Posts
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Set in our world, spanning the near to distant futures, Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful is a novel made up of six interconnected stories that ask how far we will go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimens, and how hard that will push the definition of "human."
This extraordinary work explores the amazing possibilities of genetic manipulation and life extension, as well as the ethical quandaries that will arise with these advances. The results range from the heavenly to the monstrous. Deeply thoughtful, poignant, horrifying, and action-packed, Arwen Elys Dayton's Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful is groundbreaking in both form and substance.
Review:
Usually, a book of short stories would be having me express mild interest, but I would not start reading. In the case of Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, by Arwen Elys Dayton, I heard a bit about it from an Insta-story of author Amie Kaufman. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), the book became available on my reviewer page of Random House. Well, I am certainly glad I listened to this book. It was thought-provoking, and eerie in its exploration of what the future holds for genetic engineering.
What I Liked:
Format:Each short story has a different narrator and has different settings and characters. But all are interconnected. You know how people will try to win an argument by saying, "If this happens, then something even worse will happen"? You know, the domino effect? Well, that is kind of what this book is like. A scientific breakthrough that occurs in the first story expands the types of medical procedures that can occur, and each subsequent story builds on that to the extreme. I liked this as it compelled the book forward, and built up the suspense as the book reached its ending.
Narration:
Each story has a different narrator and I was impressed by the variety of voices overall in the book. There are stories of confused teens, younger children dealing with the strangeness brought on by adults, and adults who are often too eager to use this new technology to dominate others. Each performer did a commendable job of conveying the uncertainty of each new situation.
Stories:
Each of the six stories is wildly creative. As the novel opens, we learn of a teen who is a twin. His sister and he are both very ill. There is a new medical procedure that will save one sibling. But in order to do it, the other must be sacrificed. My first thought when reading this was, "What terrible parents to even consider this!" But both will die if they do nothing. I, myself, would still not entertain the idea of killing one child to save another. But I'll bet some parents would certainly think about it.
The stories move on from there, exploring more and more what it means to be human. Is it all right to modify our bodies to the point that we don't even look human anymore? Do others have a right to tell us how much we can modify our appearance? What are the unintended consequences of all of these interventions? All of this was riveting to read.
This was a highly entertaining (and often frightening) look at a future I hope never happens.
Rating:
Release Date: December 4th, 2018
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Genre: YA Speculative Fiction
Audio Publisher: Listening Library
Audio Length: 10 Hours, 2 Minutes
Print Publisher: Delacorte Press
Page Length: 384 Pages
Source: Publisher
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: This highly entertaining science fiction book is filled with ethical dilemmas, and characters that will haunt you.
0 comments :
Post a Comment