A glimpse of a future that may be right around the corner
Dan is an ordinary guy, scrambling to make a living, when a voice from the future asks for his help. He finds himself transported to a technological wonderland where everyone's dreams can come true no matter how many or how bizarre. But having been driven by a pandemic into total physical distancing, the tradeoff is absolute transparency. Every thought is monitored and manipulated. Could this ultimate panopticon destroy the one thing that makes us human?
A novel like no other, brimming with current scientific findings in fields like AI, biotech, quantum computing, and robotics. We are right there with Dan as he struggles to decide which vision of the future he believes in. Will he be able to think the unthinkable, make the impossible possible, turn a hopeless situation into a solvable problem? Can he find the ultimate catch-42?
"You would make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her decks? I pray you excuse me. I have no time to listen to such nonsense."
—Napoleon Bonaparte, 1803
"There must be portions of the human frame that will ever remain sacred from [the knife's] intrusion – at least, in the surgeon's hand. That we question."
—Sir John Eric Erichsen (president of The Royal College of Surgeons of England), 1873
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
—Thomas Watson (Chairman and CEO of IBM), 1943
Traveling through history, humanity has carried with it innumerable misconceptions. We have at time been stuck in intellectual dead ends for thousands of years. The most respected experts have been wrong in their own fields time and time again. Why would this be different today, in a world that is transforming faster than ever before?
I am among those who believe the digital age has just begun, and that in our thinking about technology, the world is still flat.
We are moving towards fundamental tipping points. Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, biotechnology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics are converging in many different ways, a small step forward in one field might lead to a breakthrough in another. Things could suddenly move very, very fast.
Our traditional ways of thinking are not suited to today's new universe that we are about to enter. Galileo, Newton, Einstein and company knew that the old ways of thinking would not suffice. They were ahead of their time and introduced radical ideas that led to quantum leaps in our knowledge of the world, in our imaginations, and in the possibilities for the future.
The world's population has almost quadrupled in the last hundred years, while the number of students going to university has increased more than four hundred fold. Does it not make sense that there will soon be more geniuses like Einstein? More polymaths like Galileo who will come up with ideas that will turn our understanding of our world upside down with one brilliant idea? More Newtons who will take us to crucial tipping points, not only in terms of science and technology, but also in our values and how our societies work—in our entire way of life.
Will this progress help to solve the most critical questions of our time? Will it enable us to build bridges that will close gaps between rich and poor, black and white, men and women, young and old? Or will it make society worse? Are we headed towards a utopian or a dystopian future?
Many of the questions and challenges we face know no borders. As the world moves forward at a faster pace than ever before, will we be able to reach a global agreement on ethical and moral standards? Or will just a few countries and small elites control the entire world and all its resources?
One of humanity's greatest strengths is its imagination. Nevertheless, we simply cannot envision many things. We would love to answer all the questions right away, but we just do not know how. In a radically changing world, the answers are not as simple as yes or no, true or false, black or white; there are countless shades of grey. These questions are usually not about what we know but what we believe.
For years, I have wanted to write a book that addressed these types of thoughts and questions. Until now, I not have time to take on this passion project. I was busy 24/7 running a digital-marketing agency that I founded with my eldest brother. We sold the business in 2017, and I left the company at the end of 2018, closing that chapter of my life. I took a one-year sabbatical to travel the world with my wife and our two children. I also wanted to think about the future and what I wanted to do with my new life.
I visited creative hotspots and benefitted from fascinating conversations with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and other inspiring people. All of this helped me to hone the idea of this book. In what you are about to read, you will see plenty of references to places my family and I visited and people we met during our journey.
We returned home in February 2020, just before Covid-19 began to change the world significantly. This extraordinary stroke of fate influenced some of what I had been thinking about, and added new ideas to my initial concept for this book.
The Covid-19 crisis showed that what used to be unimaginable could become routine within just a couple of days. This led to questions like: What type of changes might be possible if something even more momentous than the Covid-19 pandemic occurred? How long would it take for humanity to learn its lessons? Will this ever happen?
In human history, wars and crises have often led to fantastic inventions that turned tragic events into the beginnings of better, more prosperous times. With the possibilities inherent in today's technology, the widespread level of education, and all the knowledge we have accumulated on a global scale, future challenges could provide the necessary conditions necessary for an unprecedented explosion of innovation. Crises to come could be the starting point for a new era that transforms society and the world in ways we haven't yet imagined.
This book is not intended as a scientific, fact-based prediction about our future. Instead of writing another specialist book about technology, transhumanism, or posthumanism, I wanted to combine some challenging facts, developments, and ideas from today's world with utopian, dystopian, and science fictional elements to create a fascinating and entertaining story. I also want to encourage as many people as possible to think—from radical new perspectives—how humanity, technology, the economy, and our society might develop in the future. Even better, I want people to think about how they want our world to change, and how each of us can contribute our tiny piece to the larger picture—keeping in mind, of course, that all we really know is how little we know.
Finally, I hope that the experiences I had and the know-how I gained during my "old life" have helped me create a thrilling story that you will enjoy exploring, a story that fires your imagination, and a story that perhaps makes you think about some of the fundamental questions of our time.
We added some new letters to the alphabet of life. Catch-42 turns these new letters into a fascinating story about technology, our society, and future.
Greg Verdino
Futurist, Author of "Never Normal"
In Catch-42, Felix Holzapfel spins his deep understanding of today's most important technology trends into a gripping narrative about choice, ethics, and the nature of humanity—and shows us that the future will truly be what we make it.
Michael Fulton
Academic Director of Digital Executive Education at The Ohio State University
Creative, inventive, an enjoyable read. Stretched my thinking with an outstanding understanding of emerging technologies and what's possible today, coupled with a futuristic mindset that challenges the reader to explore what's real and what's right.
M. Sean Coleman
Author of "Netwars: The Code"
Like it or not, technology will rapidly change our world. Catch-42 demonstrates why it is so important that all of us get involved in the decision-making process that is nearly upon us.
Idris Mootee
Entrepreneur, Investor, AI evangelist
A breathtaking mix of science, technology, and philosophy. The result: A fascinating story with a daring and thought-provoking look into the future of humankind.
Brett Greene
Founder, New Tech Northwest
Catch-42 is not a classic page-turner but a demanding idea-turner. The novel covers many trending topics and important current questions. You might need some time to read it, but it's worth every second.
About the author
Felix Holzapfel is a successful entrepreneur and thought leader in digital transformation. He had the privilege to support many global players on their way into the digital age. While he has published several books about technology, trends, and the shift in our media landscape, Catch-42 is Felix's first novel—and a book he has wanted to write for a long time. After selling his digital marketing agency to one of the world's leading IT services providers, he now has time for this type of passion project.
Today, I received an endorsement for my book from one of my favorite TED Speakers, Floyd E. Romesberg. Hopefully, more feedback along those lines will follow soon.
Catch-42 will be published as E-book and paperback. The first edition of the Advance Reading Copy (ARC) is only available as an E-book. I'm looking forward to your request.