The End Specialist: Who
Wants to Live Forever?
Written by: Drew Magary
2019. Humanity has witnessed its
greatest scientific breakthrough yet: the cure for ageing. Three injections and
you’re immortal – not bulletproof or disease–proof but you’ll never have to
fear death by old age.
For John Farrell, documenting the
cataclysmic shifts to life after the cure becomes an obsession. Sure parties,
cycle marriages, immortal livestock: the world is reveling in the miracles of
eternal youth. But immorality has a sinister side, and when a pro-death
terrorist explosion kills his newly-cured best friend, John soon realizes that
even in a world without natural death, there is always something to fear.
Now, John must make a new choice:
run and hide forever, or stay and fight those who try to make immortal life a
living hell.
I must say I was quite intrigued
by the book. It had a promising cover: the grim reaper with its own scythe
plunged into its chest. The death of death itself. The concept of immorality is
not new, but it has either been restricted to few people (Gods, holy men etc)
or there have been living dead (read: Zombies). In The End Specialist, the cure
for aging is in reach for everyone.
The book is written as a
blog, spanning a time over 60 years. The first entry is from 2019, when John
went to the doctor to get the cure. It is still not legalized in the USA, but
possible to acquire from the black market. We read about how he feel about
getting the cure, his families reaction, and the political debate going about
whether or not to legalize the cure.
John is an everyday man.
A lawyer with a good job, a loving family and a good future. The reader
understand his and everyone else desire to take the cure. Eith the cure comes
other question. The way of life is altered. When you have a eternity to live,
will you then live it with the same spouse? Is it responsible to have many
kids? They will grow until an age, before they take the cure. And with an
eternity to live will they take an education? How long are you responsible for
your kids? And the sustainability of a never-ending human race on the planet?
And the essential question: would you take the cure if you had the possibility?
The best thing about the
writing style is how Magary writes the book as a blog, without making it too cliché
or boring. He writes fictional news headlines, the Presidential speech before
the cure is legalized and political opinion. It makes it more lifelike and more
sinister. It also makes it difficult to put it aside. I read the book in one
and a half day. I started at the evening of the first day, and I had it read
out before i went to sleep next day.
Recommended at the highest. 4/5 stars
The Webside of the book: http://getthecure.co.uk/
