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theaurochs 's review for:
You Have Arrived at Your Destination
by Amor Towles
Disappointing on a few counts.
First off; in a collection of short stories called Forward, dealing with near future technologies, climate change and evolution, the new-fangled gadget that is pushed centre-stage in this short story (and indeed gives it its name) is... wait for it... a self-driving car!
Wait really? Yes really; it's framed as if it should feel like a massive breakthrough, redefining the landscape of society. And maybe it is, maybe it does feel like that to some people. But in truth this is decade-old technology, which makes this story feel distinctly out of place in this collection.
The other technology, which to be fair is even more central to the plot, is genetic tailoring. Also; not new technology.
The first half of the story follows the main character visiting a high-end fertility clinic, to discuss possible futures for his as yet unconcieved child. Without his wife. Without his wife? Really? Yes really; apparently this isn't something noteworthy enough to bother getting together with your wife about. I really could not get over this seemingly simple oversight; are we really suggesting that the wife has no say in the child's life?
But anyway. We are given three possible glimpses of the child's future; based on statistical analysis of gene types and socie-economic situations of the parents. I have to admit, this is the cool idea of the novel; using similar actuarial predictions to life insurance companies right from the get-go absolutely feels plausible. But these predictions are presented as short films that have been created and acted out in bizarre detail that immediately drew me back out; I guess this expensive fertility clinic has to justify their costs somehow.
Once we've had these three possible futures; our protagonist finds himself confronted with the ideas of mortality and predestination, so does what any good protagonist in fiction would do; goes driving down a new road and stops at a random dive bar- proceeding to get very drunk and have deep, heartfelt conversations with the bartender about the meaning of life. It's all very twee and eye-roll-inducing; you will feel like you have seen this scene a dozen times before in sitcoms, films, you name it. And it lasts the entire second half of the novella! It tries to make some interesting points about preparedness for raising a child and the unpredictability of life, but never really managed to reach meaningful for me.
Perhaps an author writing outside of their comfort zone, but nevertheless a strangely stilted, unimaginative take on some fairly well-trodden ground.
First off; in a collection of short stories called Forward, dealing with near future technologies, climate change and evolution, the new-fangled gadget that is pushed centre-stage in this short story (and indeed gives it its name) is... wait for it... a self-driving car!
Wait really? Yes really; it's framed as if it should feel like a massive breakthrough, redefining the landscape of society. And maybe it is, maybe it does feel like that to some people. But in truth this is decade-old technology, which makes this story feel distinctly out of place in this collection.
The other technology, which to be fair is even more central to the plot, is genetic tailoring. Also; not new technology.
The first half of the story follows the main character visiting a high-end fertility clinic, to discuss possible futures for his as yet unconcieved child. Without his wife. Without his wife? Really? Yes really; apparently this isn't something noteworthy enough to bother getting together with your wife about. I really could not get over this seemingly simple oversight; are we really suggesting that the wife has no say in the child's life?
But anyway. We are given three possible glimpses of the child's future; based on statistical analysis of gene types and socie-economic situations of the parents. I have to admit, this is the cool idea of the novel; using similar actuarial predictions to life insurance companies right from the get-go absolutely feels plausible. But these predictions are presented as short films that have been created and acted out in bizarre detail that immediately drew me back out; I guess this expensive fertility clinic has to justify their costs somehow.
Once we've had these three possible futures; our protagonist finds himself confronted with the ideas of mortality and predestination, so does what any good protagonist in fiction would do; goes driving down a new road and stops at a random dive bar- proceeding to get very drunk and have deep, heartfelt conversations with the bartender about the meaning of life. It's all very twee and eye-roll-inducing; you will feel like you have seen this scene a dozen times before in sitcoms, films, you name it. And it lasts the entire second half of the novella! It tries to make some interesting points about preparedness for raising a child and the unpredictability of life, but never really managed to reach meaningful for me.
Perhaps an author writing outside of their comfort zone, but nevertheless a strangely stilted, unimaginative take on some fairly well-trodden ground.