Published by Tor.com on May 28, 2019

Most of us want to live as long as we can, and maybe just a little longer. Others reach a point where they are content with the fullness of their lives, a point where they “couldn’t possibly be any fuller” and any more life “would only push out what I already have, and cherish.” The latter is an unusual perspective, but science fiction at its best encourages readers to see their lives, or the lives of others, from perspectives not yet dreamt.

Longer imagines a future in which humanity is considerably more united than it is today, thanks in part to something called “the Hoax.” In this future, science has made it possible to give some people — people of means — two rejuvenations, a second and third lifespan. Gunjita wants Cav to take his second and last rejuvenation; Cav is resisting the idea. In fact, Cav is on the verge of deciding that he is ready to die, a decision that Gunjita takes personally, because it seems Cav would rather spend an eternity without her rather than another lifetime with her.

Gunjita and Cav are on a space station doing medical research when they discover that a returning probe has captured an object attached to a sliver that was once part of an asteroid. The object resembles vomit but Cav is convinced that the object is alive. They call it the Ooi. It might just be a rock clinging to a rock, but maybe aliens look like rocks. Or maybe they look like vomit.

Cav wants to touch it, smell it, taste it, all potentially dangerous activities. Gunjita wants to cut into it. For that, Cav thinks they need a surgeon — overkill, perhaps, if it is just a rock shaped like a pile of vomit.

The surgeon they have in mind, Dashaud Mikelson, has just enhanced his sense of touch. But Dash has a history with Gunjita that has left her feeling spiteful.

The exact nature of the ooi turns out to be … ambiguous. The resolution of Cav’s debate about living or dying is … ambiguous. The nature of the Hoax? Ambiguous. Very little about this story is clear cut, except for the very real emotions that it explores. And that seems fitting, because the story is a reminder that there is so much we don’t understand. Does alien life exist and, if so, what does it look like? We don’t know. What, if anything beyond physical decay, happens to us after death? We don’t know.

What we do know is that we must make choices based on imperfect information. We base some of those choices on emotions or intuition, also imperfect, but whether our choices are therefore right or wrong is again something we might never know. We might not know what meaning to assign to right and wrong, or whether the meaning we assign is any more valid than the meanings assigned by others, even others who are close to us and who feel hurt by our choices.

The characters in Longer explore those questions through contemplative dialog, while Michael Blumlein tells a philosophical story in elegant prose. I’ve never read anything quite like Longer. It showcases how a science fiction novella with a handful of characters can broaden a reader’s imaginings about the things we think we understand and the things that, even with a couple of extra lifespans, we will never understand.

RECOMMENDED

A good concept that was hampered by a convoluted writing style attempting to create a false sense of confusion. So many parts of this story are written in vague hints, rather than simply being clear, and when things are written clearly, they are too simple when explanation would have been needed. In some cases, this can work, in this case however it was just frustrating and made for a boring read. With clunky dialogue, and scientific premise in which very little science is actually discussed, this was a poor attempt at science-fiction for my tastes - while it adequately explores the philosophical aspects of science-fiction, I just needed a bit more meat on this skeleton of a story.

The cerebral chill of this narrative may turn off some readers, but the ideas are potent, and the conflict is beautifully presented. I wanted to know more about the HUBIEs, though, and the alien pukestain was over emphasized and Chekhov would not be pleased with it. The married couple's dilemma is more than enough to carry this novel (and is perfection). The rest is a bit meh.

An interesting novella. A little slow, perhaps, but an interesting examination of solitude and relationships.

In particular, the novella has some interesting things to say about the concept of extended life and what this will mean for our relationships -- familial as well as with partners.

Good world-building, science fictional aspects well-portrayed.

This has such an excellent premise and I did enjoy parts of it very much. However, I was a little disappointed at the direction that it took, heading into familiar and well-trodden, predictable territory. It's also quite slow-moving, and it took me a while to get interested. The characters don't always behave rationally.

Following two scientists who work on an orbiting space station trying to find out more about this new drug that can actually rewind your age to become a younger version of yourself. Pretty interesting and I've always been fascinated by the "live your life twice and retain information" trope and this was kind of a slice of that. Throw in an asteroid with a mysterious object on it and it the book should have taken off on it's own.

Unfortunately the book never allowed me to be fully immersed. I found it lacking in both the action and thrill department. There were simply too many things that left me feeling disenchanted and frustrated.

I wrote a big ol' essay dissecting the nature of humanity in LONGER, and the only thing that's stopping me from copy/pasting it here is because I don't want to like, ruin your eyes. I'll post the link before.

But here's the conclusion:

There’s a lot of good, thought-provoking stuff in LONGER. Michael Blumlein did some serious research – or some serious soul-searching – when he presented us with not only the idea of an inhuman being still on the fence of personhood, but a society that expects you to remake your whole body once you hit a certain age. We could see this as an extension of our own society, here in a century or so, but it’s stories like these that remind us that we, as people, are more valuable than how young we look, how many years we’ve lived, or how useful we are.

We’re people, made to exist as people. LONGER shows us this brilliantly. And I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read it.

Longer is one of those science fiction novels that'll make you think. More than that, it'll make you feel. I'm not ashamed to admit that Longer made me cry like a baby at times. It cut through me and forced me to view the tale on an emotional level.
This novel follows two scientists – Gunjita and Cav. Both are working on an orbiting space station run by Gleem Galatic. Their both married to their work, and are significantly older than they appear.
But there's so much more going on than that. Gunjita has become rejuvenated in her works, while Cav is drowning in doubt and so many more complicated feelings and emotions. Their journey here will make you question so much about science and life.
In this world, people have the option to juve when they hit a certain age. That is, they can set back their biological clocks to a younger version of themselves. The earlier you juve, the more time you've lost. But the later you juve, the riskier it becomes. And one can only juve twice in a lifetime.

<Spoiler>
Warnings: This is a heavy and beautifully written novel. As such, it does cover some sensitive subjects. Such as human experimentation, and the decision to end one's life.
Longer was a shockingly moving novel. It was beautifully written and contemplated some of the most difficult aspects of human life and nature. All while having very strong science fiction themes throughout.
This novel captivated me from start to finish. And I did admittedly read it all in one sitting – I just couldn't walk away from it. I was tempted to put it down once or twice when I started to cry, but I so desperately had to see it through by that point.
In a way it reminded me of Death of a Salesman, but it had a stronger emotional impact on me. Perhaps it's because I felt connected to both main characters? I connected to Cav more than I ever connected to Willy Lowman. And I'm not ashamed to admit that both sides of the situation made me cry.
I'm still curious about other elements introduced in this novel. Bits and pieces that didn't have direct conclusions or answers. It was intentionally done, and I like that. But I still can't help but wonder...which I'm sure was on purpose.
I loved the debate that was raised in Longer. Subtly at first, but with more and more force as the novel went on. It's something that I've wondered and debated about myself. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's a great conversation started, if nothing else.
I still can't get over how much Longer impacted me. It was poignant and beautifully written, and it still took my completely by surprise.

Thank you to Tor.com and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this story in exchange for my open and honest opinion.

“An island of bliss in a sea of amnesia”

This story touches on some important issues. What it means to live. What it means to die. When do you live enough life? Classicism. Love and marriage over a long period of time. Yet, even with its loftier goals of deep discussion and narrative, the story falls bitterly, and entirely flat.

The story involves four different characters over the course of a few weeks.

Cav – Scientist, 84. Cav works on a space station with his wife Gunjita. They study a drug that can halt and reverse aging, but is not successful yet. He has rejuvenated once already and has not rejuvenated the second and final time. Cav has reservations about the rejuvenation process and the socio and psychological ramifications.

“Death was a journey, composed of little deaths, little steps along the way. Sometimes the steps were close together, tightly packed, and death came rapidly.”


Gunjita – Scientist, 82. Cavs newly rejuvenated wife. Also a scientist and working in concert with Cav in zero-g.


Dash – Friend and newly rejuvenated doctor. He has a new special ability in his fingertips.


Asteroid with weird Organic Splatter – This object is a point of contention between Gunjita and Cav. Is it alive, or inert?


Cav and Gunjita work in a space station studying an anti-aging drug that. If they are successful they could roll back death turning humans into Methuselah. If you are rich enough to afford it. Obvious class conflict. Extended life is given only to those born to privilege or circumstance. The repercussions of this are something that Cav struggles with. Cav and Gunijta find an asteroid speckled with what looks like vomit. Cav believes that the speckle could be sentient and Gunjita believes that it is not. This causes a rip in their marriage. This story attempts to speak very plainly about age and marriage. Yet, I found that the marriage depicted in the story lacked realism and edged towards vapid. As a couple that had been married for 50 years as well as two prominent and respected scientists, their discussion of science and relationships are shallow, and at times verged on tedious. This paired with the characterization of youth versus age threw me out of the story many times. The trope of youth as a place of wonder and excitement, while age is the place to be endured till you can afford to be rejuvenated again, is flat and unrealistic. Youth does not make you a magically vibrant person. Nor, does age make you wise.

This story had quite a lot of graphic representations of scientific horrors involving embryos and could be triggering for some. I just found it to be gratuitous on top of the bloated and unrealistic narrative.

This is a bitter story, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Because in the end, you feel nothing. Nothing towards the story, the characters, their plight. Nothing. Maybe that was Blumlein’s intent. Because in the end, it is all nihilism. Although I wanted to like this story, Blumlein is a skilled writer, I didn’t. I cannot get behind the sentiment, characterization, pacing, or message. I do not recommend.

I think, if this book would have been longer, I would have liked it way better! This book was too short for me to really start caring about the characters, so at the ending I was just like ‘uh, okay!’ without much feelings.
I read this book mainly because it is sci-fi, and that part I definitely enjoyed. I liked that it was quite technological, which also meant some things went a bit over my head. I did like the mention of some chemistry related things and I actually understood it! But it was not that important, and I guess you can understand the story without understanding that part.
Another reason why I didn’t like the book is that I did not understand one of the main parts of the plot. He was obsessing over this random object that they found, but I didn’t really understand why, and that me why less interested in the plot.
So, I liked the space part, but didn’t care much for the plot and the characters, which could have been improved if the story was longer!

Longer is a unique dive into the human psyche to examine what it means to extend the human lifespan. It’s the best kind of character piece, focusing on personal conversations and overarching themes that go beyond explosive plot points. This is the story of a woman who wants to live forever and a man who feels he’s had enough.

The writing is on another level, pairing an ethereal conversation style with a few converging plot points that never fully materialize. There are world-changing events always on the perimeter, but the focus remains on Cav and Gunjita as they try to come to terms with time and what it means for their futures. It’s an extremely personal take on the common life extension question: is it right that we should go against natural aging and give ourselves multiple lifetimes? We get both sides of the conversation. For Gunjita, there can never be enough life. She wants to horde as much time as possible, to fulfill every dream she’s ever had and to become more. For Cav, he doesn’t believe it’s natural or fair to get more time, especially when everyone can’t afford it. The cost is too great in his eyes.

In a way, the novella leaves you feeling strangely connected to these characters. It’s hard to describe Blumlein’s style of writing, but ethereal seems to be as close as I can get. The spoken words are never fully formed, adding a sense of realism that I didn’t know was missing. When Cav speaks, we see that sense of introspection that comes with aging. His mind works differently than his younger counterparts in the station, mixing a childlike wonder of his surroundings with a floundering train of thought. He’s dying, yet he’s living more than either of his companions. It’s a strange and inspiring state to witness.

Overall, Longer is a something special, a look into the human soul to ask the big questions. What does it mean to be human? What would you do if time wasn’t an issue? And finally, does more time necessarily mean a better life?

Review to be published on 5/28: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/05/28/longer-book-review

"Death was a journey, composed of little deaths, little steps along the way. Sometimes the steps were close together, tightly packed, and death came rapidly. Sometimes they were spaced far apart, and it approached at a crawl. Suicide offered a choice of speeds. it was the ultimate in self-determination."

Longer is a poignant, uncomfortable, and genuine snapshot of life, death, and the threshold between the two. It is simply written, but impeccably so - while you won't necessarily find lyrical, poetic prose, you will find a thoughtful and intense discussion on old age, fairness, and humanity. There is a lot packed into this short novel. 

At its heart, this is a novel about a man choosing to die. He has the chance to juve - to take a cocktail that will reset his body back to its peak - but is instead choosing to commit suicide by refusing it. Suicide is an intensely personal and delicate topic, and I was impressed by the tact with which it was handled here. Cav's experiences rang true to anyone who has contemplated suicide in the past. It is an end, a choice, an embrace - yet at the moment of truth, Cav is pulled back when he can see the edge. I was initially worried this novel would be one that glorified suicide as sacrifice, but am very pleased to say that is not the case where Cav's final experiences are concerned. 

Most people with a history of depression have come to that precipice in the past. They've looked death in the eye, and saw it as a comfort. An option. An escape hatch. To Cav, it is all of these and more - it's also a way to speak out against the unfairness inherent in who can or cannot afford to juve. It was painful to watch Cav's slow decline, as he drew away from his partner, Gunjita, who had just recently juved. She, too, hurts and feels the pain of watching someone she loves deeply and dearly slowly recede. 

While I did not love this novel, precisely, it was a novel that made me feel very deeply. I did not like reading it, particularly, because I saw myself at my worst reflected in it. At the end of the day, I don't know if this novel is good or bad for those who are in a bad place in life. However, I do think that it's discussing an important topic in a way that I don't often see.

A tough, chewy look at longing, limits, and love. When a medical development allows for extended, though limited, lifespans, the struggles for discovering, and even preserving, what is now normal in human relationships play out on a very small stage. In a lab. On a space station. Staffed by a highly competent married couple in the employ of a powerful company. Michael Blumlein has crafted a gem of a story which shows more than it pretends to, placing the reader in the hearts and minds of the characters, and chooses none of the answers it offers.