Book Review: The Immortality Chronicles by: Samuel Peralta , Will Swardstrom, Thomas Robins, D. Robert Pease, Paul B. Kohler, D.K. Cassidy, John Gregory Hancock, Harlow C. Fallon , Patricia Gilliam, E.E. Giorgi, Drew Avera, David Bruns, Gareth Foy
Edited by: Carol Davis
I give this book five out of five stars. This is a wonderful collection of shorts, with each one posing a few new and some old questions on immortality. Is living eternal a goal or a debasement of the meaning of life? Will the change make human life better or render its beauty a perversion. I especially liked The Control, by: Will Swardstrom, The Backup, by: Patricia Gilliam, and A Severance of Souls, by: Drew Avera.
In The Control, I liked the action through historical events, and how the ancient alien concept was incorporated into the story. It was a great character arch to see the young mind of the protagonist fooled in the beginning, but growing over time to develop and find his free will. It was well paced and I was satisfied with the ending.
Patricia Gilliam’s The Backup, was a page turner. There were many interesting twists within just a few short pages, and I was quickly drawn into the story. I felt emotionally tied to unexpected deaths, and even the injury of the family pet. I want to know more about the assassins, pre programed weapons, and the motivation behind it all.
Drew Avera’s A Severance of Souls, I think hit on one of the key aspects of immortality: Is it worth having if we are alone? Is it better to face an end with people you love, than run after the laurels and achievements of work pursuits?
Rememorations, by: Paul B. Kohler, was another story that stood out. Memory and the human brain is still something scientists are working to understand. How would massive memory loss affect our present life? I liked this exploration of what would happen if part of our history were taken away? Would reoccurring memory loss be a worthy cost to becoming immortal? I’m not a fan of multiple flashbacks as a narrative, but I enjoyed how they were used in this story. It was appropriate for the decision making process presented to the protagonist.
Overall they were all well done, with a variety of voices and styles providing lots of ideas and questions to ponder.
