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Main Characters

Jeff: The narrator of the book- the skeptic of cryogenics. He is inquisitive, eclectic, and obviously was emotionally traumatized in his life from his father walking out on him and his mom considering his numerous quirks.

Ross Lockhart: Jeff’s father. He has changed his name to better suit his wealthy and egotistic persona. Is comfortable having only the finest things. Only realizes too late that he needs to be a part of his son’s life

Artis: Jeff’s Stepmom. She is a visionary and an optimistic individual. Her and Jeff share a special bond in that they can talk deeply about things. She will be going into the cryogenic chamber in hopes of a better healthier version of herself in the future

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Summary

Ross calls upon Jeff to come to Artis’s deathbed and beginning process of cryogenic preservation

While he is there he learns what cryogenics really is…

He realizes that more and more the idea of being preserved is not what he wants

He sees how the creators of the project The Convergence fantasize the future for their wealthy sponsors(such as Jeff’s father)

His father tells him that he will be going with Artis

Jeff tries to convince him it is a bad idea, and Artis wants Jeff to come with them too

His dad chickens out at the last minute

When Jeff goes back to the real world, he finds meaning to his life.

He compares the death of his biological mother to Artis’s assisted death

He realizes that his father is failing in health

His father decides to go ahead and do the cryogenic preservation early (called being a herald)

They get an up close and personal experience of what it is really like just before

Jeff discovers that in life we are meant to die

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“Faith-based technology. That’s what it is. Another God. Not so different, it turns out, from some of the early ones. Except that it’s real, its true, it delivers. Life after death. Eventually, yes. The Convergence.”(Pg 9)

Does it? It is part of the illusion?

In a sense it is “faith based”, but I don’t think it should be thought of as a God…

Where to draw the line of seeing a futuristic technology as a “God” or, rather, a religion if you will?

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“Think about this, what is here and who is here. Think about the end of all the petty misery you’ve been hoarding for years. Think beyond personal experience. Leave it back there. What’s happening in this community is not just a creation of medical science.”(Pg 33)

Idea that life is only misery/ suffering
The pictures they show on the screen
Personal targeting (such as his girlfriend’s son being shot down)
Part of a salespitch?

Rick and Morty, Big Rick puts his “being” inside of a younger version of himself… can only truly communicate through teen angst… cryogenic future with nanobots inside us? Trapped?

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“ I want to die and be finished forever. Don’t you want to die? He said. I don’t know. What’s the point in living if we don’t die at the end of it?” (Pg 40)

Lose a sense of purpose in life…
Living as an immortal being, life would be pointless
What goals would we strive toward
Would you want to live forever?

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“In his physical impairment, the nonalignment of upper and lower body, in this awful twistedness I found myself thinking of the new technologies that would one day be applied to his body and brain, allowing him to return to the world as a runner, a jumper, a public speaker.” (Pg 94)

Jeff considers the people in the hospice care that are basically waiting to die
This is his interaction with a boy who is paralyzed
I think this is the only part where he considers cryogenic being used for good… in hopes for a better life.. As well as in Artis’s case
Some People would abuse it. Selfish reasons. Only to escape from the world or some wrongs they have done in their lives

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“Is it outright murder? Is it a form of assisted suicide that’s horribly premature? Or is it a metaphysical crime that needs to be analyzed by philosophers?”

Yes….. And yes… and yes
The process in the book was medically induced… assisted suicide
It had to be done in the wake of death
How would medical professionals allow this?

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1. Who said, "Everybody wants to own the end of the world."(3)��2. What did the narrator, Jeff, see in the entrance way of the compound? (5)��3. What is the name of the endeavor that Ross Lockhart, Jeff's father, put large sums of money into?(7)��4. What was going to happen to Artis, Jeff's stepmom? What did she suffer from? (8)��5. What does Ross compare the people in the "hospice" unit that are about to undergo the process to? (9)��6. What things did Jeff see in the hallway on the screen that appeared that made him turn around to see if anyone else was witness to what he had seen? (11)��7. What scenario does Artis explain that shows how she thinks about the cryogenic process? (19)��8. What does Artis call the medicated induced state that she is in when they drug her? (26)��

Quiz

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Discussion Questions:��~ If you had to face the choice of going with a loved one into the cryogenic process, would you do it? If you did not do it would you feel a regret or a sense of remorse? Do you think that it would matter if you had told them you were going with them, and you don't follow though?��~Speaking of being a "Herald" as Jeff's father chooses to do later on, do you think that you could choose to go into the process early as these "heralds" did?��~Would you be so convinced by the future the salespeople painted for you, that you would consider the option of cryogenic preservation?��~How would you react to the videos that are shown in the hallways? Would you think it was just part of a sales pitch? Would you blow it off as something that occurs everyday? Would it scare you into thinking that preservation is justified?��~Considering the option is quite readily available to the wealthy and privileged, do you think that it was possibly a scheme in order to make the ultimate "art exhibit" of foolish visionaries or cowardice sponsors? Is it possible that there is no future to wake up to that is so expressively promised?

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