Double Standard: Anti-aging & Accelerated Pregnancies

Use this forum to discuss the July 2020 Book of the month, "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker.
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Re: Double Standard: Anti-aging & Accelerated Pregnancies

Post by _Bokeh »

I never really thought of it that way, good point. But now that I think about it, I would say that the anti aging hormones kept them in good health that did not decrease by the day, thus the accelerated pregnancies because foetus are healthier when birthed by younger mothers.
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Post by NisasPieces »

This does seem odd. How is it possible to increase growth in one part, and not in all? I think this wasn't intentional and didn't give that much of an afterthought.
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Post by shravsi »

Excellent point. The author focuses on the human growth hormone, which spurs growth in us; maybe that's why the author implied speed in the pregnancy period too. And this hormone regulates body function, metabolism, muscle and bone growth. So there is no wonder everyone feels young in Zona. This is just my assumption.
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Post by Michelle Menezes »

Kreads1 wrote: 27 Jul 2020, 08:06 Zona has an anti-aging effect on members of the expedition team. This aspect of Zona left me questioning the multiple accelerated pregnancies among the team.

How can Zona both accelerate aging during pregnancy and prevent aging at the same time? Did anyone else notice this double standard? Do you think this is an oversight of the author or intended?
I hadn't noticed this issue till you pointed it out. I don't think the author deliberately planned it like that. Maybe it was an oversight on their part.
I remember reading a book long time ago where the characters aged rapidly till a certain age and then stopped. Maybe we can assume it's a similar scenario in this case.
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Post by Akshobhya B »

It escaped my attention. But, I guess sci-fi/fantasy writers usually take such liberties when writing their stories. It may have been unintentional or maybe not, but I think the writer wanted the group to stay back in Zona and the advancing pregnancies of the women became a reason for that to happen.
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Post by Quinton Lester »

I think that's a weird way to put it. I wouldn't think of it has reversing the aging process i would believe that something is affecting their DNA and that the body is performing alot better than what we have become .
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Post by Donald Trust »

I came across it too, I had to skip it so it wouldn't get into my readng.
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Post by kensgarment odogwu »

I did not notice this contradiction while reading maybe because I was carried away by the story. However i cont think the author intended what he wrote this way to be seen as the subject under discussion. Good observation anyway.
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Post by Ohna Martin »

I also noticed this along with the "plot holes" but then pregnancy has always had a unique affect on the body maybe it is part of that.
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Post by Jay David Randall »

Do not think it is an oversight of the author, I think it is intended and for a reason the author employed this concept.
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Post by E Daves »

That is so true! I did not even give this a thought. If Zona has an anti-aging effect on people, then it should considerably increase the amount of duration for pregnancies. There is no how it will delay time and accelerate time simultaneously.
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Post by E Daves »

Akshobhya B wrote: 13 Oct 2021, 06:49 It escaped my attention. But, I guess sci-fi/fantasy writers usually take such liberties when writing their stories. It may have been unintentional or maybe not, but I think the writer wanted the group to stay back in Zona and the advancing pregnancies of the women became a reason for that to happen.
This could be the case. You know, in the fictional world, anything is possible. But I believe that whether ordinary or extraordinary, things follow certain rules. It either verified that things go a certain way, or it goes on anti-progression. It should not be both at the same time.
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Post by E Daves »

Clorinda Donovan wrote: 12 Aug 2020, 14:50 I doubt the author intended a double standard, but the fantastical part was meant to be, well, fantastic. That is probably why there was an oversight.
Maybe, this aspect is a loophole that the author didn't give much thought to. It happens. Regardless, the story is wonderful and has an interesting plot. We don't expect it to be perfect anyway.
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Post by E Daves »

Melissa Breen wrote: 02 Aug 2020, 15:13 This is an interesting observation. I took them both up as health-positive reasons and being from the same type of science rather than anything that would fight against each other
This is another angle to consider. The effects of Zona could be that of positive enhancement, irrespective of it being and acceleration or deceleration. Wow! Reading people's comments here really shows me different aspects of the book that I hadn't considered earlier.
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Post by E Daves »

JB3 wrote: 31 Jul 2020, 05:22 I don't feel that it is a double standard. I think that the aging process has been slowed due to all the hormones by making them healthier. The accelerated pregnancies are also due to the beneficial effects of the hormones.
Maybe the hormones works on or adds anything that can lead to a positive development. Since anti-aging and accelerated gestation period are both positive development, then it cannot be seen as a double standard.
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