The Vessel
Nov 27, 2012
Author: Rita Kempley
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Birthright Publishing (September 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985901020
ISBN-13: 978-0985901028
Book Description:
IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE, LIFE EXTENSION HAS BECOME A WAY OF LIFE FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS WHILE THE POOR STRUGGLE TO GET BY. IS IT FAIR? IS IT ETHICAL? YOU DECIDE.
Want to live longer? See Margaret Hughes. New York City's celebutants, politically connected and idle rich swear by her. As chief neurosurgeon of the family’s life-extension center, she transfers clients’ memories, talents and personalities into young replacement bodies. These vessels are grown from clients’ cells and nurtured to adulthood in the center’s sensory-isolation chambers. Margaret loves her work, adores her father, Morgan, and recently initiated a steamy affair with hunky medical courier, Chase Lyman.
The Hughes Renewal Center, however, is increasingly under attack by the Evangelicals for Natural Death (END), who raid the center’s storage hives and destroy scores of vessels. When Morgan Hughes contracts an incurable disease and must transfer into his vessel, Margaret discovers it may have been snatched by the fundamentalist bastards. If his vessel isn’t found ASAP, Morgan will die painfully. He’s only 152 – much too young to go, in his humble opinion. And while searching for her father’s vessel, Margaret unearths a shocking link to Chase that may hold the key to her father’s survival.
Idgie Says:
I have seen this type of theme in futuristic stories before - everyone lives for the hope of remaining young while retaining their mature minds. It's a basic sci-fi theme but can be tweaked to become an individual story.
In this story, no one snatches bodies of healthy people and pops new minds in them.....until the bodies grown for one of the most influential men in the country is itself snatched by protesters. Then, as time runs out due to illness, the line is crossed and snatching is considered.
The characters are realistic, the dialogue flows smoothly and there actually is a surprise ending.
Overall, a nice futuristic novel that could easily be fun casual reading, especially with fall coming and the fireside just begging for wood, pillows and a book for the evening.
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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com
