“After forty long years Dan Williams leaves his Congo exile, only to discover that the civilization of 1973 is facing its greatest crisis – and presents a deadlier threat than the lawless jungle!” [Prologue to the featured novel]
The authoritarian world of the future is controlled by scientists, and “Enslaved Brains” is a tale of humanity rising up against them. Eugenics laws control breeding, and the brains of the dead are reactivated to run machinery. The story was originally published in the July-September 1934 issue of “Wonder Stories,” and later reprinted in the Winter 1951 issue of “Fantastic Story Quarterly.”
The premise that dead brains can somehow be reactivated to operate machinery is such a wild concept and a bit chilling. It was certainly ahead of its time back in 1934. Given what we now know about AI and neural networks, I can even imagine an AI developer pitching the idea: “Why mimic the brain with expensive neural networks when you can use the real thing?” Let’s hope the idea remains firmly in the realm of science fiction!
Author Eando Binder is a pseudonym of the brothers Earl Binder (1904-1963) and Otto Binder (1911-1974).
[Note: Predecessor of "Donovan's Brain," "Robocop," and other tall tales.]