You Have Arrived at Your Destination (Forward collection)
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars | 7,543 ratings
Price: 1.99
Last update: 12-14-2024
About this item
Nature or nurture? Neither. Discover a bold new way to raise a child in this unsettling story of the near future by the New York Times bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow.
When Sam’s wife first tells him about Vitek, a twenty-first-century fertility lab, he sees it as the natural next step in trying to help their future child get a “leg up” in a competitive world. But the more Sam considers the lives that his child could lead, the more he begins to question his own relationships and the choices he has made in his life.
Amor Towles’s You Have Arrived at Your Destination is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.
Audible narration by David Harbour (Stranger Things)
Top reviews from the United States
4.0 out of 5 stars Part of the Speculative Fiction "Forward Collection"...
"...it wasn't quite foolproof yet...so the official recommendation was to use the system with one's hands on the wheel, one's foot on the brake, and one's eye on the road."
When I began listening to "You Have Arrived at Your Destination", it felt like a story about automobiles in the near future. But it wasn't.
It was our main character Sam in his new self-driving car on his way to Vitek, a fertility lab with that something extra. He's planning to make an important decision today concerning a future child with his wife, Annie.
Annie has already visited Vitek and made three excellent selections. This process could be comparable to picking out design elements for their home, only it's not. It's for their future child but with all the magic of nature removed and replaced with success in a competitive world as the driving force.
Now all Sam needs to do is watch a video on the projected lives of each of Annie's designs selections and decide which one will be their future child with that something extra...
"You Have Arrived at Your Destination" is a thought-provoking listen but contemplate this:
If self-driving cars aren't foolproof, how can we trust genetically engineered humans?
"You Have Arrived at Your Destination" is part of the Speculative Fiction "Forward Collection", bringing together seven of today's most visionary writers and curated by bestselling author Blake Crouch. Each of the seven Kindle or Audible books can be completed in a single sitting.
I recommend "You Have Arrived at Your Destination" to readers who enjoy Speculative Fiction and I look forward to reading the remaining stories in the "Forward Collection"!
3.75⭐rounded up!
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, Just...Wow!
I simply am in love with this series. Additionally, I am a great fan of Amor Towles. I was quite eager to read the tale he had spun for this series. As per usual, I am pleased to convey that Mr. Towles doesn't disappoint. He shines with his incisive viewing of our past, present, and future. He writes his offering in an impassioned, yet subtle view. It is excellent beyond my expectations, and my expectations were quite high.
This story in the collection is read by me at an unexpected pivot in my life, a very major one. I thought perhaps I was so struck by this very powerful work due to that consideration. Upon a great deal of reflection, I conclude not. It would be just as thought-provoking no matter my situation. It continues to be amazing how much I get from these rightfully-vaunted authors in such a short story. This one is gloriously Spartan in words, yet inexhaustibly packed with message.
It is, in my humble opinion, extraordinarily well-wrought, very relatable, and possesses an undeniably immense effect in the editorial weaving of the thoughts and words each author gives in the totality of the collection.
I do know with great certainty that I got so much out of this and will not be fool enough to ignore the information held within and inferred for myself and our futures as a whole. It's definitely an experience as much as a stunning work of literature written by six of our greatest authors of the day.
I am pleased to recommend this strongly. Very, very strongly.
As Always I Wish Happy Reads to All From: The Unapologetic Book Junkie!
3.0 out of 5 stars I really didn’t understand it
4.0 out of 5 stars A New View of IVF
What I liked was the protagonist's introspection about his experiences. It gave more insight about who he is as well as who his wife is and the relationship they share. It was a cool way to present the tale.
What I disliked can be a spoiler, so I need to be cautious... I'll simple say, the ending wigged me out a bit. LOL It was a little to "show-and-tell" with strangers for me.
There's a creep factor to this story because of the genetic engineering aspects. It gives richness to this dark short story. If you enjoy sci-fi, you'll find this quick read a delight.