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The Postmortal: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,026 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
John Farrell is about to get "The Cure."
Old age can never kill him now.
The only problem is, everything else still can . . .
Imagine a near future where a cure for aging is discovered and—after much political and moral debate—made available to people worldwide. Immortality, however, comes with its own unique problems—including evil green people, government euthanasia programs, a disturbing new religious cult, and other horrors. Witty, eerie, and full of humanity, The Postmortal is an unforgettable thriller that envisions a pre-apocalyptic world so real that it is completely terrifying.
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"Magary imagines a near-future where a scientist has discovered a "cure" for aging -- a way to prevent normal cellular degradation -- and plots out the subsequent impact on marriage, parenting, politics, religion, ethics and other aspects of our culture. Does the meaning of "I'll love you forever" change when a marriage can last not 40 years, but 800 years? What does it mean to never have to worry about retirement? These smaller questions pave the way for larger questions -- does life mean less if you get more of it? How are scientific advances impacting our society and culture? What are the costs of a society that worships youth and scorns the elderly? An engaging protagonist and fascination hypotheticals makes up for a sketchy plot and some unrealistic dialogue making this novel a fun and thought-provoking look at our possible future."
— John (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A must-read for fans of postmodern dystopia in the vein of Margaret Atwood, Chuck Palahniuk, and Neil Gaiman.”
— Library Journal -
“Magary’s relaxed, conversational style…and pragmatic assessment of the warty idiocy that is the most likely outcome of humanity figuring out how to immortalize itself make the premise remarkably easy to swallow.”
— Booklist -
“Magary’s haunting first novel imagines a postmodern dystopia that would seem far-fetched if it didn’t seem so possible. The Postmortal will make you regret ever wondering, even secretly, what it would be like to live forever.”
— Stefan Fatsis, author of A Few Seconds of Panic -
“A terrifyingly possible dystopian world…The book builds at a steady pace, from seemingly innocent days of ‘what if,’ to the nightmarish landscapes that emerge as humanity ages, yet never seems to learn from its own history. It’s a surprisingly scary—and funny—page-turner.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
The Postmortal Listener Reviews
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6/3/2022
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" It's an eerie book because all the events that happen in it are very possible. Peter Pan cases are the most disturbing... "
— Sarah, 2/11/2014 -
" Good sci-fi (gadgets, chemistry, mega-corporations!) speculating on a scenario that had never occurred to me. Magary was an editor at Gawker so no suprise that his voice is modern and quick paced. I hesitate to describe apocalyptic anarchy as a "fun" read, but it was ... in a scary way. "
— Andrea, 2/10/2014 -
" I picked this book up on a whim for about $1, interested in the premise but not very optimistic about its quality since I had never heard anything about it. Huge error. I have not been this drawn into a sci-fi novel for months and felt a deliciously real sense of panic at the near-future that Drew Magary has created. I want to shove this book onto EVERYONE, not just sci-fi fans. It's the perfect balance between a quick weekend pulp read and a dark 'what-if' scenario that brings up big questions. I look forward to whatever else this author brings out. "
— Joooordan!, 2/10/2014 -
" Great, great book. I tore through this thing in like three sittings. It's just such a great idea "what if there was a cure for aging" and you get to see what life would be like if everyone had the ability to stop aging and "live forever." "
— Jeremiah, 2/6/2014 -
" well, this was certainly written by Drew Magary. "
— keri., 2/4/2014 -
" Always a sucker for a dystopian near-future. A little obvious it was written by a first time author but still good nonetheless. "
— Addam, 2/1/2014 -
" I've read a lot of books with no endings.lately. "
— Scott, 1/19/2014 -
" Very interesting concept: What would life be like if there was a cure for aging? Turns out, it gets bad. "
— Billy, 1/5/2014 -
" A lot of fun. Seeing the ways society changes with optional immortality raised some interesting developments. "
— Dan, 11/29/2013 -
" Interesting ideas, pretty flat characters. A quick, fun read. "
— Leo, 11/24/2013 -
" Be careful what you wish for.....a realistic dystopia arising from human greed. I could not put this book down! "
— Liz, 11/22/2013 -
" Nice try Book, but I still aim to live forever. "
— Christian, 11/20/2013 -
" This was my second time reading this book, and I absolutely loved it. A great insight on how the vanity of man can bring the entire world down. "
— Natika, 11/1/2013 -
" Some interesting ideas, but Magary, who cracks me up at least 3 times a week, is a pretty weak fiction writer. I'll still read whatever he comes out with, though, since posting poop stories on deadspin can't pay all the bills. "
— Josh, 9/10/2013 -
" I couldnt sleep after I finished it. Its scary that it all seems so plausible. "
— Emily, 6/27/2013 -
" I only really knew Magary from Deadspin and other sports writing, but the concept sounded interesting and it was. A very decent post-apocalyptic novel with a good plot, decent characters. Enjoyable overall. "
— Peter, 11/13/2012 -
" I finished this one ten minutes ago and am still processing it, but my current impression: read this goddamn book. Do it. That is all. "
— Raventongue, 5/23/2012 -
" Intriguing and thought-provoking for the first 2/3, as Magary follows several threads about the end of aging to their logical conclusions (from big issues like overcrowding and famine to the more mundane horrors of never being able to retire). Kind of falls apart at the end. "
— Amy, 4/23/2012
About Drew Magary
Drew Magary is an American columnist, interviewer, and author. A regular contributor for GQ magazine, he has also written for Deadspin, NBC, and Maxim and been published in Rolling Stone, New York, ESPN, Playboy, Atlantic, and Penthouse, among others. His novel The Postmortal was nominated for a Philip K. Dick Award in 2011, and The End Specialist was nominated for an Arthur C. Clarke Award.
About Johnny Heller
Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.