A quietly beautiful book that was fairly weird but I still thoroughly enjoyed in every way. I can totally see the similarities to Sea of Tranquility.

I actually thought this was quite beautiful.

It’s very odd, to be sure. The idea that the entire book would be entries in a journal spanning hundreds of years, or that an AI built to analyze 19th century poetry would go on to form the building blocks of so many other things, is very out there. I think that, with a lot of the plot, it’s not that it’s pointless. It does work and make sense. It’s more that, the plot isn’t exactly the point. It exists as a backdrop for characters to ponder about what makes a human human, what is the purpose of life, what exists beyond day to day existence. All in a post-apocalyptic world filled with super intelligent nanites.

This isn’t a book where you get attached to a character and follow them throughout their journey, but if you want a dreamy, often dark read that feels poetic at times, I’d recommend it. There is a lot of references to poetry and poems, including recitations od specific poems, so if that is not of interest to you, you may not enjoy chunks of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!

This is a solid science fiction debut that never fully managed to pull me in as a reader. I rated this book 3 stars and could see myself recommending this novel to others.

This book is a philosophical exploration of humanity across time, through a journal scribed by many authors. It starts with a mystery; a man who's body has been flooded with nanites has vanished, seemingly Raptured while entering a closet. From there, the story follows numerous clones and (kinda) humans as each author passes the journal to the next author.

I love science fiction that isn't trying to hide what it's saying. This book is explicitly an exploration of what makes a human a human, the role of art and poetry in humanity, how it all intersects and transcends time and space. Each "author" of the book was generally interesting, with unique viewpoints and philosophical depths that added to the book's message. I've seen some reviews that talk about how they didn't like how the book was so overt with what it was setting out to communicate, but I personally didn't find that it weakened the book in any meaningful way.

While I did enjoy the book, I never felt fully plugged into the book. It took me a day or two longer for me to finish the novel that it should have, because I kept putting the book down to read other books that I enjoyed a little more.

Some of the writing did come off a little... stilted. Generally, Hur wove beautiful prose that carried the story forward. But there were a few times where the writing just didn't quite land right. The dialogue between characters was generally a little off throughout the book. There are in-universe explanations for why that may be for some characters, but I still like good dialogue that flows "naturally."

My biggest issue with the book is the fact that all of the author's within the story kind of blended together a bit. I get it, some of the authors are nanite clones of each other. But I would kind of lose track of who I was reading or where I was at because they all sounded the same. They would come to similar conclusions about humanity and arts role in their humanity. I needed more delineation between everyone.

I did enjoy this novel, I think it's a solid 3 star read, and I think it won't struggle to find an audience.

I am speechless after reading this book! This is a work of art and I cannot begin to describe the awe I have for this author’s mind!

This story is like looking at the stars and feeling that sense of wonder and dread at the same time, realising how many and beautiful possibilities the universe entails and how finite and small we are compared to it. I loved everything about this book, the story, the language, the philosophy and speculations, everything!

This is fantastic science fiction, speculative fiction, dystopian and so much more! It is an ode to humanity through the exploration of its finity and mortality. Cleverly written using a journal where each character writes their story we experience past, present and future and the meaning of eternity. When you wake up and language is not learnt but it’s a memory, it becomes so important that as it says in the book, memory creates experience and not the other way around. This concept alone blew my mind, and this is only a tiny bit of what this book offers!

The concept of an AI that learns poetry because through reading and writing poetry we reveal and discover our selves is simply genius! And what happens when that AI is transferred to a human body, albeit infused with nanites? What if the attempt of humanity to become eternal doesn’t work out because nothing is immortal and even synthetic copies of that initial humanised AI starts to modify and evolve? What if the only way to be both human and become immortal is to write your story. By writing our stories we not only come to existence but we walk toward eternity…

I am still digesting this story with the emotions it revived in me and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!

Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

I had high hopes and was really intrigued. I lost interest since it felt disconnected between the chapters.

Toward Eternity examines themes of ancestry, death (and loss), love, language, artistic capability, and humanity— told through an evocative story in which artificial intelligence has significantly advanced, and in which science is able to treat cancer by completely replacing a human's cells with nanodroids, effectively granting immortality to recipients.

Author Anton Hur is a translator, and this is reflected in the immense care and importance given to language throughout the whole of Toward Eternity. Several perspective characters act as guides through the narrative, and each has a distinct voice and relationship to the novel’s themes (and to language).

Although not incredibly similar in content, as the novel progressed, I found myself increasingly reminded of the epic poem ‘Aniara’ by Harry Martinson. Toward Eternity feels much more “personal” in its narrative and thematic exploration, and the conclusion does feel much more optimistic than Aniara, though.

This was an incredibly strong debut novel, and I cannot wait to see the original works that Anton Hur publishes in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi, and I felt like I was in a college seminar throughout its entirety. This is definitely not a normal read for me.

I really loved the combination of sci-fi elements with philosophical themes in Toward Eternity.

The discussions about poetry, language, identity, and humanity were incredibly thorough and interesting, yet sometimes hard to follow and therefore fail to keep the readers attention at times.

The rapid change of viewpoint characters aids in exploring various perspectives on immortality and humanity. But at the same time this hinders the reader from building a deeper connection to each character and feels repetitive after a while.

Toward Eternity offers a speculative story on relevant topics like AI and nanotechnology, but was a bit slow in pacing in my opinion.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Toward Eternity by Anton Hur is a first person multi-POV Queer sci-fi about how language and art make us human. When literary researcher Yonghun teaches an AI how to understand poetry, it makes the technology more human and has ripple effects that will impact the future of their world. Poetry plays a large part and whole poems are threaded throughout the novella.

I'm familiar with experimental cancer treatments due to a family member being on a clinical trial for ‘smart medications.’ That nanites could be harnessed to destroy cancer not only didn't feel like a leap to me, I feel like we're almost there. There's incredible things being done at cancer research facilities, but most patients would hesitant at the idea of that treatment making them immortal. The danger of this technology being that we don't know the exact repercussions until we actually test it came through as did Yonghun’s sorrow at living longer than his husband.

The Rapture elements, with Yonghun disappearing and then suddenly reappearing, felt less religious and more like a computer glitch, which ties into the themes of what makes us human vs technology. Yonghun spends much of his POV wondering if he's actually Yonghun or if he just has Yonghun memories and does that effectively make him Yonghun.

The back half of the book was actually my favorite part because I love stories of what would happen after humanity has effectively disappeared and seeing how Yonghun's decisions continue down through the AI into the Eves was a delight.

I would recommend this to fans of sci-fi that explores the boundaries of what it means to be human, readers looking for a novella exploring the what-ifs of our current technology, and those looking for a post-apocalyptic story.

“Language is like DNA,” she mused aloud. “It stores and creates our humanness.”

“Towards Eternity” by Anton Hur is a compelling novel set in the near future where nano therapy eradicates cancer, leaving patients virtually immortal. The story unfolds through journal entries from diverse characters across time and space, delving into the essence of humanity amidst the chaos of advanced technology gone awry.

Anton Hur, a prolific Korean queer writer and translator, infuses every sentence with his love for language, creating a beautiful and suspenseful reading experience. The narrative reflects on art, memory, and the soul as humanity’s catalyst for preservation. It highlights language, poetry, and music as timeless connections across generations—a universal love that unites us all. The novel also explores art as humanity’s immortal consciousness and examines how technology can eradicate or celebrate its ever-evolving creations. I found the characters complex and intriguing, weaving meaningful stories of gay love, longing, and sacrifices for family. The prose is exquisite, interweaving poetry and philosophical thoughts to bind together chapters of androids coexisting with humans and wars decimating the world. Hur continually propels you into the precipice of an unknown future, where imagination teeters between horror and wonder in between the endless possibilities of these characters’ destinies.

“Towards Eternity” comes out on July 9, 2024. I'd recommend it for lovers of poetry, existentialism, and AI science fiction. Each chapter leaves you guessing and excited to know more. Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Taking a star because some chapters could have provided more context but overall, all maintained the atmospheric feel of the book. 📚🌟

This was an interesting concept, and did remind me of Ishiguro, as mentioned in the description. I will suggest this for my sci-fi/fantasy book club this upcoming month.

DNFing this book 60% in. The way each chapter is from a different character makes it feel disjointed and I’m unable to fully connect/care about what’s happening. I’m very much a character reader, though, so I think if that wouldn’t bother you and the synopsis sounds interesting to you you’d probably enjoy it. The writing is very compelling and the sci-fi elements are there.

Wow. This book is such a beautiful combination of sci-fi and philosophy. It’s also a love letter to poetry and classical music. I can’t really describe what the story is about other than to say it’s about humanity. And it’s stunning. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Toward Eternity by Anton Hur offers a compelling exploration of future technologies and their impact on humanity, delving into themes of identity, love, and ethical dilemmas. The novel introduces a near-future world where nanotherapy promises immortality by replacing human cells with advanced nanites. This premise sets the stage for intriguing philosophical questions about what it means to be human when confronted with technological enhancement.

Hur's narrative is ambitious, blending elements of science fiction with deep introspection on the nature of consciousness and existence. The creation of Panit, an AI imbued with human-like qualities and emotions, raises poignant questions about the boundaries between artificial intelligence and humanity. The novel also examines the consequences of scientific progress and the ethical implications of manipulating life at its core.

However, despite its thought-provoking themes and imaginative world-building, Toward Eternity may not fully deliver on its narrative promise for all readers. The complexity of the ideas explored sometimes results in pacing issues, making it challenging to maintain engagement throughout the story. Additionally, while the novel presents compelling characters and concepts, some aspects of the plot and character development may feel underdeveloped or thinly explored.

Overall, Toward Eternity is a novel that boldly tackles profound philosophical questions within a futuristic setting. It invites readers to ponder the implications of technological advancements on human identity and relationships. While it may appeal to fans of speculative fiction interested in cerebral explorations, its execution may leave some readers wishing for more depth and coherence in its storytelling.

"𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮. 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴?"

Anton Hur does it again, but this in his own story.

At the crossroads of immortality and AI, where does language stand? What do words do? What comes out of them? Memories? The present? How far can we feel words? What do they carry?

Careful. Thought-provoking. Rich in spirit.

Language is at the forefront of exploration here. You see it in Hur's work. And you see it explored here. It makes me tremendously happy that after years of translation, Hur has put out his own work, singular in its love for language.

This was rather more pretentious than I expected going in. I chose to request it after reading Anton Hur’s insightful Afterword in A Magical Girl Retires (which he translated and I loved). His control of language is impressive (indeed it must be because he’s an accomplished translator) but the characters feel so far removed from reality. Spending all their time musing on what it means to be human, to have a soul - while one character disparages language, and two others think poetry (blegh) is the root of humanity. The only character who really felt real in the first section was Ellen - through her paranoia, her discerning musical ear, and through her personal and familial history as a white woman in South Africa. But her section was so short.

The story is introspective to a fault, leaving me as a reader left with nothing to grasp on to - particularly since Hur can’t flex language skills without more imagery than we get with this kind of “shared diary”
format.

Review posts July 3rd, 2024.

TOWARD ETERNITY is a contemplative story told as a series of writings by various entities affected by the development of nanites to form bodies. What starts out as a way to try and extend the lives of people with terminal illnesses (cancer, specifically) turns into the catalyst for a war that alters what living looks like for everyone. The style is very introspective, with each new narrator telling their own very personal ideas about their lives and what’s happening. The story is created communally, as a legacy through time, something more than a journal and something called barely less than a relic. Holy in its importance, a living document which traces people and events through time.

It chooses the more personal and calmer portions of what ultimately encompasses hundreds of years of upheaval and violence, as the nanites do not stay confined to just one or two altered persons under tight observation.

This is strange for me to read because, in many ways, it highlights an assumption of interiority (that I don’t experience) as something which is necessary for consciousness. There's also, in some sections and in the treatment of the journal as a whole, an implication that legacy and progeny (literal or metaphorical) are not just important to these particular characters, but generally. This meant that the more I read, the more it was clear to me that it's a well-crafted story about something I don't relate to at all. This dissonance was especially distracting near the midpoint, but I liked the end of the book as things made more sense to me again.

Ultimately, this was fine, though not to my taste. I don't recommend it, not because of any specific flaw, but because while I specifically enjoy stories which engage with the nature of personhood, identity, and the questions which arise from understanding consciousness as separate from embodiment, TOWARD ETERNITY seems to gesture at the idea that there could be questions and then assert that love and poetry will hold things together. It's frustrating because while it engages with ideas I care about, it does it in a manner which was ultimately alienating to me. It briefly toys with the question of whether a copy of a person in a new iteration will be a different person from the original, before asserting that the answer is "no" with little ceremony and minimal deliberation. While I do agree, it seems to miss the opportunities to explore this which I would be interested in, while doggedly pursuing an idea of legacy which is disparate and abstracted.

I don't know to whom I might recommend it, is the thing. It seemed like it would be up my alley and then I struggled to finish it at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC of this novel. It just was not for me. Most of it read like a graduate seminar on art and language and consciousness. It was very thought-provoking, but the characters were secondary. I appreciate how the author approached the concept of artificial intelligence via art and language instead of science. That was an original approach for sci fi. But I could not get on board with this book as a novel because the philosophical digressions were the primary point of the text.

Award-winning translator Anton Hur comes into his own as an author in his debut novel, TOWARD ETERNITY, a quiet and introspective musing on the definition of personhood at the confluence of biology, technology, and language.

TOWARD ETERNITY essentially consists of a notebook, passed from being to being over the span of centuries. 7 or so characters add their own chapters to the notebook. Through them, we get glimpses of a near future in which technology can cure previously uncurable diseases by replacing every cell in the human body with nanotech, essentially rendering them immortal. In this same timeline, AIs are trained in reading poetry because that is the best way of making them match human levels of intelligence. As the book progresses, we move further and further into the future, to a world of clone wars, interstellar travel, and the loss of/rediscovery of language and literature.

The strongest aspect of the book for me was the thoughts it inspired about questions I have wondered for a long time. There are, essentially, two threads being explored. The first is where in the human body to locate humanity if humans became more and more comprised of tech. Is a person who was once made of organic material that has been replaced entirely by nanotech at the cellular level still a human? Are the thoughts they think, the words they say, created by a person or by AI? If we retain our memories but not our bodies, are we still the same person? This is a hugely relevant and fascinating discussion, especially with the increased role of AI in society. If we don’t think about these questions now, then we will have to sometime soon.

The second thread explored is the idea of language being a core component of humanity. I have always thought that my identity is in separable from my language and communication. Am I really still Steph without my words and my thoughts, which are always in words? Why do I feel less me in my mother tongue, Mandarin Chinese, which I do not know as fluently as English? Why do I feel like an utter imbecile in Vietnamese, which I am barely able to use successfully in my everyday transactions?

And yet it’s not only “language as communication” that makes one a human. TOWARD ETERNITY explores the idea that our humanity deepens with the more language we know, and when we can appreciate language as art (e.g. poetry). To that end, the book’s message evokes The Dead Poets Society as one of its progenitors—humans can transact, and make money, and wage war, but one’s *humanity* is defined through the understanding and appreciation of art. Is it possible, then, for an AI to gain personhood through an appreciation of poetry? Can we also say that certain human beings, those who only care about money and who don’t see others as people and who are okay with contributing to war and genocide, are less human? Oooooooooh. My brain delights in the philosophical conjectures.

Perhaps TOWARD ETERNITY focuses too much on its philosophical debates, for world-building, pacing, and character development are a bit on the weaker side. The book attempts to cover centuries of humanity’s future, but we learn about the world only through the characters’ journal entries, so details are lacking in how world-changing events come about. Journal entries also mean that events are recounted after they’ve already happened, slowing down the pace and creating some emotional distance from the events themselves. Finally, because each journal “chapter” is written by a different character, we rarely get to know a character well enough, further adding to the somewhat emotionally distant tone of the book.

TOWARD ETERNITY slots into that niche of slow-paced, introspective speculative fiction pondering the boundaries of humanity and technology, joining a shelf with the likes of Ken Liu and Ted Chiang. “Delighted” isn’t quite the right word for my experience with this book… but how about “mad respect”?

Wow. This book was intense. Deep and thought provoking. Diverse and introspective characters. Beautiful, vivid writing that presents readers with a unique juxtaposition of science and poetry.

There is so much to unpack in this book. It is a commentary on the future of AI and nanotechnology. It is an exploration of what it means to be human. It is also a love letter to language, poetry, and music.

This book is a text that begs to be explored, scrutinized, and decoded.

Resonatingly glorious.