QUINTO’S CHALLENGE

A young scientist discovers the key to immortality and learns that she’s in way over her head.

This first book in McChesney’s Dawn of Immortality series takes place in 2097, when misfit scientist Deeley Carr has been invited to work at the U.S. government’s top-secret Center for Advanced Particle Research despite her relatively young age and lack of a doctorate degree. She’s thrilled to be there, in part because she gets to work alongside Xara, a Generation 6 android—as the three major world governments are only allowed two of these advanced androids each, it’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Deeley is at CAPR to participate in a challenge set forth by U.S. president Vince Quinto, motivated by the tragic death of his wife, to invent the means for human resurrection (and, by extension, immortality itself). Deeley’s attempts to make the breakthrough come with plenty of setbacks, including a battle for government control. When it seems as though Deeley and her team have finally achieved success, they must reckon with the unsettling political and moral implications of what they’ve done. McChesney introduces some heady themes in this twisty SF tale, emphasizing various ethical questions regarding the creation and extension of life. The society in which Deeley lives, while obviously much more advanced than our current one, feels relevant to our own (“public distrust in official campaign communications grew, fueled by AI’s ability to convincingly fabricate media”). The dialogue and portions of the prose, however, are unfortunately quite stilted (“Thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement—and for the vision that led to CAPR and our breakthrough”), but the brisk plot largely carries readers through. Deeley’s compassion makes this a particularly heartfelt SF entry and an ideal introduction to the genre.

A compelling SF saga that focuses on the humanity behind big tech.