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The Postmortal: A Novel [Paperback]

Drew Magary
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 30, 2011

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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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Unnerving. . . . An absorbing picture of dawning apocalypse. . . . A disturbing portrait of a society convinced it's close to utopia when a cure for aging is invented. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't take long for that seeming utopia to dissolve into a planet-overstressed from overpopulation, food and fuel shortages, and general lawlessness-going into systemic failure. . . . The Postmortal is a suitably chilling entry into the 'it's-the-end-of-the-world' canon."
(-The Austin Chronicle )

"Magary's vision of future technology and science is eerily realistic. . . . By the time you finish, you'll want to hold your loved ones close and stockpile bottles of water. If all else fails, you could potentially make a living selling them a few decades from now."
(-The New York Press )

"An exciting page turner. . . . Drew Magary is an excellent writer. This is his first novel but he tells the story masterfully. . . . The most frightening thing about The Postmortal is that this could really happen-it's not a supernatural story, but it's even more terrifying than zombie apocalypse."
(-Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing )

"An exciting page turner. . . . Drew Magary is an excellent writer. This is his first novel but he tells the story masterfully. . . . The most frightening thing about The Postmortal is that this could really happen-it's not a supernatural story, but it's even more terrifying than zombie apocalypse."
(-Booklist )

"The first novel from a popular sports blogger and humorist puts a darkly comic spin on a science fiction premise and hits the sweet spot between Margaret Atwood and Kurt Vonnegut. . . . [Magary] understands that satire is most effective when it gives the real world a gently absurd nudge, then lets its characters react much as we ourselves might under the same circumstances."
(-Ron Hogan, Shelf Awareness )

"Immortality has figured in a number of sf novels prior to this one, but never, to my experience, in this way. . . . A very clear-eyed picture, one I don't think has been drawn before. . . . The Postmortal surprised me in a good way."
(-Michelle West, Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine )

"Immortality has figured in a number of sf novels prior to this one, but never, to my experience, in this way. . . . A very clear-eyed picture, one I don't think has been drawn before. . . . The Postmortal surprised me in a good way."
(-Kirkus Reviews )

"The Postmortal is a punchy, fast-paced and endearing story. . . . As the novel progresses, it turns from a snappy morality tale, to a noir- ish revenge fable, to an action movie; complete with guns, rogue religious cults and government-sanctioned hit men. The narrative comes to us through John's blog entries and collections of news bytes and pundit commentary. Through his sixty years as a 29-year-old, he experiences all the love, pain, grief, and terror of a standard lifetime and is still in good enough shape to kick some ass at the end. Like much good dystopian fiction, The Postmortal is an at-times unflattering commentary on human beings, present, past and future, that hits the mark in many ways. . . . For anyone intrigued with Life Extension science, it's a fun examination of our fears and expectations."
(-The Nervous Breakdown )

"The Postmortal is a punchy, fast-paced and endearing story. . . . As the novel progresses, it turns from a snappy morality tale, to a noir- ish revenge fable, to an action movie; complete with guns, rogue religious cults and government-sanctioned hit men. The narrative comes to us through John's blog entries and collections of news bytes and pundit commentary. Through his sixty years as a 29-year-old, he experiences all the love, pain, grief, and terror of a standard lifetime and is still in good enough shape to kick some ass at the end. Like much good dystopian fiction, The Postmortal is an at-times unflattering commentary on human beings, present, past and future, that hits the mark in many ways. . . . For anyone intrigued with Life Extension science, it's a fun examination of our fears and expectations."
(-Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak and A Few Seconds of Panic )

"A darkly comic, totally gonzo, and effectively frightening population- bomb dystopia in the spirit of Logan's Run, Soylent Green, and the best episodes of The Twilight Zone."
(-Neal Pollack, author of Alternadad and Stretch )

"A darkly comic, totally gonzo, and effectively frightening population- bomb dystopia in the spirit of Logan's Run, Soylent Green, and the best episodes of The Twilight Zone."
(-Will Leitch, author of Are We Winning? and God Save The Fan )

"As insanely entertaining as it is ambitious, The Postmortal takes us into an America set in the next few years and coming apart under the onslaught of a dreadful new plague--that of human immortality. Magary possesses an explosive imagination and let loose in The Postmartal, he creates an alternate history of the near future that feels real and is probably inevitable. Read The Postmortal if you want to find out what happened to the human race in our last violent and absurd few years in New York."
(-Evan Wright, author of Generation Kill )

“As insanely entertaining as it is ambitious, The Postmortal takes us into an America set in the next few years and coming apart under the onslaught of a dreadful new plague—that of human immortality. Magary possesses an explosive imagination and let loose in The Postmartal, he creates an alternate history of the near future that feels real and is probably inevitable. Read The Postmortal if you want to find out what happened to the human race in our last violent and absurd few years in New York.”
(-L. Jon Wertheim, coauthor of Scorecasting )

"As someone who is totally freaked out by the thought of dying, The Postmortal really stood on top of me and peed on my face. It's depiction of the future isn't filled with crappy robots fighting Will Smith. It's filled with eerily realistic portrayals of what the future could look like and does it all in an incredibly entertaining story."
(-Justin Halpern, author of Sh*t My Dad Says )

About the Author

Drew Magary is a writer for Deadspin, NBC, Maxim, and Kissing Suzy Kolber. He's also written for GQ, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, ESPN, Yahoo!, Comedy Central, Playboy, Penthouse, and various other media outlets. His first book, Men with Balls, was released in 2008. This is his first novel. He lives in Maryland with his wife and children.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books; 1 edition (August 30, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9780143119821
  • ISBN-13: 978-0143119821
  • ASIN: 0143119826
  • Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Dystopian humor August 30, 2011
Format:Paperback
In 2019, the "cure for aging" -- gene therapy -- is legal in only four countries, but immortality can be purchased on the black market. The issue is divisive: gene therapy's opponents use terrorist tactics to attack the black market while protests in favor of legalizing the cure turn ugly. The desire to cheat death ultimately triumphs.

John Farrell takes the cure without devoting much thought to its downside: If you stop aging, retirement isn't an option and you can forget about social security. If your parents don't die, you don't inherit. If you live forever, you never experience eternal respite from annoying relatives and politicians, it's less easy to ignore future threats like global warming, and the escape clause from your marital vows -- until death do us part -- becomes a nullity. Couples often say they marry so they can grow old together. Would they bother with marriage if eternal youth made possible an eternal choice of partners? On a more serious note, the pressures of overpopulation would dramatically increase the already unsustainable consumption of finite resources, a predicament that would initially lead to hoarding, then to war, and ultimately to a barren planet.

Beginning in 2019, Farrell blogs about the impact gene therapy has on his life and the world. The introduction to The Postmortal advises us that Farrell's text files are discovered in 2090. Through Farrell's eyes, we watch the escalating disaster: the rise of pro-death pressure, the burgeoning prison populations resulting from life sentences that last forever, the harsh measures China imposes to assure that its citizens forego the cure, the glorification of suicide, the fracturing of society. Some blog entries reproduce news stories, political punditry, and advertisements (including a FAQ promoting a new religion). Some of Farrell's entries are observational, others are personal.

Postmortal is not immortal; death still occurs from injury and disease, suicide and murder. Death is a frequent subject of Farrell's blog as people close to him are killed. After a few decades, Farrell becomes an end specialist (sort of a futuristic Kevorkian, except that the government not only approves of assisted suicide but rewards it with a tax rebate). It is difficult to fault Farrell's role in the postmortal future. Compared, at least, to the roving street gangs, organ thieves, and religious charlatans, Farrell's job seems both necessary and altruistic.

Although Drew Magary describes a terrifying future, he keeps the tone light -- perhaps too light. The Postmortal works surprisingly well as a dystopian comedy (if there is such a thing), but the incongruity of laughter and disaster robs the story of its potential power. In the novel's third act, after an event called "the correction" occurs, the story appears to take a more serious course. The disconnect between humor and horror at that point becomes jarring; it is not a line Magary straddles comfortably. Viewed as a cautionary tale about the consequences of overpopulation, the comedy seems misplaced; viewed as a farcical take on the desire for immortality, the drama overshadows the farce.

Those reservations aside, I have no qualms about recommending The Postmortal to readers who aren't put off by dark comedy. While I got a kick out of Magary's humor (his dialog is both realistic and insanely funny), I also enjoyed pondering the issues he raises. Magary obviously gave considerable imaginative thought to the consequences of a genetic cure for aging (including its impact on home run records). There were times when I thought the story went off course, but there was never a moment when my interest in the novel waned. In the end, Magary tells us, there is only the inevitable end. If you can accept that -- even more, if you can laugh about it -- I suspect you'll like The Postmortal.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A real surprise- fantastic speculative fiction September 26, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The best speculative fiction takes one or two aspects of the human condition, turns them on their ear, and shows what would happen as a result. You don't need sci-fi guns, fetish costumes, or hulking spaceships to do that (not that I mind any of those elements in a good book!). You just need a ton of imagination, a great idea, and the will to push through to the end. This book has all three.

I was expecting a great treatise on what would happen if mankind couldn't age. What I wasn't expecting was the author's skill at crafting a page-turner. I bought this on a lark and couldn't put it down until it was over. It's a fantastic read.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes the work of Cory Doctorow, Charles Stross, Warren Ellis, and/or John Scalzi.
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13 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story, fun read September 19, 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I wasn't sure what to get when I purchased this novel. As a fan of Drew's online writings at KSK and Deadspin, I expected something entertaining, but that was about it. I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I was however, surprised that there was practically no mention of pooping. In fact, I struggle to find one instance of a good poop story (note to fans of Drew, he does apologize for this omission in the afterward).

There seem to be countless works of fiction that depict a grim future. This one is well structured, keeps the pages turning, has characters who kept my interest, and many parts that I found to be, dare I say, profound. I look forward to reading his next novel. Hopefully it is in the works.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, inteligent and scarry
Fantastic idea and fantastic writing! One could call it science fiction but actually it can be true in not so far away future...
Published 7 days ago by Julia Romanowska
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Good read. However, beware... this is not Drew's typical style that you have come to love in his funbags on DS or on Twitter. This is a serious book about the complexity of life. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Justin Cook
4.0 out of 5 stars Depressing, disturbing, compelling, captivating read
This is a disturbing, depressing, compelling, captivating read. I have no experience with Magary's other writings. Read more
Published 1 month ago by John Seidel
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
A wonderful look at a hypothetical question that we have all considered. A must read for everyone!!!!! I loved it.
Published 1 month ago by Liz
5.0 out of 5 stars A few years ago...
A few years ago I would have put this book down as fantasy, but with what we are seeing in the way of science and genetics today, I would not be surprised to see something like... Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. Yoshii
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Ever wonder what it would be like to live forever? Wouldn't that be great? Maybe not. This novel takes a look at the "unintended consequences" of a cure for aging.
Published 2 months ago by jean
5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Miler and Postmortal the reaction similarities
I read this a few weeks back and I'm still thinking and replaying it back in my head. First book in a long time where I was disappointed when it was over. Read more
Published 2 months ago by i love this game so much you will once you start playing it!
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!
Disclaimer: I've been a huge fan of Mr. Magary's writing ever since his early days at Kissing Suzy Kolber as well as with all of his work at Deadspin (and Slate, NBC, etc...). Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael R. McDermott
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT read
interesting and intriguing story - love the style of writing - very different set up and awesome detail .. makes you think it really could happen
Published 3 months ago by Angela M Lebel
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
Great read. It's almost like this scenario is possible. The characters are interesting and gritty. The ending leaves you hooked. I want to know more.
Published 3 months ago by joel espinoza
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