Toward Eternity

Hur, a translator of many Korean SFF books, makes his compelling authorial debut with this speculative science-fiction novel that spans eons. Starting in the loosely defined near future, this tale begins with Dr. Beeko, a nanotechnology researcher working to eradicate death and disease, and her first successful patients: literary AI researcher Yonghun and cello prodigy Ellen. Their experiments ignite a sprawling, fascinating, and devastating tale about how scientific advancement might consume humanity and how humanity might be reclaimed at the far end of that. With four narrators—David Lee Huynh, Nicky Endres, Zoleka Vundla, and Katherine Littrell—the story always feels vibrant, the narration adding depth to what is already a fresh work. However, the four narrators also represent the ever-changing point of view. No character is in the spotlight for long, and telling a story at this scale in a brisk seven hours sets a pace that may lose listeners who are looking to invest in more detailed character arcs or worldbuilding.