ABSTRACT
The Netflix show Altered Carbon presents a dystopic future where human consciousness is stored in an implanted device called a stack. The Catholic Church, however, believes people should only have one life, and re-sleeving prevents people from getting into heaven. Law enforcement, on the other hand, wants to embrace this technology to give a voice to victims. A proposed law called “Resolution 653” would allow police to talk to murder victims, so they can identify their murders. Death is treated with great ambiguity, with “real death” being reserved for the destruction of a stack, but family members can be spun up again to celebrate the Day of the Dead. This chapter explores why people seek out the dead, for truth, justice, and celebration. It also examines how speaking with the dead complicates or problematizes our understanding of what death is and issues raised by this ambiguity.
