The Prospect of My Arrival [Paperback]

Dwight Okita (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2011

This 2nd Edition was published May 2013.  The novel has been reproofed, book reviews have been added, and there are discussion questions for book clubs. Also at the end of this edition, there is a 20 page preview of the new novel THE HOPE STORE.

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A human embryo is allowed to preview the world before deciding whether to be born.  His name is Prospect. To help him make up his mind, he will meet a range of people including a greeting card writer, a sociopath, and Prospect's inscrutable mother, among others. Trish Mesmer is the scientist charged with counseling Prospect, though she has more hidden agendas then a centipede has legs. At the same time, Trevor Grueling grows increasingly committed to derailing the bio-experiment all together. This speculative tale is served up with equal helpings of whimsy, dread, and hope.  The book is literary fiction at heart, with a somewhat sci-fi premise, so the book may not appeal to hardcore sci-fi readers. Those who appreciate the trippy, modern world on display in the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" or "Being There" may find themselves at home.

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(If you enjoy imagery and language, Okita's poetry has been widely anthologized and taught in schools. His poetry book CROSSING WITH THE LIGHT is available on Amazon also!)

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 16, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1460959892
• ISBN-13: 978-1460959893
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,500,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

Review

From Joni Rodgers, author of Bald in the Land of Big Hair 

New York Times bestselling author

"The premise is genius, and the beautiful writing totally delivered the goods."

From Publishers Weekly

"...takes the reader on an engrossing and moving journey into the meaning of life...keeps the pages turning until its satisfying and touching conclusion." 

-- This text refers to the 2008 version of the novel as entered in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards where it placed in the Top Three out of 5,000 manuscripts.

From Alison DeLuca's blog "Fresh Pot of Tea"

"I had the pleasure to read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami and The Prospect of My Arrival by Dwight Okita. They both shared a deceptive simplicity, deepening excitement, addictive prose, and a sense of melancholy and wonder throughout...Okita is a name to be watched on the Indie front."

From Amazon Discussion Boards 

Floyd Kemske, author of Human Resources: A Corporate Nightmare

"What emerges is a remarkable combination of innocence and irony. Prospect's experiences are unforgettable, and his struggle to make sense of things is dramatic."    

From Windy City Times, reviewed by Sally Parsons 10-5-2011

"Suppose you had the chance, before birth, to decide whether you wanted to be born? How might that work?...These are some of the intriguing questions raised in this elegant book by Dwight Okita...The Prospect of My Arrival is a book that is serious, poignant and engaging."

From the Author

Disclaimer:  This book is soft sci fi/literary fiction.  Readers of hard sci fi may be disappointed. 

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One theme explored in PROSPECT is whether or not people can maintain their sense of wonder in the face of soul-crushing experiences.  A sense of wonder requires a leap of faith.  The suspension of disbelief.  The ability to imagine what one cannot see. It requires a momentary break from the literal, everyday world.

Here is the GLOSSARY for my book:

Pre-born: A person not yet born. An embryo.

CyberSavant: This is a device used in the womb to give the embryo a crash course on language, customs, pop culture.

Preb-cam: This is a device used to monitor the coming and going of the Pre-born. It resides in a hemisphere of the brain.

hyper-hologram: This is a new kind of hologram that is touchable. Though it is built of light beams, it has depth and substance.

Referral: The Pre-born is introduced to a range of Referrals. These are individuals carefully selected by the facilitating scientist to give the full range of human creatures.

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When I did my book launch at Women & Children First book store in Chicago, I sold 45 books!  I read three chapter excerpts, two with musical underscoring for added theatricality.  I may do a youtube video which captures a brief reading like that.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 16, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1460959892
• ISBN-13: 978-1460959893
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,500,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The author's debut novel THE PROSPECT OF MY ARRIVAL was published in trade paperback and kindle in 2011.

** AUTHOR NOTE. In May 2013, the author published a revised edition of PROSPECT in both formats. They are now available. The new version includes book reviews, discussion questions, and the opening 20 pages of his new novel THE HOPE STORE. Also PROSPECT was been re-proofed. **

PROSPECT is general fiction with a sci-fi spin. It was named one of the top three books of 5,000 in the Amazon novel contest in 2008, garnering fine reviews from Publishers Weekly in 2008 and 2009. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, expanded distribution and fine book stores.

Born and raised in Chicago, Dwight Okita started his writing life as a poet with Tia Chucha Press publishing his book of poetry Crossing with the Light. He wrote personal essays for WBEZ, the Chicago affiliate of NPR, and read his poetry on Ira Glass' popular radio show "This American Life." He soon found himself reincarnated as a playwright, with produced plays including The Rainy Season, the darkly comic short play Richard Speck.

Okita continues to get nibbles from film producers interested in his work. Nicholas Bogner is his manager based in LA working to get film projects.

To see a book trailer for his novel PROSPECT OF MY ARRIVAL,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzRMzye7Qbo

Okita continues to live in Chicago where he drinks too much coffee and is grateful for the diverse circle of friends, family, and colleagues that allow him to be part of their lives. You're welcome to visit his website at dwightland.homestead.com for Dwight's latest news.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Original and thought-provoking October 5, 2011

By Dana Brantley-Sieders

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

First off, the premise is one of the most original I've encountered: a cyber-educated embryo gets the chance to preview the world, and at the end of his trial period has the opportunity to decide whether or not to be born.

I'm not sure medical ethics would ever allow such an experiment, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story. Through the course of the experiment, "Prospect" inhabits a temporary body in which to experience the world and encounters a host of pre-selected guides, called "Referrals," to help him make an informed decision.

The lead scientist, his "Facilitator" wishes to preserve the integrity of the experiment by giving Prospect access to the full spectrum of humanity. In addition to clashes with the corporate sponsor, "Big Farm," she grapples with her own biases and conflicts of interest. Big Farm's agenda is a positive outcome with which to tout their associated products. Some of the Referrals have their own agendas as well.

Caught in the middle is Prospect, who's voice and perspective the narrative captures with its air of naivete, and with storytelling that reminded me of myth and legend.

While I was turned off a bit by what I perceived as an anti-science slant (that's probably my bias since I am a working scientist - we aren't all evil, caught up in the hubris of playing God, or greedy), this was a tale that made me think and will stick with me.

That's good reading.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Found the writing style abrupt and jarring, but read the preview for yourself December 27, 2011

By L. Tam

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Go ahead. Call me a snob. But I couldn't read this book. Why? Because the book reads like this review. With too short sentences. Many of the short sentences really should be one longer sentence. The author could stand to make friends with commas. And conjunctions. I found it pretty jarring to read. The other reviews for this book are better written.

Really, though, that is just me being a style snob. Clearly the other well-written (and presumably well-read) reviewers of the book enjoyed it, and so if the above writing style does not bother you, by all means you should give it a try. (In fact, try the preview and see how it sits with you.) The book has a very interesting premise, and you are thrown into the action right away. Some books take a while to start moving, but this gets going right from the beginning. What I did read of it was very promising story-wise, but the writing style was just too unsuitable for my reading style.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable June 29, 2012

By Alexandra Davidoff

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

An embryo is given the chance to choose if he wants to be born or not. As part of a bio-experiment that looks to discover the cure for unsettled, violent, and emotionally tormented future generations, the embryo meets a range of people who help him make his important decision, people that vary in beliefs, professions, age and wealth. From an orphan who wishes he didn't exist, to a retired writer of greeting card messages, to a painter, a playboy, and a mother tormented by a past mistake, Prospect soaks in his surroundings with an innocence that defies the physical stature of the twenty year old body he was given to inhabit by Big Farm Technologies.

His 'Facilitator', Trish Mesmer, the woman from who's mind the basis for the experiment came, comes across as both mean and nurturing. She protects Prospect in a way that fortifies her morally twisted views. The connection that develops between them becomes a problem for her superiors, who threaten to fire her for her lack of professional resolve. It is feared that Prospect isn't being guided well enough. Big Farm Technologies wants Prospect to choose to be born and to splash their innovation in the press. They want Trish to persuade him into choosing to be born even if that means to rig the experiment in a way that exploits Prospect's innocence. While Trish struggles to regain control and preserve the nature of the scientific experimentation process, there is a secret plot set in place by a 'referral' who's not too happy with science, to push Prospect off the edge, to overwhelm him, and to make him choose not to be born.

The story opens with a intriguing prologue which tempts the reading palate with questions and the desire to find answers. I loved the poetic analogies scattered throughout the prose.... With very little description, Okita conveys a lot of vivid emotion and movement. Each analogy opens up a unique way of picturing mundane things we often take for granted. The analogies provide a stable connection between the reader and Prospect, establishing an understanding and mutual excitement between the reader and Prospect's POV.

"The bus is very interesting. When you walk onto a bus, it's like you're walking into a party to which you haven't been invited, but to which are instantly welcome." - through Prospect's innocent eyes the reader learns to appreciate the most simple things. The narrative floats somewhere between a first person account of what Prospect is feeling, seeing and doing to a classic present tense third person retelling of his adventures. He develops a different connection to each of his 'referrals' that further explores how social interaction affects an impressionable mind. After each meeting, his personality evolves. It's as if the reader is allowed to witness Prospect maturing, from a lovable child to a beautifully sarcastic adult.

There's a great sense of wonder in the narrative. Prospect indulges in some awkward actions, though what should be wrong seems right to him and his innocence makes it all believable. His connection to Lito, the orphan 'referral' is particularly enchanting. The lack of prejudice on Prospect's part in the relationship brings into play a commentary on humanity as Prospect, being so foreign to judging anyone on anything other than how they treat him, presents the positivity need to overcome the negativity in our world. Over time his interaction with his other 'referrals' becomes more three dimensional. Prospect grows beyond just being innocent. He handles himself with an increasing will to adapt and learn and to emulate the people around him.

The ending caught me by surprise. It almost made me cry. As Prospect steps away from his innocence to become a man tormented by all the people who are counting on his gradually failing ability to give them what they want, he finally takes matters into his own hands.

A powerful novel, Dwight Okita's The Prospect of My Arrival delves deep into the meanings of life, love, and curiosity. Once you read it, you'll never forget it.

"I was given the name Prospect because people have high hopes for me" - and he definitely didn't disappoint. Read more ›

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Good in theory but not in practice April 22, 2012

By E. Lorking

Format:Kindle Edition

The premise was intriguing but the execution was abysmal. The writing was way too clunky and all the characters had the same "voice". (The voice of an irritating teenager.)

However, I did manage to finish the book... I wanted to give it a chance to get better, but unfortunately it didn't and I had to be dragged to the end kicking and screaming. I found myself being brought out of the story every paragraph or so, due to choppy sentence structures and continuous changes in pov and narration.

Also FYI, I got this on kindle when it was marked as free. If I had paid for it, I would've returned it.

The writer, imo, has got what it takes in terms of creating worlds but needs to work on his finesse in delivering them to his audience.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not anything the 5 star reviews say it is. July 16, 2012

By H. E. Roberts

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have mixed feelings about this book in both content and structure. First, there are typographical problems that get worse as the book goes on. Eveything from simple spelling errors and wrong words (like "he" instead of "the") to words repeating in the same sentence ("He entered the He entered the room...") to places where editing is evident because verbs no longer agree, or parts of old sentences have been left behind. I recognize these are editing problems, not necessarily the author's, but it detracts from the reading experience.

The writing itself varies from clever and compelling, to long sections of boring exposition that left me wondering "so what?" At times I found myself wondering how far I could skip without missing anything important. It turns out, pretty far. I wanted to like Prospect, the title character, but he read too much like Edward Scissorhands.

Negatives aside, the premise of the story is very interesting: if a person could preview life on earth before being born, would they still choose to be born? I don't know if it was the author's intention, but the book is a classic study in selfishness. Everyone Prospect encounters is driven entirely by selfishness, even though their purpose is supposed to be helping him. Ultimately, what Prospect learns is how to be selfish, and his final decision is entirely that.

For me, it was easy to hate the "bad guys" because they were so overtly self-serving. But it was hard to like the "good guys" because there was no meaningful self-sacrifice. In the end, I didn't care one bit what happened to anyone because their selfishness made them so unsympathetic. Maybe that was the author's point, we become apathetic towards anything that doesn't meet our needs or expectations....

If a feeling of complete indifference was the author's intent, this is a masterpiece. If not, this book is an epic fail. Read more ›