Early Book Review: The Postmortal by Drew Magary

The Postmortal by Drew Magary is a fascinating piece of fiction that is due to be released on August 30 2011. It is a frightening glimpse at humanity, including the capacity for good and evil inside us all. The novel is fast-paced, endearing, and one that stays with you long after you finish the book. I finished reading it a week ago, and am still dreaming about the details and characters within the story. The novel is a dystopian vision, a cautionary tale, a witty morality tale, a revenge fable with tones of noir, and an action adventure story. The book's narrative is introduced through John's blog entries and collections of news or media tidbits that he saved. After taking the cure for aging, John Farrell initially revels in the fact that old age can not kill him. Readers join John in his sixty years as a 29-year-old. However, there are still plenty of things, and people, that can hurt or kill him. Readers join him as deals with life: the love, pain, grief, and terror of a normal lifetime as well as the issues that arise from living in a time of revelations and revolutions.

Imagine a scientific mix up could really discover the gene that causes us to age, and then how to turn that switch off. The horrors of Alzheimer's were no more. That would be wonderful, right? Well, maybe not as great as you might think. The Postmortal explores what might happen if the population could stop aging. No more dealing with the slow decline as we age. However, if everyone could live forever how would the already strained resources on Earth support everyone as we continue to grow in number with no end in sight. Revolutions, terrorism, gangs, poverty, violence and all the greed and evil that lie within humanity could rise to the surface. Even those with the best of intentions, such as some religious cults and lawmakers, can bring about morally bankrupt solutions or tactics. John Farrell is just trying to live his life. Amid the turmoil surrounding him he just wants the same things we all want, to have love and a satisfying life. However, the world is full of people with differing viewpoints, and a good number of people that are violent in their efforts to further their cause. The new ageless world is coming apart at the seams and John stays informed and on the fringes of some of the most contentious issues as the world continues to move onward.

While The Postmortal is terrifying at times, it is also funny, entertaining and occasionally uplifting. The word play and skill with the turn of the phrase are fantastic. It is rare to see such a seamless blend of humor, fear, and real life done in such a way that I honestly believe that the future portrayed in The Postmortal is entirely possible. The characters were so well written that many could be alive and well in this world. The believability made the read so much more poignant, and terrifying.

I highly recommend The Postmortal to every adult reader that likes to laugh, to think about our future and the planet, read dystopian novels, and read novels that are just plan well written. Mature teens might enjoy the novel as well. There is some violence, .and discussion of war and violence, however no more than needed to establish the depth of the situation. After reading this novel I have even more concern for the environment and scientific research and discovery.