Dreams before the start of time

Philip K. Dick Award finalist Charnock follows the progression of reproductive science across people in five generations as they decide the level of involvement needed from another parent and themselves in parenting and even pregnancy. These snippets start simply with two pregnant friends, then evolve into society redefining their expectations regarding childbirth as technology removes the hassles of infertility, pregnancy, and even the need for a genetic partner to create a child. In following the same family through several generations, the reader will experience not only the changing the views of society at large, but also the progression of the characters' views as new opportunities arise for the next wave of parents. In addition to the advances in reproductive science, Charnock shares glimpses of other technology that may be available in the near future: personal digital assistants that plan schedules and make personalized recommendations, including functioning as matchmakers; robots to accomplish menial tasks; and exoskeleton suits that assist the elderly in staying active. None of the technology seems far-fetched, leaving the reader to wonder whether this is predictive fiction.--Moritz, Frances Copyright 2017 Booklist

Charnock (A Calculated Life) pulls hard on the parent's universal worry-that no matter what we do and how much we want the best for our children, somehow we aren't doing it right-in a skillfully executed multigenerational saga that explores a potential future driven by rapid development of reproductive technologies. Charnock's mid-21st-century London protagonists navigate their parents' difficulties accepting choices like conceiving solo with donor sperm or choosing to continue an accidental pregnancy; the children resulting from those decisions face questions of true single-parent reproduction and remote gestation as cutting-edge technologies; and their children deal with the ramifications of the methods of their own creation, and the cultural development of birthing choices and genetic enhancement as an issue of money and class. Though Charnock's core characters function as archetypes manifesting the choices available in her subtly problematic future, the family context through which she revisits them throughout their lives lets her focus on the human struggles for relationship, connection, and legacy in a story that feels personal and intimate. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Philip K. Dick Award finalist Charnock follows the progression of reproductive science across people in five generations as they decide the level of involvement needed from another parent and themselves in parenting and even pregnancy. These snippets start simply with two pregnant friends, then evolve into society redefining their expectations regarding childbirth as technology removes the hassles of infertility, pregnancy, and even the need for a genetic partner to create a child. In following the same family through several generations, the reader will experience not only the changing the views of society at large, but also the progression of the characters' views as new opportunities arise for the next wave of parents. In addition to the advances in reproductive science, Charnock shares glimpses of other technology that may be available in the near future: personal digital assistants that plan schedules and make personalized recommendations, including functioning as matchmakers; robots to accomplish menial tasks; and exoskeleton suits that assist the elderly in staying active. None of the technology seems far-fetched, leaving the reader to wonder whether this is predictive fiction. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Charnock (A Calculated Life) pulls hard on the parent's universal worry—that no matter what we do and how much we want the best for our children, somehow we aren't doing it right—in a skillfully executed multigenerational saga that explores a potential future driven by rapid development of reproductive technologies. Charnock's mid-21st-century London protagonists navigate their parents' difficulties accepting choices like conceiving solo with donor sperm or choosing to continue an accidental pregnancy; the children resulting from those decisions face questions of true single-parent reproduction and remote gestation as cutting-edge technologies; and their children deal with the ramifications of the methods of their own creation, and the cultural development of birthing choices and genetic enhancement as an issue of money and class. Though Charnock's core characters function as archetypes manifesting the choices available in her subtly problematic future, the family context through which she revisits them throughout their lives lets her focus on the human struggles for relationship, connection, and legacy in a story that feels personal and intimate. (Apr.)