence Manning writing stories where it presents opportunities and others such as D. By the 1930s, opinions were divided into camps with favourable and unfavourable views on immortality, with authors such as Neil R. Progress in the field of medicine inspired science fiction stories about immortality in the late 1800s and early 1900s most of these took a dim view of the prospect of eternal life but more positive attitudes also appeared. The 1800s also saw several Gothic stories of the downsides of immortality. This story was then reworked over and over again by numerous authors across the centuries, well past the end of the Middle Ages and into the 1800s, with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Alexandre Dumas each making their own version which both remain unfinished. In medieval Europe, the Christian legend of the Wandering Jew emerged, wherein a man is cursed to live forever for a slight against Jesus. In Arthurian literature, Sir Galahad attains immortality through the Holy Grail. Several historical figures have been portrayed as immortals after their deaths, including Nicolas Flamel and the Count of St. ![]() Influenced by Taoist philosophical thought, Chinese fiction has featured immortality since at least the 1500s. Several Greek myths of antiquity depict mortals such as Ganymede and Tithonus being granted everlasting life by the gods. The oldest known fictional account of immortality is also the oldest surviving work of fiction: the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Sumerian tale from c. Immortality is commonly obtained either from supernatural entities or objects such as the Fountain of Youth or through biological or technological means such as brain transplants. This view was challenged in the 20th century by writers such as George Bernard Shaw and Roger Zelazny. For most of literary history, the dominant perspective has been that the desire for immortality is misguided, albeit strong among the posited drawbacks are ennui, loneliness, and social stagnation. Originally appearing in the domain of mythology, it has later become a recurring element in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. The concept has been depicted since the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known work of fiction. Immortality is a common theme in fiction. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the earliest known appearance of the concept of immortality in fiction. Immortality applied as an element in works of fiction ![]()
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