The Postmortal by Drew Magary

Author: Drew Magary
Publisher: Penguin Group
Date of Publication: August 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.

When I saw the audio book for The Postmortal on the shelf at my library, I was intrigued. I will admit that I almost gave up on this book halfway through.  I thought I was a bit slow in the beginning. But it eventually picked up.  After a scientist mistakenly discovers the gene for aging, he develops a "cure" that will cause humans to never age.  They can still get sick and die, but they will never get old.  Sounds good, right?

I can say for certain that after reading The Postmortal, I definitely would not want to live forever.  The author has shown us one potential reality of having the human population never age.  Overcrowding, hunger, war, and  lack of natural resources are just a few of the consequences.  I think the most disturbing was the "Peter Pan" kids.  They are children who receive the cure and will never become adults. Just horrifying!

The story takes place over about 60 years as told through blog posts from a man named John Farrell.  His recordings were found in the future and gives a glimpse into the chaos that "the cure" created.  I liked the authors use of news articles and interviews throughout the story to help show the historical progression .  I liked John Farrell because he was real.  He's not a "nice guy".  He doesn't always do the right thing.  That made him more believable to me.

I have really mixed feelings about this book.  I can't decide if I liked it or not. I can say that while it is not a happy story, it is one that makes you really think.