Wouldn’t you want to live forever? Don’t we dream that perhaps science can one day extend our lifespan far beyond our expectations? In The Not Yet, science has practically achieved that goal, altering society and creating an upper class of Heirs, who have been Treated and will live forever. In addition to the Heirs, there are the Not-Yet’s, who are waiting to be treated and the rest of society– the Low Naturals.
“Prologue, I eventually decided, meant that you weren’t supposed to live now, so you could live later, when you deserved to.”
Malcolm is a Not-Yet and he has been building up a trust fund his whole life to pay for Treatment so he can join the ranks of the Heirs. Is living forever worth what he will give up?
Why is this on our bookshelf?
In this 2012 Philip K. Dick Award nominee, author Moira Crone has imagined a future in which no apocalypse happened, and yet society and future are vastly different because of the way a scientific advancement has affected the world and the very way people live. Oh, and New Orleans is a group of islands because of rising sea levels and various storms. Fun!
Rating (5 stars)
It seems like many science fiction novels that receive a lot of praise can be a bit too heavy-handed with their exploration of deep topics for me.
The Not Yet struck the right balance in my opinion because although it explored questions of immortality and the passage of time, it still managed to have an engaging plot and a main character that I could empathize with.
Read this book:
If you’ve ever mused on the repercussions of immortality. Or if you like New Orleans.
Don't Read this book:
If you don’t like discussions about death.
Once you're done, do this:
Plan a trip to New Orleans before they become the New Orleans Islands.
