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gerstlauer's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting buildup, but the final act ended so abruptly that it leaves one rather unsatisfied.
kmwolff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
maggiebook's review against another edition
2.0
This short story engaged me in what I will call act 1 but then really lost me in act 2. For me the story became disjointed lost its way.
fedak's review against another edition
2.0
Sort of an expansion on the Gattica concept where prospective parents can hand select sperm/egg based on genetic analysis- but this take it a step further applying a machine learning algorithm to project the child's prospective future.
The narrative follows a prospective father who is walked though the process and then shown a short list of 3 children that his wife had curated from their available genetic options. Spliced into this is a philosophical thread comparing human lives to three act plays.
Then the protagonist goes and gets drunk in a bar. The end.
[Spoiler: My reading of the final part of the book was that him visiting the bar was his reaction to being told that his wife was 'still in her second act'. i.e. That her current marriage/life situation was her obstacle to overcome before she could be truly happy. This wasn't terribly well explained in the narrative]
The narrative follows a prospective father who is walked though the process and then shown a short list of 3 children that his wife had curated from their available genetic options. Spliced into this is a philosophical thread comparing human lives to three act plays.
Then the protagonist goes and gets drunk in a bar. The end.
[Spoiler: My reading of the final part of the book was that him visiting the bar was his reaction to being told that his wife was 'still in her second act'. i.e. That her current marriage/life situation was her obstacle to overcome before she could be truly happy. This wasn't terribly well explained in the narrative]
bookgraphy's review against another edition
3.0
This was complicated to rate because I love the idea and message behind this story and the whole genetic engineering topic but I just could not connect with the writing for some reason :(
yerggggggg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
brandongryder's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not much of a short story fan, but this was excellent. Looking forward to the author’s new collection.
rustbeltredux's review against another edition
3.0
Is there supposed to be a slog in the middle of a short story collection?
This one never really got off the ground for me. It’s a fascinating take on the morality and feasibility of tailor-made baby making and there was a brief glimpse of what this story could be if it was taken out of the constraints of a short story.
This one never really got off the ground for me. It’s a fascinating take on the morality and feasibility of tailor-made baby making and there was a brief glimpse of what this story could be if it was taken out of the constraints of a short story.