Scan barcode
A review by jenpaul13
Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton
4.0
With advancing science able to extend and improve the lives of humans through artificial means, the distinction of what is "natural" arises within Arwen Elys Dayton's Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Starting more in a contemporary setting with innovative methods of saving a boy's life by using his dying sister's organs to a more far-reaching future where people are separated by type to preserve a purity of genetic material for those who wish to continually modify themselves, this collection of six stories demonstrates the changes people are willing to make and accept to their bodies. Exploring what constitutes being human, this anthology of loosely related tales offers a glimpse into what could be while cautioning against abusing the possibilities presented by developing technologies.
Provoking deeper thought about what should be done instead of simply what could be done, this collection of stories offers a haunting caution for how humanity is both recognizable and could become horribly unrecognizable as technology advances. With a brief look into each of the six epochs presented, the seemingly exponential progression of technology and the ability to incorporate it into the human body consumes a larger portion of the narrative, relegating the human aspects to the sideline as more of an afterthought, which demonstrates the priorities of those within the stories. While a general sense of setting is established across the six tales that are connected by the presence of a single character threaded, majorly or minorly, throughout the narratives, the latter stories in the anthology are weaker in establishing details of the setting, background for terminology, and rules governing the world, adding an element of disjointedness to the collective.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Starting more in a contemporary setting with innovative methods of saving a boy's life by using his dying sister's organs to a more far-reaching future where people are separated by type to preserve a purity of genetic material for those who wish to continually modify themselves, this collection of six stories demonstrates the changes people are willing to make and accept to their bodies. Exploring what constitutes being human, this anthology of loosely related tales offers a glimpse into what could be while cautioning against abusing the possibilities presented by developing technologies.
Provoking deeper thought about what should be done instead of simply what could be done, this collection of stories offers a haunting caution for how humanity is both recognizable and could become horribly unrecognizable as technology advances. With a brief look into each of the six epochs presented, the seemingly exponential progression of technology and the ability to incorporate it into the human body consumes a larger portion of the narrative, relegating the human aspects to the sideline as more of an afterthought, which demonstrates the priorities of those within the stories. While a general sense of setting is established across the six tales that are connected by the presence of a single character threaded, majorly or minorly, throughout the narratives, the latter stories in the anthology are weaker in establishing details of the setting, background for terminology, and rules governing the world, adding an element of disjointedness to the collective.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.