Lifers

A Novel

by Keith G. McWalter

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Pub Date Oct 15 2024 | Archive Date Sep 30 2024

Sci Fi & Fantasy

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Description

Electric with compelling action and trenchant social commentary and perfect for fans of Nikki Erlick’s The Measure, this genre-straddling work of speculative fiction examines ageism from a new and challenging perspective.

"Lifers is a fast-paced, cautionary tale about the human quest for longevity that shocks and captivates as it unveils the realities of mortality, ageism, and the power of loyalty and love."—Ann Hagedorn, author of Sleeper Agent and Beyond the River

In the year 2050, the man known as Zinn is on the run from the consequences of his greatest creation: an artificial genome that wildly increases the human lifespan. His “Methuselah gene” has gone viral, and he’s being hunted by Adele, a semi-retired CIA biowarfare specialist who hopes to find a way to reverse the genome’s effects before it’s too late.

As the longevity plague spreads, populations explode, economies are upended, and intergenerational resentments boil over. Adele searches for a cure while her former lover, Dan Altman, and his wife, Marion, wealthy political operatives both, become leaders of a movement of hundred-plus-year-old “lifers” and fight to create a sanctuary for the ultra-aged in the wilds of Colorado. Meanwhile, the Altmans’ son, Nolan, thinks he has the answer to the longevity crisis: a suicide pill that kills after one year, a death wish algorithm that will influence the super-aged to take it, and his beautiful daughter, Claire, who is a spokesperson for the growing anti-lifer backlash and the head of the federal government’s new Department for Longevity Management.

Combining a hugely topical premise with a vein of social-political satire, Lifers evokes a world where society’s ingrained ageism turns lethal and the fear of death is replaced by the challenge of living on . . . and on.

A Note From the Publisher

Keith McWalter’s first novel, When We Were All Still Alive, was published in 2021. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s the author of two blogs, Mortal Coil and Spoiled Guest, which present his essays and travel pieces to a loyal online following. A collection of his essays, No One Else Will Tell You: Letters from a Bi-Coastal Father, won a Writer's Digest Award for nonfiction.
Keith is a graduate of Columbia Law School and earned a BA in English Literature from Denison University. He lives with his wife, Courtney, in Granville, Ohio, and Sanibel, Florida.

Advance Praise

“If Ann Patchett wrote sci-fi, this is what it might look like. What does it mean to live forever? To you? To your loved ones? To your country? To the world? A great read with a thought-provoking premise, and a sure-fire conversation starter for that dinner party you’re dreading.”

-Arlene Dillon, journalist and former President of the White House Correspondents’ Association

“Keith McWalter has turned in a stunner of a sci-fi novel with a surprising premise that draws on solid science while weaving a story loaded with twists and compelling characters. It’s a powerful combination that explores the unexpected directions ‘solving death’ may take us.”

-Chip Walter, author of “Immortality, Inc.” and “Doppelganger”

“A stimulating, timely exposition on the political, social and familial implications of a sudden advance towards longevity escape speed. A fascinating read!”

-Avi Loeb, bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial” and Director of Harvard's Institute for Theory and Computation

“With its startling plot and haunting characters, Lifers is a fast-paced, cautionary tale about the human quest for longevity. McWalter shocks and captivates his readers as he unveils the realities of mortality, ageism, and the power of loyalty and love.”

-Ann Hagedorn, award-winning author of “Sleeper Agent” and “Beyond the River”

“What would happen if you could live far past the normal human lifespan? Would it be a blessing or a curse? Keith McWalter’s Lifers plays out this philosophical premise and the unexpected ways extreme longevity would upend the personal, political, and social fabric of modern life. A timely, smart, and highly thought-provoking read.”

-Margot Singer, award-winning author of “Underground Fugue”