▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁In sp iration ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁P ohl ' s ▁own ▁experiences ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁volunte er ▁fire ▁department ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁computer ▁time ▁sharing ▁systems , ▁along ▁with ▁adv ances ▁in ▁medicine , ▁such ▁as ▁trans pl ants , ▁ext rap ol ated ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁where ▁anyone ▁with ▁enough ▁money ▁can ▁command ▁huge ▁resources ▁and ▁essentially ▁live ▁forever . ▁There ▁are ▁some ▁unusual ▁social ▁consequences ▁of ▁these ▁adv ances , ▁however . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁Charles ▁Dal gle ish ▁For r ester ▁is ▁rev ived ▁from ▁cry op res ervation ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 5 2 7 , ▁having ▁been ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁fire ▁ 5 0 0 ▁years ▁earlier . ▁Thanks ▁to ▁his ▁ins urance , ▁after ▁the ▁exp enses ▁of ▁his ▁rev ival ▁are ▁paid ▁he ▁has ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁dollars , ▁a ▁fortune ▁in ▁his ▁eyes . ▁He ▁can ▁afford ▁the ▁lux uries ▁of ▁ 2 6 th ▁century ▁life , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁Jo ym aker , ▁a ▁s cep ter - like ▁port able ▁computer ▁terminal ▁with ▁some ▁extra ▁features ▁like ▁a ▁drug ▁disp enser . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁heavy ▁night ▁part ying , ▁with ▁some ▁distant ▁memory ▁of ▁an ▁argument ▁with ▁somebody , ▁he ▁w akes ▁in ▁his ▁new ▁a partment , ▁and ▁over ▁a ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁breakfast , ▁checks ▁in ▁with ▁his ▁Jo ym aker . ▁The ▁Jo ym aker ▁communic ates ▁by ▁voice ,