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Seeing Forever
"In this quiet but far-reaching thriller, author McCarter explores the essence of what it means to be human... Sci-fi as it should be: engaging, moving, and grand in scope." - Kirkus Review
A life worth living?
Paul Cruz is no longer human. He's a Singular, his consciousness technological, no longer biological. He was there at the beginning and helped ensure the survival of all the Singulars. Free from the limits of flesh and blood, he wanted to live forever, but now that he's lost what he cares about the most, forever is too long, much too long.
After suspending himself for decades he is about to enter a virtual world called "Home" to take one last look around. But Home is not what he expected and what he finds will change everything.
When is forever too long?
From Robert J. McCarter, author of Shuffled Off: A Ghost's Memoir, comes an unforgettable sci-fi novel of life, loss, and love beyond the biological.
A life worth living?
Paul Cruz is no longer human. He's a Singular, his consciousness technological, no longer biological. He was there at the beginning and helped ensure the survival of all the Singulars. Free from the limits of flesh and blood, he wanted to live forever, but now that he's lost what he cares about the most, forever is too long, much too long.
After suspending himself for decades he is about to enter a virtual world called "Home" to take one last look around. But Home is not what he expected and what he finds will change everything.
When is forever too long?
From Robert J. McCarter, author of Shuffled Off: A Ghost's Memoir, comes an unforgettable sci-fi novel of life, loss, and love beyond the biological.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2018
36 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. McCarter
101 books70 followersRobert J. McCarter is the author of seven novels, three novellas, and dozens of short stories. He is a finalist for the Writers of the Future Contest and his stories have appeared or are forthcoming in The Saturday Evening Post, Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, Fiction River, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, and numerous anthologies.
His latest effort is a serialized novel called Woody and June Versus the Apocalypse, a story of adventure and love and taking things (even the apocalypse) in stride. Of his novel, Seeing Forever, Kirkus Reviews says, “Sci-fi as it should be: engaging, moving, and grand in scope.”
He lives in the mountains of Arizona with his amazing wife and his ridiculously adorable dog.
Find out more at RobertJMcCarter.com
His latest effort is a serialized novel called Woody and June Versus the Apocalypse, a story of adventure and love and taking things (even the apocalypse) in stride. Of his novel, Seeing Forever, Kirkus Reviews says, “Sci-fi as it should be: engaging, moving, and grand in scope.”
He lives in the mountains of Arizona with his amazing wife and his ridiculously adorable dog.
Find out more at RobertJMcCarter.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 23, 2018
Need more.
Loved this book. Hope you explore and create several more branches to this wonderful original masterpiece. I want, I need to live forever.
Loved this book. Hope you explore and create several more branches to this wonderful original masterpiece. I want, I need to live forever.
March 6, 2018
If you could live forever, in some form or another, would you? I honestly don't know, but I think this book from Robert McCarter is somewhat of a cautionary tale about just that question.
The author says in the afterword of the book that stories surprise him all the time. Me too. Being a big fan of his ghost series ("Shuffled Off" ( "A Ghosts Memoir" being the first in the series), I thought I knew what to expect and when the author offered me an ARC of Seeing Forever I jumped on it.
Again, as with his other works that lean toward Science Fiction this was very reminiscent to me of the authors I grew up reading. Robert Heinlein and Issac Asimov for example.
This new book is something completely different. It turned out to also be a great book. I loved the premise and I grew to like the main character although at the beginning it was difficult to. I guess the only complaint I would have about it and honestly it's no different than complaints I have about other books, it would be that I feel like a little more backstory might have helped me get into it sooner and give me a better feel for the main character.
But, having said that I really enjoyed this book and I'm hoping that perhaps there might be a sequel at some point in the future.
Give this book a try and go into it with your mind wide open. I think you'll be glad you did.
The author says in the afterword of the book that stories surprise him all the time. Me too. Being a big fan of his ghost series ("Shuffled Off" ( "A Ghosts Memoir" being the first in the series), I thought I knew what to expect and when the author offered me an ARC of Seeing Forever I jumped on it.
Again, as with his other works that lean toward Science Fiction this was very reminiscent to me of the authors I grew up reading. Robert Heinlein and Issac Asimov for example.
This new book is something completely different. It turned out to also be a great book. I loved the premise and I grew to like the main character although at the beginning it was difficult to. I guess the only complaint I would have about it and honestly it's no different than complaints I have about other books, it would be that I feel like a little more backstory might have helped me get into it sooner and give me a better feel for the main character.
But, having said that I really enjoyed this book and I'm hoping that perhaps there might be a sequel at some point in the future.
Give this book a try and go into it with your mind wide open. I think you'll be glad you did.
March 25, 2018
In Seeing Forever, Robert McCarter explores the question of immortality and whether one really should, if one could, live forever. It's a question that most of us think about over our lifetime. The author takes us on a fascinating journey examining that very subject. What is life? What makes if worth living? Is a consciousness a life? And when is enough enough? This is a book that will leave you thinking. I'm a huge fan of Mr. McCarter's Shuffled Off series and while this book is a little harder to read because of some of the tech in it, I still highly recommend it for the thought provoking it causes.
March 20, 2018
Very unique...definitely a book that leaves you thinking “What If “
July 9, 2018
Good insights for post-biological life
I found this to be insightful as to what "life" might be like after becoming free of our "meat" bodies. One area was overlooked, except for one character, and that was that our intellect would no longer be restrained by the processing power in one human brain. We could draw more and more resources as needed and become super-brains, with IQs immeasurable on the human scale! How that story could be written when the author is limited to one 3 pound brain is problematic.
I found the homosexual relationship between the two main characters off-putting. Yes, that makes me "network biased", and I admit it. It was well handled and not too graphic. Undoubtedly, there would be some "gender bending" once people were freed from the accident of their birth.
I only have 4 stars because 5 stars is damn near perfect, and while this was a good story it was not perfect. It still needs proofing for instance.
I found this to be insightful as to what "life" might be like after becoming free of our "meat" bodies. One area was overlooked, except for one character, and that was that our intellect would no longer be restrained by the processing power in one human brain. We could draw more and more resources as needed and become super-brains, with IQs immeasurable on the human scale! How that story could be written when the author is limited to one 3 pound brain is problematic.
I found the homosexual relationship between the two main characters off-putting. Yes, that makes me "network biased", and I admit it. It was well handled and not too graphic. Undoubtedly, there would be some "gender bending" once people were freed from the accident of their birth.
I only have 4 stars because 5 stars is damn near perfect, and while this was a good story it was not perfect. It still needs proofing for instance.
July 18, 2018
A journey
A journey into a brand new universe and also into the mind of the reader. This may be just the state of my mind while I was reading (ain't that always the case?) but I realized that I escape into "worlds" much like the ones that this author created in his story. You should read this! Avid readers MUST read this. Unlike the worlds I escape to I probably won't revisit this one. But it will color to some extent the worlds I will visit in the future.
A journey into a brand new universe and also into the mind of the reader. This may be just the state of my mind while I was reading (ain't that always the case?) but I realized that I escape into "worlds" much like the ones that this author created in his story. You should read this! Avid readers MUST read this. Unlike the worlds I escape to I probably won't revisit this one. But it will color to some extent the worlds I will visit in the future.
June 30, 2018
The rating is 3.5 stars rounded up. Seeing Forever has an intriguing premise - what would happen if humans could upload their consciousness into the cloud and become immortal? Whilst this idea is not new, this relatively short, well written tale encourages readers ponder big questions around religion, immortality and just how far technology can take the human species.
July 1, 2018
The first half of the tale was excellent -- lots of forward-thinking concepts, well-told and engaging. The last half (for me) began to get bogged down, focusing too much on emotions and relationships rather than further scientific and technological advancements (although those were still present - just spaced farther apart). I was still sufficiently engaged in the story to finish the book, but at the end I was truly finished -- I didn't have any desire to learn any more about the characters, or any possible future developments.
October 24, 2019
Wow. I'm blown away.
It takes a lot for me to go through a science fiction fantasy short novel in about 1-2 days. If that's how you'd classify it? Gosh, just no words.
Thank you so much for sending me this "piece of you", Robert. I look forward to reading so many more of your stories!
It takes a lot for me to go through a science fiction fantasy short novel in about 1-2 days. If that's how you'd classify it? Gosh, just no words.
Thank you so much for sending me this "piece of you", Robert. I look forward to reading so many more of your stories!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews