Deriving Life

by Elizabeth Bear

In Deriving Life, love has no time limits, but life does. Award-winning author Elizabeth Bear gives us a future where life and love and identity have so many more options than they do today, in this visonary short story, a Tor.com Original.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Queer, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, LGBT, Speculative Fiction

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2019

About the author

What Goodreads really needs is a "currently WRITING" option for its default bookshelves...

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!

this explanation/intro will be posted before each day’s short story. scroll down to get to the story-review.

this is the FOURTH year of me doing a short story advent calendar as my december project. for those of you new to me or this endeavor, here’s the skinny: every day in december, i will be reading a short story that is 1) available free somewhere on internet, and 2) listed on goodreads as its own discrete entity. there will be links provided for those of you who like to read (or listen to) short stories for free, and also for those of you who have wildly overestimated how many books you can read in a year and are freaking out about not meeting your 2019 reading-challenge goals. i have been gathering links all year when tasty little tales have popped into my feed, but i will also accept additional suggestions, as long as they meet my aforementioned 1), 2) standards.

if you scroll to the end of the reviews linked here, you will find links to all the previous years’ stories, which means NINETY-THREE FREEBIES FOR YOU!

2016: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2017: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2018: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

reviews of these will vary in length/quality depending on my available time/brain power.

so, let’s begin

DECEMBER 30



We all forget that people in the past were really just like us. We want to forget it. It makes it easier to live with the knowledge of how much suffering they endured.

this is another excellent story by elizabeth bear, who always seems to know where this reader's tenderest spots are for her spiky authorial jabbing. this takes place in the fuuuuturrre, so those 'people in the past' mentioned in the quote are us, and that suffering is ours, but here's the thing—2019 may have been a dumpster on fire, but this world elizabeth bear has come up with here is way worse. not just the parts about the natural world going to shit, but death? grieving? loneliness? all of that is way more complicated and lingering and loopholed than anything we have to endure.

beautiful, bleak, emotional, i love elizabeth bear very much.

read it for yourself here:

https://www.tor.com/2019/01/31/derivi...

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DECEMBER 14 GOODREADS ERASED THIS STORY AND MY REVIEW FROM THE SITE, SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO READ IT, IT IS HERE. THANKS.
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come to my blog!

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll also put the name of the story here, in case Goodreads decides to merge it into some other work...
Deriving Life by Elizabeth Bear - 4/5★

Wow, to take a cancer story and transform it in this way, I must say she’s good! (even though I struggled a little with getting into the story, to understand what’s happening, it was all so alien to me)

“they have a tremendous complex of guilt about that, and still aren’t sure they made the right decision.” Who could be? Let your species die, or consume another sentient being without its consent?

P.S. To be able to appreciate this, one must dettach it from RL, due to the sensitive subject.

The short story is found in Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2019 edition and can also be read on Tor.com.

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting take on cancer, great prose. Unfortunately topic is just too depressing for me: loosing the loved one, suicidal thoughts. If I knew what this story was about - I wouldn't have picked it up.

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second story in the tor.com Jan-Feb ebook collection. It takes a particular kind of chutzpah for a writer to turn a common-day occurrence like someone dying from cancer into the subject matter of a speculative piece.

There is perhaps nothing less speculative than a lingering death from an aggressive form of cancer. A friend of mine’s mother has Stage 4 cancer, so when I began reading this, I almost stopped, as it was too close to home.

But then I thought: what is the purpose of fiction if not to take the ephemeral thread of both life and death, and to weave it into the magic of Story, so that we may live forever in each other’s thoughts and memories?

At first glance, the idea of an alien host that metastasises with its human host, in order to create a symbiont that guarantees extended life for both, appears appallingly horrific. Bear applies surgical precision to this idea to pick out the repercussions and consequences, some obvious, others banal, others shattering in their transgressive redefinition of love and grief, in a complex story about the nature of relationships.

Another hugely impressive entry in the tor.com fiction line-up, which seems to raise the bar with everything it publishes.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second short story in Tor.com’s short fiction newsletter.

Bear managed to put a lot of world building into this which I really enjoyed (especially because she’s super creative and her worlds are pretty unique). It’s short so no info dumps, which is confusing at first but you do figure it out eventually.

I just can’t give it more than three stars because it was really super sad and depressing. This is just not the kind of stuff I personally like to read. I kept going because it was intriguing enough that I wanted my questions answered.

Content warnings: loss of a spouse, talk of suicide

[Kaa]

This story explores some fascinating concepts, but it was a bit of a rough read for me because of how some of the issues it touches on affect me personally. I'm glad this story exists, but I didn't really enjoy reading it.

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Day one of my November challenge to read one science fiction or fantasy short story a day.

I am very behind. I still have not reviewed the rest of my Spooktober stories, despite it already being November 2nd!. But as I sat down with the few quiet hours I have to review today, it was this story that was calling me to write about it.

This short story absolutely wrecked me.


It is masterful. It is beautiful. It is poignant and layered and nuanced and, just fucking incredible.

But it's Elizabeth Bear, sooo


At it's core, this story is about the complicated act of grieving. And all that other stuff that goes with it. It takes place in a futuristic world where global warming has changed the world as we know it (see, it IS a real thing) and there doesn't seem to be any such thing as gender. Which actually started me off on a confusing sort of note because every character except one was referred to in plural third person tense with the exception of the narrator who does use first person. And even though I thought this technique was a bit clunky at the beginning, it just shows how completely and utterly universal grief is.

Our narrator's spouse, Tamar, is dying from cancer. And it is a cancer that Tamar has volunteered for, to have two decades full of happiness and joy and absence of pain with the price of life at the end. And Marq, our narrator, married Tamar knowing the end result and is now having a VERY. HARD. TIME. with it. Marq experiences grief alone, but is tired of being lonely, and is currently contemplating options for moving forward.

No matter what choice you make, you’re going to regret it sometime. But maybe not permanently.

This story had just the perfect amount of sci fi elements with enhanced the higher purpose of it as a self revelation and human condition story. It didn't just sucker punch me, it gored me. I had my very own grief journey three years ago with the sudden loss of my boyfriend, and though I have in a sense moved on, you never truly let go of that person or that grief, and I found myself ugly crying while reading this. Everything Marq feels in this story I have felt during my own grief journey, and my own memories and feelings and pain really rose to the surface again, and the rawness of those feelings really contributed to the impact of this story on me.

As usual, Elizabeth Bear brings a lot of questions to the table about science, progress and ethics and true to form, never completely answers them, leaving her readers to draw their own conclusions. This is the third of her stories I've read about living on borrowed time, and it is the one that left the greatest impact on me personally. It makes me want to go back and reread the other two (The Horrid Glory of Its Wings and The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder) Like them, this story is beautifully told, and more about the journey than the destination. She uses futuristic elements to set the stage for real and complicated emotions and processes. I don't really want to say much more than that because this story's magic lies in its unfolding. The pacing is excellent, and does a little time jump thing throughout that was beautifully done. The story started off a little confusing but made much more sense as the story opened up and progressed. It is complicated and it is touching and it is lovely.

All the stars.

Read it for free here:
https://www.tor.com/2019/01/31/derivi...

[Peter Tillman]

Left unrated, since I couldn't really understand what was going on -- but it was very unpleasant, and given my current frail state in RL, do I need a raw story of loss? No, I do not. A pity, since I'm an big Elizabeth Bear fan. DNF, not for me. Oh, well.

[Netanella]

No rating, because this was too painful for me to finish. I have blocked several months of memories after my dad's passing from cancer last year, and I'm not ready to reopen that door. Not yet.

When I'm ready, this is a story that I would read.

[JR Dabbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal spec fic take on grief, bereavement, finding meaning in life and moving. I love how there are no easy answers and the world itself is interesting.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad, raw short story. This would be a very painful read for someone who had experienced a similar situation.

[I' · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely read. Hard against my feeling, but lovely none the less.
Is starts with a very powerful first line. As soon as I read it, I knew ill be reading till the end. And I was not disappointed at all. Although most of the context is implied, honestly being short fiction it was what I expected, the story was enjoyable to read. But maybe that not the best word to describe it.

The story intertwines the past and present of the relationship of a non conventional couple. I won’t go into much detail. So you get an idea on how was the relationship at the beginning, and how it is now, when it’s about to end. I really enjoyed the ideas that it presents about loving someone, loving ourselves and how love changes us or not. How does this feeling influence us and how do we let it change us, or not. This is probably the best part of the short story, how it has made me reflect on these feeling on myself and my experience.

A worthy, beautifully written and interesting read that won’t take you long, but will definitely make you think and reflect.

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to get a taste of Elizabeth Bear before I set my sights on Karen Memory I don't think Elizabeth Bear is an author for me.

[Miriam Cihodariu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the intricate world-building in this one, much richer than a short story would normally ask for and warrant. It's also heavy on the sadness and the loss it conveys, managing to show us that more options and more advancement in some of life's aspects do not bring with them a more shielded existence, and that to love is, ultimately, to face shattering loss at one point or another.

[Alyssa (HeartwyldsLibrary) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Looking at other reviews this was apparently about cancer, but unfortunately I could not understand what was be conveyed while reading it so I did not grasp that. It was honestly very confusing but I will say picked up the depression vibes. Gave up reading it though since it wasn’t making any sense to me.

[Xan Rooyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and thought-provoking, as one would expect from such an excellent story-teller.

[Roslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5?

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any work that causes tears automatically deserves five stars.

This is a novelette about basically a sentient cancer, that offers its hosts a better, longer life in exchange for eventually dying from the cancer.

This is about the consequences of that to the people that love them, and it's a very dark story about depression and hopelessness. It is very very good, one of the best things I've read so far this year.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So moving

(Spoiler alert) Perhaps this story touched me most deeply because I’m a nurse - a hospice nurse specifically. What if there was a disease people could intentionally contract which could greatly improve their quality of life, while likely shortening it. (Quality? Quantity? This is always the discussion..) What about the survivors? (Sometimes the most devastating part..) Then add in the disease being sentient. Wow!!! I read quite a bit, especially fantasy and sci-fi...and this is new territory for me. This story was written with sensitivity and intent - I can testify to this. Would highly recommend - come on, it’s short! I’m sure looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth Bear!

[Dichotomy Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Lori Alden Holuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

During a social media conversation, I asked author Elizabeth Bear if she had ever written a story about cancer. She referred me to this story, saying (I'm paraphrasing here) that it wasn't exactly about cancer, but it wasn't not about it either.

I waited quite a while to read it. My life - like nearly everyone's - exists in the midst of a pandemic, frequent deaths of loved ones, close family illness, and personal health challenges. I know the author has the knack of zeroing in on a topic in a way that can exact a toll on the reader. (That was a compliment).

Last night I finally read it. I immediately loved the use of non-specific gender pronouns, and character names that aren't gender specific. At no point are you sure of anyone's gender, and that's fantastic, because you don't need to know.

Just like in real life, there were lighter moments (a three way conversation involving texting amused me greatly), and darker moments (oh, so many, so exquisitely worked through). Difficult decisions were made, regrets were abundant, needs were expressed, frustrations were normal.

It's a story that could never happen, and also plays out every day all over our world. I'm satisfied with my decision to finally read it.

[Mayumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pode ser lido aqui.

História curta que claramente foi um exercício de construção de mundo, mas pra mim faltou construção de personagem e incorporar um pouco mais a matemática na vida de Marq. Aceito Tamar falar uma frase imprecisa usando uma palavra matemática, You can’t derive people the way you derive functions, Marq., mas não a própria pessoa matemática, a frase [...] I start wondering about a complicated function I was working on [...] me soou genérica e sem profundidade. Talvez faltou pesquisa de que forma a matemática poderia moldar os pensamentos e ações de Marq. O próprio título do conto é em referência a essa frase que Tamar diz, mas que não faz sentido.

Fora isso, a parte que realmente importa do conto foi muito bem escrita, senti muito o peso que Marq estava sentindo com todas suas dúvidas e entendo todos os planos que borbulharam em sua mente. Essa parte dramática foi realmente muito bem escrita e me pegou bastante.

[Jayo Leavesby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep short story about love, death.... and I guess society rather than listing every possible theme in it. A equivocal read that captures you right off the bat in the relationships and strange futuristic world of Tamar and Marq. I really enjoyed the glimpse the author gave us into this version of the future, despite not being explained fully (which I felt was fine- who needs an entire world of exposition for a relatively short story focused on relationships in that world?). Definitely got me feeling feels by the end of it, and really brought me in to the mind state that the characters are experiencing while they make their decisions.

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Deriving Life” by Elizabeth Bear
Marq Tames is contemplating suicide or becoming a Host, unable to cope with being alone again after their spouse dies. Tenants bring many benefits, including being pain-free, living a bit longer, making better decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, the Tenants ultimately consume their Hosts. Unlike most potential Hosts, Marq is healthy, causing some concerns over his decision.

Wow. A detailed look at grief, cancer, loneliness, and the choices we might make for happiness. Intense. Could be triggering for some who are themselves dealing with grief. 4.5 out of 5.

[Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main story is quite depressing, but the story is clear and graspable. In this story, cancer is not entirely a vile parasite, but a "tenant" which provides benefits for its "host" and has its own mind. The struggle of Marq being loved and left by Tamar evokes my simpathy, giving me a glimpse of how love can make you gain, love, and lose yourself as it happens.

https://www.tor.com/2019/01/31/derivi...

[OldBird · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty depressing short story with a sci-fi take on losing someone to cancer. Without reading the blurb, it took a long time to really get into the sci-fi aspect of it, and then by the time I got it, the story was over. I didn't find the ending all that satisfying; the story came across more musing than narrative.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning quote by Leonardo da Vinci provides a hint into the story which starts to solidify in the reader's mind as the story progresses. An interesting exploration of the ways we live and grown at the expense of other living things. There is sadness, but there are moments of brightness too.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wrought but brief read about grief and loss and trying to find your self after the loss of a person whose very being defines you. I like the use of gender neutral pronouns and honorifics. There was a simplicity in their use and inclusion throughout the text.

[Paul Bard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully crafted slice of life. The story is achieved by flashback and images. Lots of emotion.

Theme is, as always with Bear to my knowledge, making wise decisions in the face of pain.

I really enjoy reading her work.

[Nadyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully somber take on the loss of a loved one due to terminal illness. This short story asks the question of what would you do if you could keep a part of your loved ones with you forever — even if they asked you to let them go?