REVIEW: SEVENEVES BY NEAL STEPHENSON

Published by Morrow, 2015. Hardcover, 861 pgs

     What would you do if you knew the world was ending in two years? What preparations would be made to ensure a genetic legacy through the survival of a few? "Send the best and brightest to space" Stephenson says. This is the most visionary and epic book I've ever read. A mysterious "Agent" from space has broken the moon into fragments that are colliding with each other at an alarming rate. Scientists have studied these fragments from afar and agree that in a few years there will be a White Sky (cloudy debris whiteout), followed days later by Hard Rain...which will effectively be trillions of meteors striking the earth for centuries, decimating every living thing and turning the Earth into a molten wasteland.

    The book is divided into the before, the handling of the catastrophe (political and engineering wise), and a period 5000 years in the future where the seven space races are trying to rebuild planet Earth for habitation. This is an insanely oversimplified explanation, but the process of building structures for survival is one of the incredible parts of the reading experience- so I don't want to detract by sharing details of the journey.

     The majority of the book deals in heavy technical science. The attention to detail is fascinating, even though by the middle I was feeling a bit worn out with some info-dumps. There was a particular 10 page section that could have just said a thermal shield fell off and wasn't protecting some vital material on the spacecraft. Those instances were frustrating, and felt like a chance for Stephenson to show off what I'm sure was an incredible amount of research...but it still didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.

     Due to the apocalyptic nature of the book, the story focuses more on the "How" and "Why" than the "Who". These people need to solve the most serious problem imaginable.You will not find heavy character development, even though there are a few set characters we follow through 2/3 of the story. I think Stephenson is more than capable of developing wonderful characters, but for the purpose of this book it needed to take a backseat- with the human capital being discussed in terms of reproduction and genetic traits instead of extensive social backgrounds and relationship drama. I still thought there were nuanced characters, and even humor- but it certainly doesn't dominate the story line. These nerds in space have a job to do, and they are on a bit of a schedule. This is obviously a depressing time, and the characters have achieved victory if they've simply advanced the space station and surrounding arklets in some way (even when succumbing to radiation poisoning, equipment failure, or a million other accidents).

    I recommend to anyone who loves science, world-building, problem solving, and doesn't mind a long narrative where the character development is secondary to an epic main plot. I think Stephenson is fantastic. Seveneves was incredibly memorable and I can't wait to read more of his work.

REVIEW: SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES (& OTHER LESSONS FROM THE CREMATORY) BY CAITLIN DOUGHTY

Published by W.W Norton & Company, 2014. Hardback, 241 pgs.

With the line "A girl never forgets the first corpse she shaves" I was hooked by this memoir. In her mid-twenties, Caitlin entered the mortuary profession. She had been fascinated/terrified of death as a child and finally decided to study Medieval History in college, with an emphasis on the witch trials and death rituals. Through her research into other cultures and her own experiences working at Westwind Cremation and Burial in San Francisco, we get a behind the scenes glimpse into the gritty, but real, nature of death. Doughty deftly explores burial rituals in other countries, the affect religion plays in death, the machinery and processing necessary for cremation, the options we have for our burial (how to avoid being scammed), some common misconceptions about what happens to our bodies during the process, the history of embalming, and the importance of preparation for the inevitable.  

I did struggle in the middle with the infant cremation section. I had to put the book down because it made me shaky as well as teary-eyed. A few deep breaths were necessary here to get my bearings! Some of it initially struck me as callous, but these jobs must be done by someone. I appreciate that there are people who are up to the task. They are made of far tougher stuff than me. Luckily, there was only one instance where I found a phrase tasteless. I realize finding humor when possible would be an absolute must. You'd have to make the job bearable through some morbid jokes, but this one was particularly insensitive since pertaining to infants. As a reader, there was no point in hearing it. Doughty even admits its appalling, so I wish it had just been left off the page.

I found this book even more profoundly affecting than I imagined. Beyond the information on the death process, it made me think about how to live a good life, and the importance of opening discussions with loved ones so we don't unintentionally deny someone (and ourselves) a good death. I interpret "good death" as meaning one with as much choice and dignity as possible. It may seem common sense that talking about things is often better than NOT talking about things, but rarely have I felt the point driven home quite like this.

Doughty is unconventional and fascinating, I urge those who can stomach some graphic details to give this a go. It will open your eyes to the eventual reality we all face, as well as give you a new appreciation for people who endure this type of grueling job.