| Title | : | The Legacy Human (Singularity, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published March 2, 2014 |
The Legacy Human is the first in a philosophical HopePunk sci-fi series that explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world.
The Legacy Human (Singularity, #1) Reviews
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This was a really good book, in the beginning I thought I wasn’t getting the book. However one just needs to wait a short bit and everything comes together. It was a high tech book, where there are the Ascenders post singularity - people whom are genetically altered, to be part human, part machine. They are physically beautiful, smarter, stronger, faster and have better lives, with access to anything they want.
Then there are the legacy humans, whom are not genetically modified. They don’t have everything they need, like medicine that can cure their ill. Elijah Brighton is a 17 year old young man who is a legacy human, with a terminally sick mother and no access to the life saving medicine she needs. He wants to ascend. Since another benefit of becoming ascended is living forever. Plus if he became one his mother would also benefit being able to ascend, since living forever without your close family members wouldn’t be worth it. If he ascended along with his mother, she would be cured of her sickness and it’s all Elijah wants more than anything is to to save his mother by ascending. He loves and cares for her with much love, along with help from his best friend.
Elijah is an artist, which is his ticket to getting his mother and himself ascended. That is if he can win in the artist competition part of the Olympics. Which there’s a lot to even getting into the Olympics, but you’ll have to listen to find out about it.
There are also pockets of legacy humans who are against ascending, believing they loose their soul. These rebels like recking havoc for the post singularity ascended.
Definitely worth reading, or listening to. I listened to it and it was amazing. I was just so engrossed in listening to the person reading the book. It made me feel like I was right there watching everything unfold. There’s certainly a lot that happens, secrets revealed, betrayal, murder, people who end up being very different than originally thought and people who end up being on the side I never imagined they would be. Definitely thing’s I didn’t see coming and I loved that.
The characters were very authentic, believable, the relationships were strong with love you could feel. I just really enjoyed this book. It was an ARC, but that never effects my review, ever. There are two more books in this series that I’m looking forward to listening to. I’ve read other books by this Author and so far, I don’t think you can go wrong with her books. I personally have enjoyed all the ones I’ve read. -
I was so impressed by Susan Kaye Quinn's concept and world building in this book. The whole idea that humans could one day "ascend" or evolve or whatever you want to call it, to beings with eternal life was really cool. I also loved the whole "creative Olympics" concept, where art is celebrated in the same way we celebrate physical abilities. Overall, a really awesome start to a series that had shades of Under the Never Sky (in terms of the battle between high-tech and low-tech), Red Rising (the ascenders reminded me of the Golds), and Crewel (the overall feel). Highly recommend!
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I want to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. I'm a huge fan of Quinn and love everything she writes. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I'm always up for some sci-fi. and Quinn writes really great sci-fi. So when offered this book, I jumped right in. and of course I wasn't disappointed in the least.
Eli is an artist. But he's only human. And he wants badly to become an ascender because that would mean he could get the medical care his mother so badly needs. So when given the chance to compete in the olympics, he jumps at it, despite others who think he should hold back. But Eli is more than he appears to be, and those who want to win will stop at nothing to try and get him disqualified.
Of course, Quinn builds her story around Eli, but we also meet several other characters who play key roles in the story. I really loved how Quinn shaped them and made them all so very different, each personality coming out off the page. Cyrus is the tough best friend, who will ultimately do anything for Eli. Kamali and Basha lend the girl side to the story, and just a bit of romance. But for me, the secondary character who stole the show was Delphina. Such great sass in that character, and I truly love some sass!
I really like Eli. He's got this vulnerability about him that drew me right to him. But he's also not afraid to do what needs to be done. And the love he has for his mother is beyond anything that you can imagine. He would do anything for her.
I love the world Quinn builds for us with this book. A world where humans are no longer the dominant species. Where something other has come to be of higher intelligence and being and the humans are treated as mere slaves or worse. I will say that I had some trouble picturing the world outside of the buildings the characters were in. I wanted badly to know what it looked like. But I also understood where most of the plot too place, kind of an indoor city of it's own.
And there's nothing rushed about this plot. Quinn gives us a slow rise to the epiphany, building on what we know from the chapters before. But the book is by no means slow. The plot moves along at a good pace, keeping you interested from beginning to end. And of course Quinn throws in some great plot twists, keeping you on your toes, as well. Never really knowing who you can trust and who could be the enemy. I especially love that part of the book!
And I truly love how Quinn builds her book, insinuating some slight romance, but not relying on it to keep people intrigued and wanting more. Sure, you want for there to be something to happen, but you're also good with how the plot is interesting and can stand all on it's own with all the kissing and such you see in so many YA books these days. This is not to say that I don't want more, or want to see the characters take this on in the future (hint hint Susan).
Overall I was in no way disappointed with the first book in this series. It left me wanting more. Left me with questions I know will be answered in the future while still completing the arc of the storyline. Anyone who is a fan of Quinn's previous Mindjack series will be pulled into this and won't want to turn back. A true sci-fi tale that keeps you hooked from beginning to end! -
This book is thought provoking. What does it mean to be human in a world filled with ascended humans who will live forever like the alchemists envisioned and legacy, unascended humans. I loved how when we meet Eli, he is drifting in unexamined narratives that ascending is the goal of legacy humans...
See full review along with my review of book 2 at my blog at
bit.ly/1Q0jUUg -
Humanity has done it, created a “better human.” Part human, part machine, these hybrids have the potential to live forever, while forsaking individuality, they are more intelligent, stronger and even more attractive than a mere unenhanced human. They even take “legacy” humans under their wings to protect them, encourage their strong points and just maybe, one day, they too, can ascend to “perfection” and everlasting life. All they must do, as a teen is win the Creative Olympics, the prize, becoming an immortal hybrid.
Eli has talent as an artist, he also has a mother who is dying from the ravages of cancer and he must turn to the black market for possible cures. If he could win the Olympics, he could save his mother. What Eli discovers are the lies he has been told by his mentor and protector, the secrets his mother has kept and the truth about the Olympics when they become deadly. All he can do is stay alive, keep his friends close and stay one step ahead of the enemies he didn’t know he had.
Susan Kaye Quinn’s THE LEGACY HUMAN is the story of a boy who would do anything to save his mother, but who discovers there is more to being human than meets the eye, because, imperfect or not, only humans can feel and understand what “being alive” truly is.
I was fascinated by Susan Kaye Quinn’s dystopian world! What a concept, a society striving for perfection at the cost of what makes them human! What a story, non-stop action, be it mental or physical! Tremendous character concepts that come to life giving one chills and questioning who can be trusted and who is truly the most flawed?
Series: Singularity - Book 1
Publication Date: March 2, 2015
Publisher: Susan Kaye Quinn
Genre: YA SciFi
Print Length: 413 pages
Available from:
Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More:
http://tometender.blogspot.com
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Creationist rag targeted at a young adult audience. No idea how this was in my to-read stack, but I finished it only through my force of fascination.
It was like a failed propagandist experiment book. One that paints organized religion as a resistance against evil science lords and their "highly complicated web of lies."
just terrible. -
Elijah Brighton longs to ascend to something better in Susan Kaye Quinn's The Legacy Human. This novel has a glimmer of The Hunger Games to it with a dystopian world, haves (Ascenders) and have nots (regular humans), and a highly competitive and dangerous games (Creative Olympics), but Quinn transcends the story from the familiar to the extraordinary. There is more to Eli, the artist and main character, than even he realizes. He's brave and compassionate, prone to jealousy and anger, and wants more than anything to save his mother from the disease that's killing her--that can be cured with ascenders' gen tech but denied to her because she's human. The friendship and love of family Eli has adds to the tension of the story. The stakes are high. This story is so intense I felt I couldn't get a proper breath. This novel seeps into a person's subconscious. Quinn's futuristic world feels real. The Legacy Human by Susan Kaye Quinn will stick with you after you finish reading and leave you pondering the question of technology and what makes up our humanity. I'm looking forward to the next book!
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There are some authors whose work I continually look to as examples of the brilliance I'm striving to achieve in my own writing. Susan Kaye Quinn is one of those authors. Building on a topic that is scarily close to becoming science-fact rather than science-fiction, she has crafted a unique and fascinating future world where the majority of humans have "ascended," melding their consciousness with machines to become higher beings who are, supposedly, better in every way.
I devoured this story, captured by every word and whisked away to that other world. I painted with Eli, I danced with Kamali, and Delphina's magnificent final story-telling performance left me breathless. This story will remain in your thoughts long after you've read it, prompting you to ponder the question ... what exactly does it mean to be human?
Without a doubt, five stars. -
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
This is without a doubt the best book I read so far this year, it kept me up late wanting to finish one more chapter and I flew through this book as it was so good and at the same time I was sad I was reading it so fast as that made it feel over so soon. I jumped into this book without having read the blurb and it was an exhilarating ride, discovering this futuristic world and being surprised by the twists and turns. I am pretty sure this is my favourite book of Susan so far and that's saying a lot as all her books are great. I am not even sure where to start or end with this review, I wish I could just say it is so good, go and read it right now! But that wouldn't explain my thoughts very well and this book deserves more as there is so much to say about it. This book is so different from any other book out there and I loved it!
The Legacy Human takes place in a futuristic future where humans are legacies, they are the remnants of the past and the world is ruled by the ascenders. It has a bit of a dystopia feel, but it's also very sci-fi with all the new technology. This book is so far in the future, that it's almost hard to imagine how different things are, but Susan did a great job describing the world without it being overwhelming. It's also a bit religious and philosophical at times, but in a good way. It's about the question what makes us human? And about a human who wants to be a machine. It's about art and creativity and change and going forward and going back. It's about asking questions and answers.
This book took me completely by surprise, it slowly eased me into this new world as I followed Eli in his quest to save his mom and trying to improve his art. Eli is a great main character, I liked him and he cares so much about his mom, it's beautiful. He also is willing to do whatever it takes to get her a cure. Then there's Cyrus, he's the best friend someone can have. Just like Eli he is willing to do what it takes to help Eli and his mom. And only towards the end it gets obvious how far we will go for that. I really liked Cyrus and the ways camaraderie and friendship between the two boys. I liked that Cyrus was always there for Eli and that they where together for most of the story instead of Eli going alone. Then there's a great cast of side characters Kamali, Basha and Dashlina where all great characters and I enjoyed getting to know them. Then there's Eli mom, Marcus and Lenora and later on we meet some new characters. Even some which turned out to have a bigger role then I thought as first. What I liked most is that all characters seem real, even though we don't know what they plan to do or why, it felt like there where reasons and motivations behind it all, which made the characters real and believable.
There is some romance, but it isn't the focus of the story. While the story is pretty fast past, sweeping you up in a can't put it down way, the romance is slow building, but it also had me swept up from the very first moment they meet. It isn't love at first sight, but there was something very magical and inspiring about their first meeting.
The world building is done great, interwoven into the story and while there are a lot of uncertainties and questions left, there was enough world building to get a grip on the world and imagine how things looked. The world is so different from the world today and I loved learning more and imagining how it all looked.
To conclude: I loved this book! Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. This book is so original and different from other books I read. I enjoyed the story and there where some interesting twists and turns. The characters are all done well and I enjoyed readign about them. The world was elaborate and I liked learning more and more about the world, even though there are still enough questions left for the next book to answer. If you love original sci-fi books with a great cast of characters, that make you think and question things, you have to give Legacy Human a try! -
What an epic idea!
Susan paints a rather intricate story and throws in some great, flawed and realistic characters. I didn't always like the decisions our main character, Elijah (Eli), made, but I always liked him as a character. His confusion and logic wasn't always perfect or neat and he was able to bend the rules when needed, blur the black and white to make an interesting shade of grey.
It's quite amusing to me that I found his best friend Cy, my favourite character. It's been quite some time that a supporting/back up character has done this. Kudos Susan for creating a great character in Cy.
Particularly his sarcastic sense of humour. I often chuckled along when he mentioned 'shiny pants'.
Side Note: It's more difficult than it probably sounds to find a pic/gif of shiny pants that isn't sexual or kink related!
When I read the blurb for this book, I must admit I went in thinking we'd have copious detailed descriptions of the act of ascending and I visualised something like this:
What I got instead, was an action-packed ride of self discovery laced with tech and robotic glory. It was a brilliant mix of science and religion.
The idea that the arts form an Olympics to gain access to imortality was brilliant. I loved that the various 'schools' of creativity were celebrated and used in perfect ways to further Eli's journey. Add to this, the incredible visual descriptions that Susan painted (pun intended) on the page and I was tapping that kindle screen just as fast as I could to keep going with the story.
I noticed no errors in this book, a brilliant feeling as someone with a keen eye for errors and typos.
I enjoyed this story so much I have already gone and bought all other books and novellas in this series! But, I can't give it 5/5 because I feel at times the tone was a bit too Young Adult for the story and world that had been built. Sometimes this kicked me out of the story and was a real shame, because this should be 5/5! -
I liked the core idea: ascended posthumans keeping legacy humans around as a sort of cultural experiment.
The book played out like a standard novel of the type for the first half, but then some really discordant elements started popping up. Souls, prophetic visions, musing about what makes humans better than their clearly-better-in-every-measurable-way ascended counterparts, religion as the virtuous defenders against the evil tech-users, etc.
Hoping it was just character POV, and not the "reality" of the story, I stuck with it. I wish I hadn't, since it just got worse as it went on. Religious fiction is fine, but it's definitely at odds with posthuman fiction, so this book comes off as a muddled mess. Maybe the series gets better and turns around later on, but I don't expect to find out, since I won't be continuing with it. -
Excellent book! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Hunger Games or Divergent. I received this yesterday from the author and spent the morning finishing the book instead of doing things I should be doing. If I were a movie producer, I would option this in a heartbeat. Couldn't put it down.
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Uniquely good reading
This book is uniquely good reading. I don't believe I have before come across a story where the character wishes to become a machine, or some hybrid type anyway. But that's exactly what Elijah wants, but at what cost, and to whom? Susan Kate Quinn has created something everyone should read. -
I expected the storyline to explore having a soul, but I really wasn't into exploring religion/god.
Maybe if I would have finished the book, it would have twisted a different direction, but I just shut down and wasn't enjoying it anymore. -
Three and a half stars.
Set in a future world where most of humanity has 'Ascended' and become immortal part human part machines, Elijah Brighton is one of a small number of legacy humans, descendants of those who refused to ascend for religious or other reasons. Treated as second-class citizens, almost pets, by the Ascended, the legacies live in what is left of the old cities, dependant on the Ascended for food and money. Elijah is an artist, supported by his sponsor Lenora, what she doesn't know is that Elijah's best work is created when he is in a fugue state, something he has no control over. His mother has cancer, something that the Ascended can easily cure, but will die unless Elijah can get her the drugs she needs or persuade Lenora to let them ascend, something that is now forbidden to legacies.
Then Elijah is offered the opportunity to compete in the artistic Olympics, the gold medal prize is ascension for the winner and his/her family, by Lenora's second, Marcus. This is where the book started to feel very much like The Hunger Games, young people competing for an audience of sophisticated, superior beings. Just like THG, the competitors and their sponsors are not above trying to nobble the opposition, put them off or kill them and each competitor has a sponsor to guide them and advocate on their behalf.
I liked this but I didn't love it. I felt that the story kind of lost its way a bit in the middle, the focus changed to add in a romantic element and I didn't really understand the twist about Elijah and his fugue state, there were too many strands pulling together and then the introduction of a Resistance group became a bit too much.
However, having said that, this was an interesting take on a future world where humans are the inferior race and I will probably read the second book in the series to see how the Resistance continue with their quest for the answer to The Question. -
Kā jau pēdējā laikā pierasts, sci-fi sērijveida izdevumu pirmās grāmatas atstāj ar vairāk jautājumiem nekā atbildēm. Paveicies, ka šajā sērijā ir tikai 3 grāmatas (ja neskaita īsstāstus). Vismaz nākamo vēl pamēģināšu.
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I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED IN MY
BLOG!
4.5 stars!
OKAY, SO WHEN DOES THE SECOND BOOK COMES OUT? BECAUSE I. NEED. IT.
I know. I know. The book isn't even released yet.
But you see, we can't stop here. Don't leave me like this.
Why did it have to be this short?
First, the plot. It was new and all the usual things at the same time. But somehow, it's unique.
Second, the characters. Eli is as real as it gets. Cyrus, well, I kinda like him.NO I'M NOT FALLING!!!And then there's Lenora, whom I didn't know what to make out of at first. There's Marcus, that played what he is greatly. And actually I won't list all the characters. But what you need to know is that we've got an interesting bunch. - WHICH IS WHY I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK.
Next, the writing. The writing is really great when it comes to details and Eli's feelings. In normal words, the writing is really great.
The book had just enough of everything. And I absolutely adore Cy and Eli's friendship. And their love for Eli's mother. Truth be told, the ending kinda tamped and calmed the story down before shutting down the first book. Which didn't exactly help.
The story started with no promise of much and somewhat slow. The story proceeded in a really good flow and the next thing you'll know, you can't stop. You'll try but you won't be able to. I am telling you now.
The setting is more on the mainstream side, and really, the whole religion thing is not my thing - which is where Eli and I agree on.
This is my first book by Susan and this will definitely be not my last. Especially because I need the second book, but really, she's talented and this is really good.
Overall, the book says a lot of what may happen somewhen in the future. No one can say. And it makes us realize a few things:
Be careful who you fall in love with.
And true friends won't leave you, treat them with love, and never let them go.
You never know when robots and humanoids will take over the world. -
Susan Kaye Quinn is one of the most gifted imaginations to grace literary circles in a very long time. And she has, once again, proven her prowess with The Legacy Human.
Humanity, in post Singularity days, is composed of the ascenders, who are a man/machine hybrid, and normal humans. Many of the normal humans are preserved as legacies...genetically pure human species who are cherished by the ascenders.
Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton is a sometimes-gifted painter who desperately wants to ascend in order to cure his mother's terminal leukemia. But he finds out that he is different than any other human and all bets are off.
The Legacy Human, while being a very entertaining work of fiction, brings very profound thoughts to the surface. In the book, The Question is "do Ascenders have souls?" But the question which ran through this reader's mind is "what defines us as human beings?"
Quinn has done an excellent job with character development and character arc. In the first few pages, the reader is effortlessly shown the story world, while simultaneously introduced to the complex mind of the main character...a feat which is not easily accomplished in a novel.
Quinn has shown herself uniquely suited for science fiction, which should not be surprising since she comes to us as a NASA rocket scientist. In her creation of a very-rapid transit system, she re-invented the humble G-suit in a most remarkable way. In fact most of the technology presented in the book, while being advanced and futuristic, is based on real science.
If you only have room on your schedule for one book this year, I recommend that The Legacy Human be that one book. Five Stars! -
Susan Kaye Quinn is a master at writing books that make you think. I have read a few of her books and have yet to be disappointed. She is able to capture my imagination and pull me into her story.
Eli is an artist who works with acrylics. He is talented, but only does his best work when he is in a trance, or fugue. He goes into a fugue in front of his patron and another. This propels him into competing in an art Olympics. If he wins, he will ascend. He will have the opportunity to become an immortal being and save his mother from her illness and imminent death.
This book is set in a futuristic setting. Men have learned to use technology to take their minds and transplant them into bodies. If the body fails they can move to another body. It's a very interesting concept. It questions the basic knowledge of humanity and what it means to be human. Mere mortals are treated basically like pets. They are given the most basic care to survive, nothing to help them thrive.
The games teach him more than how to tap into his art. They teach him about humanity and the one's who have ascended. There are many different agendas, and Eli has to choose which one he wants to support.
The book is written to a YA reader, but does have innuendo. -
The world building in this story blew me away. As much as I love dystopian novels, sometimes it gets to be too much – the stakes seem too out there, too unrealistic. I never felt that way with this story. This beautifully constructed future world felt very real, very possible. But even better, the characters felt real, too. They still had real concerns about the people they loved, they still did things that real people do. I cared about Elijah from the first page and I devoured all the new technology, the possibilities of this amazing new future. The action was perfectly paced and I'd have to agree with people who compared it to Hunger Games and Divergent. It definitely holds hints of both. Unfortunately, those two series did not improve as they continued. I'm hopeful that with SKQ at the helm, this one will.
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This book caused many late nights -- or it would have if I hadn't read it so fast! Intriguing premise with a fascinating, fully realized world, the story takes you on a ride with Eli through all his heartrending decisions and mistakes. Must read the next one NOW!
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First of all, a huge thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this ebook in order to review it!!
"I had no question that the technology to advance human intelligence (or create from scratch a machine intelligence) would eventually arrive: the true question was, what would we do with it? Would be use it to ascend into something greater? What did tah even mean? And what could possibly motivate us to choose that option, if it were presented?"
"What exactly do we mean when we call ourselves human?"
Those are extracts from a text that the author wrote in order to explain why she created this story.
The Legacy Human presents a unique idea. Even though "the Olympics" (annual games where the best legacies (humans)artists compete in order to gain Ascension - to become better, stronger, "perfect" and "God alike"-) reminded me of THG (but only because of the idea of game -> reward), it has nothing to do with it.
At some moments I felt unconfortable reading the book, because I couldn't feel any connection with the main character, Elijah Brighton. He wants to ascend so badly, and his main reason is to save his mother from her illness, which I find really moving.
Also, I felt that Elijah did not react to some circumstances, but maybe it's just me having expected him to have a stronger personality.
Regarding another characters, Cyrus (Elijah's best friend) is, for me, the best one. His sense of humor, his irony and his way of being always honest are things that I really admire in a character.
Unfortunately, I felt that Quinn had a really good concept (if you look up about Singularity, you can find real information; and there are also movies which talk about the subject as (named by the author) HER, Ex Machina, Lucy, Chappie and Transcendence), but did not explote it in the way it deserved. I wanted to learn more about the society that Quinn shows us. I wanted to understand more about the Singularity topic but I think it did not receive the attention it deserved.
Regarding the narration, I find it simple and effective. But here I find the problem stated above: I would have loved to learn more about the surroundings and how things worked.
What really bothered me was the fact that Elijah had always wanted to Ascend, but suddenly, after someone gave him another point of view (I can't explain properly because otherwise I would be spoiling), he changes his mind, with not much time thinking about the facts or the ideas involved. In that point I felt Elijah was weak.
The books improves a lot towards the end.
The ending was beautiful.
Also, the plot twists. When I thought it was becoming obvious, everything changed.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction and dystopia. -
With The Legacy Human, Susan Kaye Quinn is at the top of her speculative fiction game, mirroring the scientific discussion and activities of our world today to a future America where technology has allowed humans to Ascend to a mechanical, immortal existence, leaving behind the organic tethers of their physical selves for aesthetically superior machines. But not all Humans have Ascended, those that have not are Legacy. Eli is one of those. A prodigal painter set apart with other artisans to be given an opportunity to compete for the one prize that the Legacy Human’s most seek, Ascension. In order to attain immortality Eli must prove best in class at the annual games, impress the Ascended, and for that he and his loved ones will be granted immortality.
In this way, Eli follows the journey of the many heroes of the ancient Greek tales sent out to labor for the amusement of immortals. And we root for him, because, as any good hero, despite the great the desire to Ascend, he competes for those he loves.
That alone would make The Legacy Human a wonderful story.
The setting of the world of tomorrow is viscerally built though precise engineering and architecture that challenges me to question why we do not have the trains and craft and displays in use today, and the characters are developed to the detail that you will believe you know each of them; Eli’s trusted friend Cyrus, Kamali the Parisian dancer, and the Ascenders Marcus and Lenora, and so many more.
But it’s Quinn’s subtle use of societal and psychological reference that takes the story, Eli, and the reader farther than a mere race to the finish. As Eli meets other competitors, examines their viewpoints, and learns new realities of the world he thought he understood, the tale becomes one of his philosophical development.
We have all heard the quote “I think, therefore I am,” an off translation of the Latin phrase “cogito ergo sum,” which more exactly translated reads, “I am thinking, therefore I exist.” The Legacy Human takes this question further to let readers decide just what that existence is.
This is palpable intelligent fiction at its best, for any age reader. The premises set are neither declarative nor preachy, rather presented as an allegory in the most classic fashion.
What sets this story apart from others in the category such as Divergent and The Hunger Games is that the allegory is immediately applicable to every reader.
If a mind is immortal, what does that mean?
What does it mean to be me?
The answer, if there is one, is for the reader. -
This book is a MUST READ.
From the humor to the romance to the action-adventure and the excitement.
It's an amazing nail-biter with a "just enough" dose of philosophical questioning.
It's PERFECT for all the thinkers who also like to have a great time reading.
This book is simply perfect.
Best book I've read so far in 2015!
One-Click NOW! #doit -
The concept, world-building, characters, plot development and writing itself (I guess I should just say everything!) is genius, really. Intelligent, philosophical, inventive. This writer/rocket scientist has got some serious talent.
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This was unique but I found nothing overly memorable about this book. It wont be a series I personally continue.
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The greatest prize of all, denied to all but a handful
The singularity is history. Afterwards, centuries ago, the superhuman intelligence gained by machines enabled humans to “ascend,” leaving their frail bodies of flesh and bone and uploading into what today we call the cloud. They’re “vastly more intelligent, compassionate, and enlightened than any human could be.” And now the billions of ascenders can download themselves into a multitude of different bodyforms and change bodies at will. They’re immortal.
But millions have never ascended. These legacy humans eke out an impoverished existence in the half-dozen crumbling cities where the ascenders permit them to live. They’re “a living genetic museum.” And Susan Kaye Quinn’s moving young adult novel tells the tale of one such legacy human as he struggles to gain permission to ascend. That’s a feat that’s now virtually impossible to attain. Not long after the singularity, the ascenders denied entry to all humans. Now, once a year just four teenage legacy humans gain the opportunity. They’re the lucky winners in the “Olympics” held to identify the one legacy human the ascenders consider creative enough to be worthy in each of four categories. The four are the visual arts, drama, story, and music. And seventeen-year-old Elijah (Eli) Brighton is a supremely talented painter with a shot at winning. It is, after all, the greatest prize of all.
An eye-opening experience
There’s just one problem. Eli is able to create great art only when he descends into a fugue state at unpredictable times. He loses conscious control and has no memory of how he creates such masterpieces. But Eli is determined to find a way to manage the process. It’s not just that he himself yearns for immortality. His mother is terminally ill, and her only chance for survival is to ascend. Terrified that he will fail, Eli heads off to the Olympics. And there he discovers just how sheltered he has been from the real world around him.
Quinn’s story unfolds in the course of the Olympics. There, Eli meets and falls in love with a beautiful dancer who is herself primed to win the gold. And she and her friends introduce him to a shockingly new perspective on the world after the singularity and on what it means to be human.
About the author
As she reveals on her website, “Susan Kaye Quinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. . . She writes full-time from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband.” According to Goodreads, she has written 63 books to date.
