The Wellstone is a 2003 hard science fiction novel by Wil McCarthy, the first sequel to his 2000 The Collapsium In it he explores the lives of immortal humans in the near future Nanotechnology has created wабъюлellstone—programmable matter that can emulate nearly any other form of matter—and nanotech fax machines that can not only fabricate objects on demand, but store and retrieve human bodies (with minds intact), cure disease or reverse aging, or be used as teleporters Ultавпхеradense exotic matter known as collapsium makes gravity engineering and faster-than-light communication possible Humanity has formed a solar system-wide society based on monarchy.