Official Review: Days of Future Found by M. K. Wark
Posted: 27 Feb 2020, 18:41
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Days of Future Found" by M. K. Wark.]
By 2039, every natural environment on Earth has been devastated by the slow advance of climate change. In the preceding decades, natural disasters worldwide had become the norm rather than the exception. In order to survive, humanity established colonies in the more livable areas of the world.
Ella should be content. After all, the LIFE Control Center provides everything an Elder could possibly want: a small but comfortable apartment in a government-provided Elder complex, protein-rich ‘meals’ (if you can call powdery gruel a meal), nutrient supplements created specifically for each Elder, and a caretaker to see to their every need. (Even those they don’t know they have.) Still, even as she appreciates the security of the compound, Ella remembers the freedoms of her youth and yearns for an indefinable ‘something more.’
The Longevity Institute has studied elders for years, manipulating their genes to achieve slower aging. Anomalies in Ella’s DNA indicate that she is ‘aging at half speed’ compared to her peers. (Picture a woman in her mid-sixties with the physical and mental attributes and abilities of a thirty to forty-year-old.) The Institute has expressed, with great determination, that they would like her to take part in a ‘special’ study, which would require travel away from the compound. But Elders have been disappearing. Is this ‘invitation’ the diversion from her staid life that Ella needs, or is it something far more sinister?
Days of Future Found by M.K. Wark is a different sort of dystopian novel. There are no heroes or action scenes here, though there is a touch of intrigue. Instead of typical post-apocalyptic fare, the author uses the story to evoke questions that, while particularly relevant to ‘Elders,’ are equally pertinent to many ages. How do you establish an acceptable balance between personal independence and the demands of society? In an increasingly uncertain world, how do you determine what is ‘true’? Wark also explores several themes in the novel. Through Ella’s mental and physical journey, the author explores the ethics and morals of genetic manipulation, pushing the boundaries of comfort zones, possible concepts of a meaningful life, and the value of risk-taking. The book also delves into elder rights and the making of end-of-life decisions.
M.K. Wark excels in descriptions of his created world and its characters. Although the details of the ravaged world and how it came to be are not spelled out explicitly, Wark successfully communicates its desolation, juxtaposed sharply with the comfort and safety the colony offers. The story is written in simple, clear language and told primarily through the thought processes of the characters. Ella is the central character in the book. She is an active, surprisingly spry, and delightfully mischievous Elder. The reader is inevitably drawn to become invested in her life and search for purpose. The principal focus is on Ella’s reasonings and rationalizations as she strives to come to terms with her potential for an unlimited lifespan, the implications for her personal future, and the conceivable impact of the discovery on humanity. At its core, this novel is about a possible future which, in many ways, parallels the direction of our own.
There was little I did not like about this book. What I enjoyed the most was the thread of humor the author had interwoven throughout the story. I also loved the unique twist of having a protagonist who is at once both old and young. Occasionally, I would run across a very oddly worded sentence. “Crossing the room…a few moments ago, to look down at the courtyard, he felt lightheaded and did not possess his legs.” Hmmm, that would be disconcerting! Usually, each instance of oddity gave me a chuckle.
Unfortunately, grammatical errors were more prominent. They consisted mostly of problems with phrasing and missing, misspelled, or misused words. They did not impact my reading overly much, but as there were over ten of them, I was forced to drop the book’s score to 3 out of 4 stars. However, I wish to note that these errors were the only reason that a star was docked. Days of Future Found is a book that makes you take a hard look at the environmental changes taking place in our world today.
Reminiscent of the masterful dystopian works of Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Lois Lowry, I would recommend it to readers of any age who are fond of thought-provoking post-apocalyptic or dystopian novels. If you’ve ever found yourself dwelling on what the Earth you’re leaving for your grandchildren will be like, this is a must-read. How far outside the box are you willing to think and venture to secure for them a better, healthier future?
******
Days of Future Found
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
By 2039, every natural environment on Earth has been devastated by the slow advance of climate change. In the preceding decades, natural disasters worldwide had become the norm rather than the exception. In order to survive, humanity established colonies in the more livable areas of the world.
Ella should be content. After all, the LIFE Control Center provides everything an Elder could possibly want: a small but comfortable apartment in a government-provided Elder complex, protein-rich ‘meals’ (if you can call powdery gruel a meal), nutrient supplements created specifically for each Elder, and a caretaker to see to their every need. (Even those they don’t know they have.) Still, even as she appreciates the security of the compound, Ella remembers the freedoms of her youth and yearns for an indefinable ‘something more.’
The Longevity Institute has studied elders for years, manipulating their genes to achieve slower aging. Anomalies in Ella’s DNA indicate that she is ‘aging at half speed’ compared to her peers. (Picture a woman in her mid-sixties with the physical and mental attributes and abilities of a thirty to forty-year-old.) The Institute has expressed, with great determination, that they would like her to take part in a ‘special’ study, which would require travel away from the compound. But Elders have been disappearing. Is this ‘invitation’ the diversion from her staid life that Ella needs, or is it something far more sinister?
Days of Future Found by M.K. Wark is a different sort of dystopian novel. There are no heroes or action scenes here, though there is a touch of intrigue. Instead of typical post-apocalyptic fare, the author uses the story to evoke questions that, while particularly relevant to ‘Elders,’ are equally pertinent to many ages. How do you establish an acceptable balance between personal independence and the demands of society? In an increasingly uncertain world, how do you determine what is ‘true’? Wark also explores several themes in the novel. Through Ella’s mental and physical journey, the author explores the ethics and morals of genetic manipulation, pushing the boundaries of comfort zones, possible concepts of a meaningful life, and the value of risk-taking. The book also delves into elder rights and the making of end-of-life decisions.
M.K. Wark excels in descriptions of his created world and its characters. Although the details of the ravaged world and how it came to be are not spelled out explicitly, Wark successfully communicates its desolation, juxtaposed sharply with the comfort and safety the colony offers. The story is written in simple, clear language and told primarily through the thought processes of the characters. Ella is the central character in the book. She is an active, surprisingly spry, and delightfully mischievous Elder. The reader is inevitably drawn to become invested in her life and search for purpose. The principal focus is on Ella’s reasonings and rationalizations as she strives to come to terms with her potential for an unlimited lifespan, the implications for her personal future, and the conceivable impact of the discovery on humanity. At its core, this novel is about a possible future which, in many ways, parallels the direction of our own.
There was little I did not like about this book. What I enjoyed the most was the thread of humor the author had interwoven throughout the story. I also loved the unique twist of having a protagonist who is at once both old and young. Occasionally, I would run across a very oddly worded sentence. “Crossing the room…a few moments ago, to look down at the courtyard, he felt lightheaded and did not possess his legs.” Hmmm, that would be disconcerting! Usually, each instance of oddity gave me a chuckle.
Unfortunately, grammatical errors were more prominent. They consisted mostly of problems with phrasing and missing, misspelled, or misused words. They did not impact my reading overly much, but as there were over ten of them, I was forced to drop the book’s score to 3 out of 4 stars. However, I wish to note that these errors were the only reason that a star was docked. Days of Future Found is a book that makes you take a hard look at the environmental changes taking place in our world today.
Reminiscent of the masterful dystopian works of Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Lois Lowry, I would recommend it to readers of any age who are fond of thought-provoking post-apocalyptic or dystopian novels. If you’ve ever found yourself dwelling on what the Earth you’re leaving for your grandchildren will be like, this is a must-read. How far outside the box are you willing to think and venture to secure for them a better, healthier future?
******
Days of Future Found
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I hope you like the book as much as I did! Thanks for dropping by and commenting!