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Forward Collection #4
You Have Arrived at Your Destination
Nature or nurture? Neither. Discover a bold new way to raise a child in this unsettling story of the near future by the New York Times bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow.
When Sam’s wife first tells him about Vitek, a twenty-first-century fertility lab, he sees it as the natural next step in trying to help their future child get a “leg up” in a competitive world. But the more Sam considers the lives that his child could lead, the more he begins to question his own relationships and the choices he has made in his life.
Amor Towles’s You Have Arrived at Your Destination is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.
When Sam’s wife first tells him about Vitek, a twenty-first-century fertility lab, he sees it as the natural next step in trying to help their future child get a “leg up” in a competitive world. But the more Sam considers the lives that his child could lead, the more he begins to question his own relationships and the choices he has made in his life.
Amor Towles’s You Have Arrived at Your Destination is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.
100 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2019
4843 people are currently reading
15055 people want to read
About the author
Amor Towles
33 books28.4k followersBorn and raised in the Boston area, Amor Towles graduated from Yale College and received an MA in English from Stanford University. Having worked as an investment professional in Manhattan for over twenty years, he now devotes himself fulltime to writing. His first novel, Rules of Civility, published in 2011, was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback and was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011. The book was optioned by Lionsgate to be made into a feature film and its French translation received the 2012 Prix Fitzgerald. His second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, published in 2016, was also a New York Times bestseller and was ranked as one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the St. Louis Dispatch, and NPR. Both novels have been translated into over fifteen languages.
Mr. Towles, who lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children, is an ardent fan of early 20th century painting, 1950’s jazz, 1970’s cop shows, rock & roll on vinyl, obsolete accessories, manifestoes, breakfast pastries, pasta, liquor, snow-days, Tuscany, Provence, Disneyland, Hollywood, the cast of Casablanca, 007, Captain Kirk, Bob Dylan (early, mid, and late phases), the wee hours, card games, cafés, and the cookies made by both of his grandmothers.
Mr. Towles, who lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children, is an ardent fan of early 20th century painting, 1950’s jazz, 1970’s cop shows, rock & roll on vinyl, obsolete accessories, manifestoes, breakfast pastries, pasta, liquor, snow-days, Tuscany, Provence, Disneyland, Hollywood, the cast of Casablanca, 007, Captain Kirk, Bob Dylan (early, mid, and late phases), the wee hours, card games, cafés, and the cookies made by both of his grandmothers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,247 reviews
March 6, 2020
Another creepy, futuristic, nail biter, mind bender, brain cell fryer and mouth gaper book from the Forward series!
I think I’m about to hide under the curtains and act like a voicemail keep saying: “Sorry, the good reviewer you write comments cannot be reached at this moment. After this tone, please pray for her not to get more rejections from Netgalley and get extra credit from banks to buy more books online. Bippp!”
You may see that without starting my nighttime Chardonnay and book appointments, I’m already hyper enough to read all those series but all those science fiction and mind numbing elements started to create side effects on my mind. (Some coordination problems occurred as I try to flip pages by putting my fingers inside my wine glass and trying to drink my kindle. Well, as I tried to drink it, I hit it hard to y mouth and I’m on my way to my dentist but don’t worry I’m okay and still reading the novellas!)
Let’s talk about this terrifying story about the genetic engineering of our future children. ( Maybe it’s too near future like next year, who knows) So you can choose your future child’s gender, appearance and other qualities like choosing the topics for your pizza and then you may see their possible future. Isn’t it amazing? Not for me. I don’t have a child but if I had and the technology took control my entire life, I would happily flip the bird and turn my back to leave the place as like Sam did. ( Okay he wasn’t rude like me, he just went to the bar to get drunk! That part works for me but I prefer my own home and night time to get drunk!)
This is intriguing, fast pacing, memorable page turner and I loved more than Emergency Skin and I excitingly start to add Amor Towles books to my tbr list which is higher than Mount Everest ( I think the astronauts will use my list as jumping point to fly to the moon!)
So I had so much fun. What’s next? Of course Blake Crouch’s Summer Frost, what am I waiting for! Oh no! I had to take implant break! I hate my dentist but at least he has nitrous oxide a.k.a laughing gas! Yes, I’m definitely having so much fun!
I think I’m about to hide under the curtains and act like a voicemail keep saying: “Sorry, the good reviewer you write comments cannot be reached at this moment. After this tone, please pray for her not to get more rejections from Netgalley and get extra credit from banks to buy more books online. Bippp!”
You may see that without starting my nighttime Chardonnay and book appointments, I’m already hyper enough to read all those series but all those science fiction and mind numbing elements started to create side effects on my mind. (Some coordination problems occurred as I try to flip pages by putting my fingers inside my wine glass and trying to drink my kindle. Well, as I tried to drink it, I hit it hard to y mouth and I’m on my way to my dentist but don’t worry I’m okay and still reading the novellas!)
Let’s talk about this terrifying story about the genetic engineering of our future children. ( Maybe it’s too near future like next year, who knows) So you can choose your future child’s gender, appearance and other qualities like choosing the topics for your pizza and then you may see their possible future. Isn’t it amazing? Not for me. I don’t have a child but if I had and the technology took control my entire life, I would happily flip the bird and turn my back to leave the place as like Sam did. ( Okay he wasn’t rude like me, he just went to the bar to get drunk! That part works for me but I prefer my own home and night time to get drunk!)
This is intriguing, fast pacing, memorable page turner and I loved more than Emergency Skin and I excitingly start to add Amor Towles books to my tbr list which is higher than Mount Everest ( I think the astronauts will use my list as jumping point to fly to the moon!)
So I had so much fun. What’s next? Of course Blake Crouch’s Summer Frost, what am I waiting for! Oh no! I had to take implant break! I hate my dentist but at least he has nitrous oxide a.k.a laughing gas! Yes, I’m definitely having so much fun!
September 25, 2019
This addition to the Forward collection was such an interesting idea. And it was one of the more compelling stories of the bunch, I think. It's essentially about genetic engineering, which is, of course, nothing new, but the way Towles tells this story was very exciting. And a little bit scary.
Sam and his wife want to have a child, but being wealthy modern parents, they also want to give said child the best chance possible. To have a good life. To be happy. To be successful. That's what leads them to Vitek, a fertility lab that specializes in what they call "genetic nudging". Sam is presented with three "projections", each one showing a potential life for their unborn child. Which will Sam pick?
What I really liked about this, though, is that Towles could have gone into all the old ethics of genetic engineering arguments-- is it right to play God? Is it right to design a baby? --but instead he takes a different route, which I found really interesting. It's kinda a spoiler, but
The true "message" of this one, if that's the right term, took a little thinking about. But I didn't mind that. I found myself pondering what it meant long after I finished. Thought-provoking with subtle power.
Randomize by Andy Weir - ⭑☆☆☆☆
Ark by Veronica Roth - ⭑⭑⭑☆☆
Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin - ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
Summer Frost by Blake Crouch - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
Sam and his wife want to have a child, but being wealthy modern parents, they also want to give said child the best chance possible. To have a good life. To be happy. To be successful. That's what leads them to Vitek, a fertility lab that specializes in what they call "genetic nudging". Sam is presented with three "projections", each one showing a potential life for their unborn child. Which will Sam pick?
What I really liked about this, though, is that Towles could have gone into all the old ethics of genetic engineering arguments-- is it right to play God? Is it right to design a baby? --but instead he takes a different route, which I found really interesting. It's kinda a spoiler, but
The true "message" of this one, if that's the right term, took a little thinking about. But I didn't mind that. I found myself pondering what it meant long after I finished. Thought-provoking with subtle power.
Randomize by Andy Weir - ⭑☆☆☆☆
Ark by Veronica Roth - ⭑⭑⭑☆☆
Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin - ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
Summer Frost by Blake Crouch - ⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
March 2, 2020
I've loved every story in the FORWARD collection from Prime Reading, but this one left me cold in the third act. The idea is so interesting, the world is so well crafted, and the characters are all clear and specific, but the story never really escaped the high concept for me.
October 5, 2019
I’m not really a big fan of sci-fi so I doubt whether I’ll read all five of the novella/short stories in Amazon’s Forward Series, but I could not pass this one by since I am a big fan of Amor Towles.The story seems to take place in the future, but yet it doesn’t feel very far off from the present. It eerily paints a picture of the future implications of genetic engineering, designer fertility clinics that offer more than your choice of sex and eye color of your baby. It was pretty scary mainly because it felt realistic. Sam and Annie are planning to have a child and Annie has gone to the Vitek clinic while Sam is out of town to get the process started. Sam arrives at the clinic and sees three video presentations of what the life of a future son could be like. It’s a short story so I won’t go into details of these, but just say that Sam leaves the clinic upset at what he has seen and heard and goes to a bar where he gets drunk and meets a couple of people who help him shed some light on what has happened. It’s certainly thought provoking to consider the issue of the possibilities of science, the moral implications, but what I also found thought provoking was how Sam reflects on his own life, not just the future of a perspective son. It’s free to Prime members and that it included both the ebook and audiobook. I chose to read it rather than listen. Thanks to my Goodreads friend Paige for bringing this to my attention.
October 20, 2019
3.5 STARS
Read in one sitting or rather.... road trip. It is less than 50 pages! I didn't want to start a new novel and I wasn't in the middle of another, so this was the perfect read for a day trip.
Totally entertained me and made my trip more enjoyable (hate sitting in the car just being a passenger!)
Part Sci-Fi , but also seemed like it could be something in the near future (SCARY) where parents choose what kind of child they want! Including gender and intelligence. What could possibly go wrong? Want to see a future video of it before your child is born??
Genetic engineering... No thank you!!
This is one of the 6 short stories in the Foward collection. I do plan to read more. It was free for me via prime on Amazon.
Thought provoking for sure, but the end did seem rushed and it didn't completely work for me.
Read in one sitting or rather.... road trip. It is less than 50 pages! I didn't want to start a new novel and I wasn't in the middle of another, so this was the perfect read for a day trip.
Totally entertained me and made my trip more enjoyable (hate sitting in the car just being a passenger!)
Part Sci-Fi , but also seemed like it could be something in the near future (SCARY) where parents choose what kind of child they want! Including gender and intelligence. What could possibly go wrong? Want to see a future video of it before your child is born??
Genetic engineering... No thank you!!
This is one of the 6 short stories in the Foward collection. I do plan to read more. It was free for me via prime on Amazon.
Thought provoking for sure, but the end did seem rushed and it didn't completely work for me.
March 15, 2023
"You Have Arrived at Your Destination — is set in the future, it is set about five minutes in the future…"
~Amor Towles
Sam, and his wife Annie, have taken the slow path, saving and planning to create a stable home. Now it's time to start a family, which in their case necessitates a course of IVF.
At Vitek laboratory, offspring can be ordered from a menu as easily as one could order a burger and fries. Of course, gender and eye color are on offer, but more importantly, a child's future success can be manipulated based on a selection of "contoured" personality traits. Yes siree, Bob, you can manufacture the kind of kid that would make any parent proud.
Annie has spent a considerable amount of time with the employees of Vitek, designing her and Sam's prospective progeny. We join this story on the day her choices are shown to her husband, the unveiling of which will turn his vanilla world upside down.
If you could give your baby a leg-up through genetic manipulation, would you? And is it wrong to take a shortcut to manufacture the best possible life for your child? These are just a couple of the questions that Towles' thought-provoking short story raises. This was an intriguing deviation from his usual style of writing, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of his other works.
~Amor Towles
Sam, and his wife Annie, have taken the slow path, saving and planning to create a stable home. Now it's time to start a family, which in their case necessitates a course of IVF.
At Vitek laboratory, offspring can be ordered from a menu as easily as one could order a burger and fries. Of course, gender and eye color are on offer, but more importantly, a child's future success can be manipulated based on a selection of "contoured" personality traits. Yes siree, Bob, you can manufacture the kind of kid that would make any parent proud.
Annie has spent a considerable amount of time with the employees of Vitek, designing her and Sam's prospective progeny. We join this story on the day her choices are shown to her husband, the unveiling of which will turn his vanilla world upside down.
If you could give your baby a leg-up through genetic manipulation, would you? And is it wrong to take a shortcut to manufacture the best possible life for your child? These are just a couple of the questions that Towles' thought-provoking short story raises. This was an intriguing deviation from his usual style of writing, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of his other works.
August 29, 2020
It’s not an unrealistic story about genetic engineering and the moral dilemmas that can come with that. Who doesn’t want to give a child a leg up in the world? Wouldn’t it be nice to knock out genetic issues like sickle cell anemia, or muscular atrophy, or cystic fibrosis, or hereditary cancers, or early-onset heart disease? And who does not wish for their child to be naturally happy and easy to make friends with, and creative, and driven, and just plain old lucky? What would you choose if you could for your dream kid?
And what would the choices you make - or those you don’t - say about you?
This story doesn’t quite go where you’d think it would, based on the premise alone. And that’s what makes it interesting. Just not as interesting as a couple of other stories in the Forward collection - but still not bad at all, just not a perfect fit for me.
3 stars. Perfectly adequate story.
—————————
The Forward Collection, in the order read:
‘Emergency Skin’ by N.K. Jemisin: Lovely. 5 stars.
‘Randomize’ by Andy Weir: Meh. 2 stars.
‘The Last Conversation’ by Paul Tremblay: Eerie. 4 stars.
‘You Have Arrived at Your Destination’ by Amor Towles: Perfectly adequate. 3 stars.
‘Summer Frost’ by Blake Crouch: Very intelligent (artificially?). 4.5 stars.
‘Ark’ by Veronica Roth: Underwhelming melancholy. 2.5 stars.
And what would the choices you make - or those you don’t - say about you?
“The three of them sat there in silence, not looking at each other so much as at the middle of the table—at that small plastic container in which there was and wasn’t their future. In which there was and wasn’t ours.”
This story doesn’t quite go where you’d think it would, based on the premise alone. And that’s what makes it interesting. Just not as interesting as a couple of other stories in the Forward collection - but still not bad at all, just not a perfect fit for me.
3 stars. Perfectly adequate story.
—————————
The Forward Collection, in the order read:
‘Emergency Skin’ by N.K. Jemisin: Lovely. 5 stars.
‘Randomize’ by Andy Weir: Meh. 2 stars.
‘The Last Conversation’ by Paul Tremblay: Eerie. 4 stars.
‘You Have Arrived at Your Destination’ by Amor Towles: Perfectly adequate. 3 stars.
‘Summer Frost’ by Blake Crouch: Very intelligent (artificially?). 4.5 stars.
‘Ark’ by Veronica Roth: Underwhelming melancholy. 2.5 stars.
November 19, 2023
You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles is a Blend of Dystopian and Speculative Fiction!
"...it wasn't quite foolproof yet...so the official recommendation was to use the system with one's hands on the wheel, one's foot on the brake, and one's eye on the road."
When I began listening to You Have Arrived at Your Destination, it felt like a story about automobiles in the near future. But it wasn't.
It was our main character Sam in his new self-driving car on his way to Vitek, a fertility lab with that something extra. He's planning to make an important decision today concerning a future child with his wife, Annie.
Annie has already visited Vitek and made three excellent selections. This process could be comparable to picking out design elements for their home, only it's not. It's for their future child but with all the magic of nature removed and replaced with success in a competitive world as the driving force.
Now all Sam needs to do is watch a video on the projected lives of each of Annie'sdesigns selections and decide which one will be their future child with that something extra...
You Have Arrived at Your Destination is a thought-provoking listen but contemplate this:
If self-driving cars aren't foolproof, how can we trust genetically engineered humans?
You Have Arrived at Your Destination is part of the Speculative Fiction Forward Collection, bringing together seven of today's most visionary writers and curated by bestselling author Blake Crouch. Each of the seven Kindle or Audible books can be completed in a single sitting.
I recommend You Have Arrived at Your Destination to readers who enjoy Speculative Fiction and I look forward to reading the remaining stories in the Forward Collection!
3.75⭐rounded up!
"...it wasn't quite foolproof yet...so the official recommendation was to use the system with one's hands on the wheel, one's foot on the brake, and one's eye on the road."
When I began listening to You Have Arrived at Your Destination, it felt like a story about automobiles in the near future. But it wasn't.
It was our main character Sam in his new self-driving car on his way to Vitek, a fertility lab with that something extra. He's planning to make an important decision today concerning a future child with his wife, Annie.
Annie has already visited Vitek and made three excellent selections. This process could be comparable to picking out design elements for their home, only it's not. It's for their future child but with all the magic of nature removed and replaced with success in a competitive world as the driving force.
Now all Sam needs to do is watch a video on the projected lives of each of Annie's
You Have Arrived at Your Destination is a thought-provoking listen but contemplate this:
If self-driving cars aren't foolproof, how can we trust genetically engineered humans?
You Have Arrived at Your Destination is part of the Speculative Fiction Forward Collection, bringing together seven of today's most visionary writers and curated by bestselling author Blake Crouch. Each of the seven Kindle or Audible books can be completed in a single sitting.
I recommend You Have Arrived at Your Destination to readers who enjoy Speculative Fiction and I look forward to reading the remaining stories in the Forward Collection!
3.75⭐rounded up!
January 27, 2021
Since A Gentleman in Moscow is one of my favourite books I just had to read this short story (#4 of the Forward Collection from Amazon Original Stories.)
You Have Arrived at Your Destination tells the story of a couple who decide to use new genetic engineering methods to have their first child. The idea is that the child's genes are "nudged" slightly in different ways and projections are given for the possible futures of each variation. Scary stuff and the husband finds himself becoming less and less enthusiastic about the plan.
Of course with Towles being the author it is beautifully written, slightly humorous and very much to the point. The ending is perfect. I enjoyed it very much indeed.
You Have Arrived at Your Destination tells the story of a couple who decide to use new genetic engineering methods to have their first child. The idea is that the child's genes are "nudged" slightly in different ways and projections are given for the possible futures of each variation. Scary stuff and the husband finds himself becoming less and less enthusiastic about the plan.
Of course with Towles being the author it is beautifully written, slightly humorous and very much to the point. The ending is perfect. I enjoyed it very much indeed.
March 9, 2022
You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles is the first book I have read from the The Forward Collection series. This collection I stumbled across, quite by accident, it is the brainchild of American Author and Screenwriter Blake Crouch. He asks the question “How does anyone know at the moment of a scientific discovery where their work will ultimately lead?”. Brilliant question hey? He also asks, “Should we let that uncertainty stop forward momentum, or do we roll the dice and let the chips fall where they may?”.
Crouch gathered a few well-known writers to contribute to this intriguing short story collection, asking them to consider the same questions. Among the writers involved, apart from Towles, are the likes of N.K. Jemisin, Paul Tremblay, Veronica Roth, and Andy Weir.
Amor Towles’ effort is an intriguing eighty-page story about a couple (Anne and Sam) who need to use IVF to conceive a baby. They engage the services of a company called Vitek. This mob not only offer IVF services they also perform a little ‘genetic nudging’, so the phenotype of the child conforms to the requirements and preferences of the parents to be. Sam and Anne want a boy, called Daniel. To this end, Sam visits Vitek to watch three videos about the projected life of Daniel from babyhood to adulthood. Amazing high-tech-fantasy stuff. Gets one thinking.
If you ponder this (or ruminate in my case), it’s not a massive leap to imagine in a few (? 30-50) years this scenario could very well be commonplace. Uuuuuuurrrrggghhhh – sounds a bit daunting and horrible doesn’t it? Or does it?
I won’t give any more away regarding this story, but it is brilliant. I loved it – and to be honest, I still don’t really understand the ending, but I need to read some reviews now and see what others think.
Highly recommended. I’d love to read some thoughts on these books from GR mates.
4-Stars
Ps. If anyone wants to Buddy Read one of these – DM me, if this first one of the series is anything to go by, they’re a fertile ground for discussion!
Crouch gathered a few well-known writers to contribute to this intriguing short story collection, asking them to consider the same questions. Among the writers involved, apart from Towles, are the likes of N.K. Jemisin, Paul Tremblay, Veronica Roth, and Andy Weir.
Amor Towles’ effort is an intriguing eighty-page story about a couple (Anne and Sam) who need to use IVF to conceive a baby. They engage the services of a company called Vitek. This mob not only offer IVF services they also perform a little ‘genetic nudging’, so the phenotype of the child conforms to the requirements and preferences of the parents to be. Sam and Anne want a boy, called Daniel. To this end, Sam visits Vitek to watch three videos about the projected life of Daniel from babyhood to adulthood. Amazing high-tech-fantasy stuff. Gets one thinking.
If you ponder this (or ruminate in my case), it’s not a massive leap to imagine in a few (? 30-50) years this scenario could very well be commonplace. Uuuuuuurrrrggghhhh – sounds a bit daunting and horrible doesn’t it? Or does it?
I won’t give any more away regarding this story, but it is brilliant. I loved it – and to be honest, I still don’t really understand the ending, but I need to read some reviews now and see what others think.
Highly recommended. I’d love to read some thoughts on these books from GR mates.
4-Stars
Ps. If anyone wants to Buddy Read one of these – DM me, if this first one of the series is anything to go by, they’re a fertile ground for discussion!
September 25, 2024
This seems to be a favorite from the Forward Collection, but it was too disjointed to be a five-star read for me.
So, the premise is cool and the first half of the story really gives you a lot of food for thought.
If you could choose your unborn child's temperament using genetic "nudging", would you?
A fertility clinic gives a man the opportunity to see three different versions of what his son's life will be like using statistical probability based on what personality attributes they can bring to the forefront.
Would you want your child to be content and stable if it meant they never lived up to their true potential? Would you choose a path that had creativity and passion if it also meant addiction and chaos? Would you pick a life where charm and charisma meant skating through life as an asshole until life invariably teaches them a hard lesson?
You gotta think about that for a minute, right?
Because you're not just trying to weed out diseases or decide on an eye color. You're plotting out a roadmap for their life, and not in the hopeful let's make sure they go to a good school sort of way. No, you've gone whole hog in a manipulatively invasive way.
Oh, wow! That's something to chew on.
Then it veered off the rails and went in a whole new direction when he left the clinic to mull things over.
Without giving any spoilers, I'll put it like this:
Pretend you're sitting at a bar and you strike up a conversation about {insert SPORT here} that's playing on the television. Then suddenly, this other guy starts ranting about the ice wall around the flat earth and how 5G cellphone towers have been installed by the government to send out mind control signals.
It's not where you thought your night was headed when you casually mentioned that you were pulling for the college basketball team on the television.
I get it, but that whole last bit ruined the initial what if coolness of the first part of the story for me. It overexplained things in a way that took the fizzle out of it.
The first half was such a great premise that I can't give it less than 3 stars, though.
So, the premise is cool and the first half of the story really gives you a lot of food for thought.
If you could choose your unborn child's temperament using genetic "nudging", would you?
A fertility clinic gives a man the opportunity to see three different versions of what his son's life will be like using statistical probability based on what personality attributes they can bring to the forefront.
Would you want your child to be content and stable if it meant they never lived up to their true potential? Would you choose a path that had creativity and passion if it also meant addiction and chaos? Would you pick a life where charm and charisma meant skating through life as an asshole until life invariably teaches them a hard lesson?
You gotta think about that for a minute, right?
Because you're not just trying to weed out diseases or decide on an eye color. You're plotting out a roadmap for their life, and not in the hopeful let's make sure they go to a good school sort of way. No, you've gone whole hog in a manipulatively invasive way.
Oh, wow! That's something to chew on.
Then it veered off the rails and went in a whole new direction when he left the clinic to mull things over.
Without giving any spoilers, I'll put it like this:
Pretend you're sitting at a bar and you strike up a conversation about {insert SPORT here} that's playing on the television. Then suddenly, this other guy starts ranting about the ice wall around the flat earth and how 5G cellphone towers have been installed by the government to send out mind control signals.
It's not where you thought your night was headed when you casually mentioned that you were pulling for the college basketball team on the television.
I get it, but that whole last bit ruined the initial what if coolness of the first part of the story for me. It overexplained things in a way that took the fizzle out of it.
The first half was such a great premise that I can't give it less than 3 stars, though.
March 2, 2023
Pogo-stick time at the fertility clinic!
Oh am I ever jazzed! I’m happy, bouncing, grinning, thinking! This, this is why I love to read!
This short story (more like a novella) is set in the not-too-distant future, where a fertility clinic creates designer babies based on “genetic nudging.” Nudge, nudge, a hubby watches on a big screen three versions of a potential kiddo that he and his wifey-poo could create. Choose one! He’s freaked. Hubby alternates between being pleased and horrified at how these kids’ lives evolve, all while sipping on a gin and tonic in this creepy room. I was watching, eagle-eyed and at full attention, right along with him. And I was as whacked as he was. All three kids were so unique, and their lives weren’t all cheery and sweet. I couldn’t take my eyes off the videos! I was in heaven! Each one was like a little character study. Such a creative story Towles writes!
You can’t blame the hubby for how he spends the rest of the night. Mind blown, his and mine. How to process what he just saw? Several bar conversations and some missteps ensue. I’ll stop right there; just read this baby.
This story is just brilliant. I couldn’t stop reading, it was my kind of story. A fascinating and creative plot, which moves right along; a main character who you like and feel sorry for; lively language; surprises; tension; cool little details (like when hubby slides his hand between the seat of another person’s car, looking for spare change and finding it, all sticky). Oh, and I love the story title and the GPS giving orders, which are obeyed, of course. This is a story that I was immersed in from page 1. And it’s a story I’m sure I’ll remember.
I liked the first part of the story the best, when I was glued to the imaginary future kids on the screen, but I wasn’t in the least disappointed once hubby left the creepy joint and started a new adventure. My only gripe is the ending, which I didn’t quite understand. But the weird ending wasn’t enough to make me get off my pogo stick, so it’s still a 5-star read. Yay for stories like these!
Oh, and this is making me want to read A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel. I didn’t love Rules of Civility, so I wasn’t hot to read more by Towles, but now I’m like a puppy waiting for this guy to feed me another treat. I’m sitting at attention.
This book is part of a sci-fi series of 5 short stories by super-star writers. This isn’t my genre, but I might just have to check out the other books in the series. You can buy the Kindle version for $.99.
Oh am I ever jazzed! I’m happy, bouncing, grinning, thinking! This, this is why I love to read!
This short story (more like a novella) is set in the not-too-distant future, where a fertility clinic creates designer babies based on “genetic nudging.” Nudge, nudge, a hubby watches on a big screen three versions of a potential kiddo that he and his wifey-poo could create. Choose one! He’s freaked. Hubby alternates between being pleased and horrified at how these kids’ lives evolve, all while sipping on a gin and tonic in this creepy room. I was watching, eagle-eyed and at full attention, right along with him. And I was as whacked as he was. All three kids were so unique, and their lives weren’t all cheery and sweet. I couldn’t take my eyes off the videos! I was in heaven! Each one was like a little character study. Such a creative story Towles writes!
You can’t blame the hubby for how he spends the rest of the night. Mind blown, his and mine. How to process what he just saw? Several bar conversations and some missteps ensue. I’ll stop right there; just read this baby.
This story is just brilliant. I couldn’t stop reading, it was my kind of story. A fascinating and creative plot, which moves right along; a main character who you like and feel sorry for; lively language; surprises; tension; cool little details (like when hubby slides his hand between the seat of another person’s car, looking for spare change and finding it, all sticky). Oh, and I love the story title and the GPS giving orders, which are obeyed, of course. This is a story that I was immersed in from page 1. And it’s a story I’m sure I’ll remember.
I liked the first part of the story the best, when I was glued to the imaginary future kids on the screen, but I wasn’t in the least disappointed once hubby left the creepy joint and started a new adventure. My only gripe is the ending, which I didn’t quite understand. But the weird ending wasn’t enough to make me get off my pogo stick, so it’s still a 5-star read. Yay for stories like these!
Oh, and this is making me want to read A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel. I didn’t love Rules of Civility, so I wasn’t hot to read more by Towles, but now I’m like a puppy waiting for this guy to feed me another treat. I’m sitting at attention.
This book is part of a sci-fi series of 5 short stories by super-star writers. This isn’t my genre, but I might just have to check out the other books in the series. You can buy the Kindle version for $.99.
October 9, 2019
Designer Babies-R-Us.
Sam and Annie are debating on what type baby they want to have.
They enjoyed ‘Gin & Tonic’s’, while enjoying the process of picking out their unborn baby.
Cheers…Sam & Annie want a boy!
They picked out the name Daniel.
We look into the future at Daniels life and various ages.
This very short story is well written - ( I read the short ebook version and listened to the Audiobook) > combined it didn’t take much time.
The Audiobook added quality to the text...
But overall .....this story didn’t do much for me.
I could have taken it or ‘not’.
I absolutely love ‘both’ of Amor Towles novels...
But - for me - this short story was somewhat interesting,
silly and irritating.
Sam takes a second drink of a Gin & Tonic while looking at how Daniel will turn out as a person.
Daniel gets to be born an asshole- but then later will be a good person.
I can’t wonder if these short Amazon stories by talented authors aren’t just a quickie- money- deal.
But .. what do I know.
At the end, I was left with a question… “were their drinks/life half filled or half empty?”.....
Overall... not the best use of Towles talent, in my humble opinion.
2.5 stars....rating down!
Sam and Annie are debating on what type baby they want to have.
They enjoyed ‘Gin & Tonic’s’, while enjoying the process of picking out their unborn baby.
Cheers…Sam & Annie want a boy!
They picked out the name Daniel.
We look into the future at Daniels life and various ages.
This very short story is well written - ( I read the short ebook version and listened to the Audiobook) > combined it didn’t take much time.
The Audiobook added quality to the text...
But overall .....this story didn’t do much for me.
I could have taken it or ‘not’.
I absolutely love ‘both’ of Amor Towles novels...
But - for me - this short story was somewhat interesting,
silly and irritating.
Sam takes a second drink of a Gin & Tonic while looking at how Daniel will turn out as a person.
Daniel gets to be born an asshole- but then later will be a good person.
I can’t wonder if these short Amazon stories by talented authors aren’t just a quickie- money- deal.
But .. what do I know.
At the end, I was left with a question… “were their drinks/life half filled or half empty?”.....
Overall... not the best use of Towles talent, in my humble opinion.
2.5 stars....rating down!
September 20, 2019
Amor Towles proves he is the master of words, yet again. In this science fiction novella, he explores nature vs. nurture. By using foundational information, biographical histories, predictive behavior patterns, and patterned growth development, Vitek promotes a new type of genetic engineering that the main character, Sam, is confronted with. But, given the choice to alleviate one of the more unsubstantial characteristics, what would be sacrificed and how would that effect the child’s future?
“We’re all born with certain strengths which, ideally, are fostered by our parents and positively reinforced through education and peer interaction. But our strengths don’t serve us well in every circumstance at every phase of our lives. As we grow and enter new contexts, our longer-term strengths can suddenly hamper our worldly progress, which in turn can create dissonance at home.”
I sat at the edge of my seat totally enthralled. The audio book narrated by David Harbour (of the show Stranger Things) was completely immersive, and I highly recommend it. Not sure if I liked the ending, but it wasn't enough to take a star off.
This is one of one of six novellas in the series Forward that is set in the future. The collection of short stories for Forward was curated by Blake Crouch, and includes stories by authors such as Andy Weir, Veronica Roth, and Paul Trembley.
Amor Towles Tweet
“We’re all born with certain strengths which, ideally, are fostered by our parents and positively reinforced through education and peer interaction. But our strengths don’t serve us well in every circumstance at every phase of our lives. As we grow and enter new contexts, our longer-term strengths can suddenly hamper our worldly progress, which in turn can create dissonance at home.”
I sat at the edge of my seat totally enthralled. The audio book narrated by David Harbour (of the show Stranger Things) was completely immersive, and I highly recommend it. Not sure if I liked the ending, but it wasn't enough to take a star off.
This is one of one of six novellas in the series Forward that is set in the future. The collection of short stories for Forward was curated by Blake Crouch, and includes stories by authors such as Andy Weir, Veronica Roth, and Paul Trembley.
Amor Towles Tweet
September 27, 2019
It asks more questions than it answers and ends on a somewhat unresolved note, but from a literary point of view I think this story is head and shoulders above the others I’ve read so far in this FORWARD collection of SF novellas (4 down, 2 to go). It’s about genetic engineering gone too far, but it’s also about relationships and self-knowledge.
Now excuse me while I go off and think about this some more. Full review to come.
Now excuse me while I go off and think about this some more. Full review to come.
November 19, 2019
YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION was a science fiction tale about eugenics, though that word is never mentioned.
The husband of a couple goes to a company called Vitek which is able to produce a child for them with whatever genes the parents would like. What's different about Vitek, though, is that they are able to show the parents videos of what their child would be like, depending on what "programming" they chose.
It's a disturbing and intriguing idea to write about, so I'm not sure why I got bored in the last third of the tale? A mention that Vitek used to be another company, (whose name most people would recognize), seemed kind of random. And then an ending, which seemed like it should have packed more punch. But for me, for some reason, it did not. *shrug*
*Thanks to Amazon/Audible for the download which was free with my Prime membership.*
The husband of a couple goes to a company called Vitek which is able to produce a child for them with whatever genes the parents would like. What's different about Vitek, though, is that they are able to show the parents videos of what their child would be like, depending on what "programming" they chose.
It's a disturbing and intriguing idea to write about, so I'm not sure why I got bored in the last third of the tale? A mention that Vitek used to be another company, (whose name most people would recognize), seemed kind of random. And then an ending, which seemed like it should have packed more punch. But for me, for some reason, it did not. *shrug*
*Thanks to Amazon/Audible for the download which was free with my Prime membership.*
March 19, 2022
This is my favorite story of the FORWARD collection! They have all been excellent, but this one had a touch of humor that I loved.
The story is divided in three acts, and this part is relevant to the narrative. I am not going to go and describe each part because then we would get into spoilers and the story itself is so short I urge you to go read it.
I loved the main character, I loved the supporting character and the reactions along the way. It was different than the others stories in the sense that I found some scene hilarious.
Overall, a great addition to this collection, go read them if you love science fiction.
This story is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from six great authors. Get the collection here. Free for Prime and Kindle Unlimited members :)
The story is divided in three acts, and this part is relevant to the narrative. I am not going to go and describe each part because then we would get into spoilers and the story itself is so short I urge you to go read it.
I loved the main character, I loved the supporting character and the reactions along the way. It was different than the others stories in the sense that I found some scene hilarious.
Overall, a great addition to this collection, go read them if you love science fiction.
This story is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from six great authors. Get the collection here. Free for Prime and Kindle Unlimited members :)
September 17, 2020
3 Stars
Book five of the six title Forward series for me. This one by the author of A Gentleman In Moscow - which I read earlier this year and enjoyed - so I had high hopes going in.
But, overall it was just okay.
I thought the first part - half to three-fourths or so - we're very good and built up my expectations for the ending. The idea basically being could you predict the life of your future child in the same way your credit score predicts how good you are with money. The scenarios presented were interesting and thought provoking.
But, then the story went off in a different direction and the intrigue of the concept was lost for me. I can tell what the author was trying to do and say, it was just that the content of the end felt so disjointed that it didn't enthral me like the beginning did.
Hopefully if you try you will have a different experience. But, so far, probably my least favorite of the series.
Book five of the six title Forward series for me. This one by the author of A Gentleman In Moscow - which I read earlier this year and enjoyed - so I had high hopes going in.
But, overall it was just okay.
I thought the first part - half to three-fourths or so - we're very good and built up my expectations for the ending. The idea basically being could you predict the life of your future child in the same way your credit score predicts how good you are with money. The scenarios presented were interesting and thought provoking.
But, then the story went off in a different direction and the intrigue of the concept was lost for me. I can tell what the author was trying to do and say, it was just that the content of the end felt so disjointed that it didn't enthral me like the beginning did.
Hopefully if you try you will have a different experience. But, so far, probably my least favorite of the series.
March 14, 2023
Sam goes to a new fertility lab called Vitek. They offer future parents the opportunity to make some very small alterations to the DNA of their child. So their child can have a leg up in an increasingly competitive society. When the fertility lab shows Sam all his options, he starts to realize something about himself. The possibilities of who his future child could end up becoming, with a few genetic nudges in his chosen direction, reveal more about Sam himself than he’d like to admit.
It’s a clever short story that doesn’t go the way I was expecting it to go. Very easy to read and definitely enjoyable.
This was written as a science fiction story. But reality already seems to have caught up with this story a little bit. It’s no longer the future, not the very distant future anyway. This is the present. It’s no longer science fiction, it’s the reality we live in today. In the US it’s already possible to choose your baby’s eye color. And in Northern Cyprus it’s already possible to choose your baby’s gender. You can already do that right now. That’s frightening to say the least. It’s not the science we need to be concerned about. Because that ship has sailed. The things they already know about our DNA are incredible. And the sky is the limit for the future. It’s how we are going to use this knowledge, to what extent and how we’re going to regulate it, that we should be worried about right now. It’s the ethical questions we face today and how we’re going to answer them that will shape mankind’s future. And we should not be taking these questions lightly.
I’d like to end this review by saying thanks to my Goodreads friend Barbara for bringing this interesting story to my attention.
It’s a clever short story that doesn’t go the way I was expecting it to go. Very easy to read and definitely enjoyable.
This was written as a science fiction story. But reality already seems to have caught up with this story a little bit. It’s no longer the future, not the very distant future anyway. This is the present. It’s no longer science fiction, it’s the reality we live in today. In the US it’s already possible to choose your baby’s eye color. And in Northern Cyprus it’s already possible to choose your baby’s gender. You can already do that right now. That’s frightening to say the least. It’s not the science we need to be concerned about. Because that ship has sailed. The things they already know about our DNA are incredible. And the sky is the limit for the future. It’s how we are going to use this knowledge, to what extent and how we’re going to regulate it, that we should be worried about right now. It’s the ethical questions we face today and how we’re going to answer them that will shape mankind’s future. And we should not be taking these questions lightly.
I’d like to end this review by saying thanks to my Goodreads friend Barbara for bringing this interesting story to my attention.
September 19, 2019
Of all of the novellas in the Forward Collection on Amazon, You Have Arrived at Your Destination was my favorite. Genetic engineering scares the hell out of me and to see it so vividly in print was downright terrifying. I absolutely loved the ending! The entire collection is interesting but if you only read one of the offerings, read this one.
November 28, 2019
The blurb says most of it. This is a short about Nature Vs. Nurture.
But what it doesn't say is just how much it's really about determinism. Those moments in our lives that make us reel back and take stock and make us set off in that new direction.
Are you a Third Act kind of person?
Rewrite the script, yo!
I like this one a LOT. I don't like having everything set out for me, either. I want to drive to my own destination, thank you.
But what it doesn't say is just how much it's really about determinism. Those moments in our lives that make us reel back and take stock and make us set off in that new direction.
Are you a Third Act kind of person?
Rewrite the script, yo!
I like this one a LOT. I don't like having everything set out for me, either. I want to drive to my own destination, thank you.
May 28, 2025
3 stars
short review for busy readers:
I'm joining the chorus of reviewers who thought the premise and the first half of this Amazon Original Story was intriguing and well done, but around the midway mark it all started to go south and eventually fell off a cliff.
in detail:
Theme: designer children. Can a company predict and 'direct' the life of a child by bringing certain traits to the forefront and moving others into the background? Vitek claims it can and the mmc attends a session where he views the possible life plans of his yet-to-be-sired offspring.
Unfortunately, once the mmc leaves the centre, the story loses direction, slowly falling apart until it finally rolls to an abrupt stop at -- not a Teder Unsatisfactory Ending™ -- but a "huh? That's it?" ending.
Deffo read this if you are a fan of Towles, or if you just like the sci-fi trope of designer children. Otherwise, probably not worth the time.
short review for busy readers:
I'm joining the chorus of reviewers who thought the premise and the first half of this Amazon Original Story was intriguing and well done, but around the midway mark it all started to go south and eventually fell off a cliff.
in detail:
Theme: designer children. Can a company predict and 'direct' the life of a child by bringing certain traits to the forefront and moving others into the background? Vitek claims it can and the mmc attends a session where he views the possible life plans of his yet-to-be-sired offspring.
Unfortunately, once the mmc leaves the centre, the story loses direction, slowly falling apart until it finally rolls to an abrupt stop at -- not a Teder Unsatisfactory Ending™ -- but a "huh? That's it?" ending.
Deffo read this if you are a fan of Towles, or if you just like the sci-fi trope of designer children. Otherwise, probably not worth the time.
May 22, 2022
“We are who we are, right? There’s no point in pushing our personalities uphill.”
― Amor Towles, You Have Arrived at Your Destination
A fascinating short story! Very very weird and very very out there but completely engrossing.
It would be very hard to say much about this story without giving away crucial things. So even though I often do plot recaps I am not going to do that with the story. Suffice to say the writing is outstanding and futuristic.
I enjoyed the first part more than the second and that is because I thought it was going in a direction it did not go but that I kind of wish it had gone if that makes any sense at all!
I’m reading this for and would’ve given it a five except for certain things that were rather confusing. This is incredibly difficult not to follow but to really understand.
It’s the kind of story where you kind of have to read into things as there are many things that are not really clearly spelled out for U.
I really enjoyed it and it’s fast read. Who else would enjoy it? I think if you like short stories with terrific writing or just like science fiction you should probably read this.
It is also deeply thought-provoking. It might make you wonder about your own choices and what you would do were you to find yourself in the situation the main character finds himself in.
It’s a fascinating exploration of something that is a bit frightening to think about, not to mention creepy, but not something altogether impossible.
I would have to recommend this because it definitely added something to my life reading it and that’s what a good piece of literature is supposed to do.
It’s been a good year of reading so far and this is the story that I think most are likely to admire as well as be a bit creeped out by!
So I’d recommend it. I’m not even a major science fiction reader but I really enjoyed it very much. I think you will too.
― Amor Towles, You Have Arrived at Your Destination
A fascinating short story! Very very weird and very very out there but completely engrossing.
It would be very hard to say much about this story without giving away crucial things. So even though I often do plot recaps I am not going to do that with the story. Suffice to say the writing is outstanding and futuristic.
I enjoyed the first part more than the second and that is because I thought it was going in a direction it did not go but that I kind of wish it had gone if that makes any sense at all!
I’m reading this for and would’ve given it a five except for certain things that were rather confusing. This is incredibly difficult not to follow but to really understand.
It’s the kind of story where you kind of have to read into things as there are many things that are not really clearly spelled out for U.
I really enjoyed it and it’s fast read. Who else would enjoy it? I think if you like short stories with terrific writing or just like science fiction you should probably read this.
It is also deeply thought-provoking. It might make you wonder about your own choices and what you would do were you to find yourself in the situation the main character finds himself in.
It’s a fascinating exploration of something that is a bit frightening to think about, not to mention creepy, but not something altogether impossible.
I would have to recommend this because it definitely added something to my life reading it and that’s what a good piece of literature is supposed to do.
It’s been a good year of reading so far and this is the story that I think most are likely to admire as well as be a bit creeped out by!
So I’d recommend it. I’m not even a major science fiction reader but I really enjoyed it very much. I think you will too.
October 15, 2019
Real Rating: 2.5* of five
This is one of the Forward Collection, short stories...this one's 46pp...based on an idea by Blake Crouch to explore the nature of change, innovation, and society in fiction. I didn't feel this entry suited the brief. It's too gee-whiz about self-driving cars, a thing that's already entered its second decade of reality...it's entirely too wowee-toledo about the idea of in vitro genetic manipulation, something that's basically ready to roll as soon as a generation less squeamish than our kids' is grows into power...and his lumpen over-the-bottom classist narrator/narrative frame was, frankly, eye-rollingly ridiculous.
Man finds his balls in a dive bar? What is this, 1959?
I have arrived at my conclusion: Towles and I will not be deepening our reader/writer acquaintance. This blah little mash-up of Babbitt and We Can Remember It for You Wholesale annoyed me from giddy-up to whoa. HT the gung-ho business lad/cliche generator, Nick the slow-to-anger wise old barkeep, and goddesses please forfend Sam the dull PoV placeholder...can't in good conscience call him a "main character"...were just not engaging or interesting or well-limned or even particularly readable.
I tried the Moscow one. I even scudded through part of the Civility one. This far and no farther.
This is one of the Forward Collection, short stories...this one's 46pp...based on an idea by Blake Crouch to explore the nature of change, innovation, and society in fiction. I didn't feel this entry suited the brief. It's too gee-whiz about self-driving cars, a thing that's already entered its second decade of reality...it's entirely too wowee-toledo about the idea of in vitro genetic manipulation, something that's basically ready to roll as soon as a generation less squeamish than our kids' is grows into power...and his lumpen over-the-bottom classist narrator/narrative frame was, frankly, eye-rollingly ridiculous.
Man finds his balls in a dive bar? What is this, 1959?
I have arrived at my conclusion: Towles and I will not be deepening our reader/writer acquaintance. This blah little mash-up of Babbitt and We Can Remember It for You Wholesale annoyed me from giddy-up to whoa. HT the gung-ho business lad/cliche generator, Nick the slow-to-anger wise old barkeep, and goddesses please forfend Sam the dull PoV placeholder...can't in good conscience call him a "main character"...were just not engaging or interesting or well-limned or even particularly readable.
I tried the Moscow one. I even scudded through part of the Civility one. This far and no farther.
October 1, 2019
This was a pretty decent short story.
November 8, 2019
This 46-page short story is an exploration of the potential for creating designer babies by genetic engineering, allowing potential parents to choose the physical and intellectual attributes which will potentially lead to different futures for this child over the years. Their future success and personality depending on the choices made by the parents. Choices which are made by viewing videos made by this fertility lab, Vitek, showing the outcomes of various potential choices, the potential successes and failures.
A thought-provoking short story, this is part of Amazon Digital Services Forward, a collection of six stories which also includes Randomize by Andy Weir, Summer Frost by Blake Crouch, Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin, The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay, and Ark by Veronica Roth. Each story can be purchased separately, or by purchasing the collection.
A thought-provoking short story, this is part of Amazon Digital Services Forward, a collection of six stories which also includes Randomize by Andy Weir, Summer Frost by Blake Crouch, Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin, The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay, and Ark by Veronica Roth. Each story can be purchased separately, or by purchasing the collection.
January 21, 2024
“It goes without saying that our lives are intricate and multifaceted. But they also tend to have a larger arc that takes us from a position of youthful self assurance through a period of setbacks, leading to a third phase in which, if we’re lucky, we’ve confronted our limitations and become deeper people ready to lead richer lives.”
this short story is about Sam and his wife, who get in contact with a genetic engineering company who can help change your child’s genes and their possible future paths in life. this wasn’t bad— but i didn’t connect to the story at all and honestly.. i kinda zoned out for most of it. i just don’t think this was executed in a interesting way and it felt very dull. whatever the point of this was, it flew right over my head and the sci-fi elements were very lacking.
➝ short story #4 of amazon’s Forward collection🧬.
this short story is about Sam and his wife, who get in contact with a genetic engineering company who can help change your child’s genes and their possible future paths in life. this wasn’t bad— but i didn’t connect to the story at all and honestly.. i kinda zoned out for most of it. i just don’t think this was executed in a interesting way and it felt very dull. whatever the point of this was, it flew right over my head and the sci-fi elements were very lacking.
➝ short story #4 of amazon’s Forward collection🧬.
December 24, 2019
The fallacy of statistics and averages versus life
It goes without saying that our lives are intricate and multifaceted. But they also tend to have a larger arc that takes us from a position of youthful self-assurance through a period of setbacks, leading to a third phase in which, if we’re lucky, we’ve confronted our limitations and become deeper people ready to lead richer lives.
Another book on gene editing, after I just finished The Island of Doctor Moreau.
Here we are not confronted with manbeasts but with the choice of "contour" of your child. Sam Paxton, who steadily earned his fortune and is now ready to have children, has three options to choice from, carefully curated by Vitek, a cutting edge firm.
His son can basically turn out to be one of three archetypes:
- Good natured and mildly successful professional with a happy family life;
- An independent minded creative artist, free and independent and successful in the end and
- An everything comes easy corporate type, who is morally bankrupt but gets to enlightenment in his third "act" (“But why does he have to be such an asshole to become a good person?”).
These archetypes touches on predestination, and in how far we are in control of our lives, as recognized by Vitek as well:
So, yes. Working in a law firm or ad firm or consulting firm. In Chicago or Atlanta or San Francisco. These are basically variables, and regardless of which ones Daniel chooses, he will probably end up with a similar life experience. But let’s not get too bogged down in the weeds.
The fear of missing out and not giving your child the best options is nicely described by Amor Towles and the whole theme is addressed in a realistic, non-hysterical and not too sci-fi kind of way. In a sense you get a feeling that gene editing (or nudging as Vitek wants to call it) will not be much different then the sending of your child to private tuition if you are affluent enough to afford it.
In the end I missed a kind of emotional punch, and I found a conveniently unlocked car and a payphone a bit anachronistic, but overall this is a well written short story.
Three stars.
It goes without saying that our lives are intricate and multifaceted. But they also tend to have a larger arc that takes us from a position of youthful self-assurance through a period of setbacks, leading to a third phase in which, if we’re lucky, we’ve confronted our limitations and become deeper people ready to lead richer lives.
Another book on gene editing, after I just finished The Island of Doctor Moreau.
Here we are not confronted with manbeasts but with the choice of "contour" of your child. Sam Paxton, who steadily earned his fortune and is now ready to have children, has three options to choice from, carefully curated by Vitek, a cutting edge firm.
His son can basically turn out to be one of three archetypes:
- Good natured and mildly successful professional with a happy family life;
- An independent minded creative artist, free and independent and successful in the end and
- An everything comes easy corporate type, who is morally bankrupt but gets to enlightenment in his third "act" (“But why does he have to be such an asshole to become a good person?”).
These archetypes touches on predestination, and in how far we are in control of our lives, as recognized by Vitek as well:
So, yes. Working in a law firm or ad firm or consulting firm. In Chicago or Atlanta or San Francisco. These are basically variables, and regardless of which ones Daniel chooses, he will probably end up with a similar life experience. But let’s not get too bogged down in the weeds.
The fear of missing out and not giving your child the best options is nicely described by Amor Towles and the whole theme is addressed in a realistic, non-hysterical and not too sci-fi kind of way. In a sense you get a feeling that gene editing (or nudging as Vitek wants to call it) will not be much different then the sending of your child to private tuition if you are affluent enough to afford it.
In the end I missed a kind of emotional punch, and I found a conveniently unlocked car and a payphone a bit anachronistic, but overall this is a well written short story.
Three stars.
January 14, 2020
This story about a pivotal point in technological advancement is about reproduction. Yes, human reproduction. As such, this was especially interesting since we've had a lot of discussions online and in different governments about what is technologically possible and what people think/feel should be morally doable.
Sam is asked by his wife if they want to try one of the companies helping humans to conceive a somewhat enhanced child. No implants, no genetic alterations like laser eyes - "just" pushing some genetic markers while supprssing others in order to boost the child's chances in life (career-wise as much as biologically). He decides they should go to Vitek.
But when a company can calculate decisions and therefore life styles by and for people who haven't even been born (projections that then let them decide which genetic markers need to be pushed and which ones need to be suppressed), where's the free will?
Are you the best version of yourself? Are you less because you haven't been genetically perfected? What does your life mean, were your choices the right ones?
Watching all these projections through Sam's eyes was seriously creepy. Personally, I don't mind the screenings that are currently already possible, checking if the baby will be sick, potentially terminating the pregnancy if it would be severely disabled (no, in my opinion that doesn't mean that - like Hitler - I'm promoting killing disabled people, but living is already difficult enough and I'd spare my child and try to get pregnant again later), but where does it stop?! A valid question.
Not to mention the question about free will and not having a handbook for life but just living it, with all the consequences. No design (as there is no God), just actions and reactions.
This time I didn't know the audio version's narrator but he was really good.
Sam is asked by his wife if they want to try one of the companies helping humans to conceive a somewhat enhanced child. No implants, no genetic alterations like laser eyes - "just" pushing some genetic markers while supprssing others in order to boost the child's chances in life (career-wise as much as biologically). He decides they should go to Vitek.
But when a company can calculate decisions and therefore life styles by and for people who haven't even been born (projections that then let them decide which genetic markers need to be pushed and which ones need to be suppressed), where's the free will?
Are you the best version of yourself? Are you less because you haven't been genetically perfected? What does your life mean, were your choices the right ones?
Watching all these projections through Sam's eyes was seriously creepy. Personally, I don't mind the screenings that are currently already possible, checking if the baby will be sick, potentially terminating the pregnancy if it would be severely disabled (no, in my opinion that doesn't mean that - like Hitler - I'm promoting killing disabled people, but living is already difficult enough and I'd spare my child and try to get pregnant again later), but where does it stop?! A valid question.
Not to mention the question about free will and not having a handbook for life but just living it, with all the consequences. No design (as there is no God), just actions and reactions.
This time I didn't know the audio version's narrator but he was really good.
October 26, 2019
3.5 thought-provoking stars
This was a quick read as it is a short story, perfect for the airport! I read "A Gentleman in Moscow" by this author and loved it. I also had a chance to hear the author speak, so I was excited to see this new choice out by this author.
This is a futuristic tale, reminded me a bit of Ray Bradbury, about the future of genetic choices and babies. It was chilling and gave me some food for thought about how much science has gotten involved in this industry. How far would you go?
This was a quick read as it is a short story, perfect for the airport! I read "A Gentleman in Moscow" by this author and loved it. I also had a chance to hear the author speak, so I was excited to see this new choice out by this author.
This is a futuristic tale, reminded me a bit of Ray Bradbury, about the future of genetic choices and babies. It was chilling and gave me some food for thought about how much science has gotten involved in this industry. How far would you go?
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