Official Review: An Awesome Journey by David Pizer

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An Awesome Journey" by David Pizer.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Would you like to live forever?

Ralph Dombrowski and other members of the Phoenix Cryopreservation Society think they can freeze themselves and their loved ones and bring them back at a time in the future when medical advances allow them to live as long as they want. Ralph is a clever young man who, in 1950s Phoenix, meets Honest John, a used car salesman that will become his mentor, not only in matters of business but in the wild hope of prolonging life indefinitely.

An Awesome Journey by David Pizer is a fascinating blend of sci-fi, romance, and philosophy that explores the possibility of everything that living forever with the aid of science would entail. It is a unique novel that will leave your head spinning long after you’ve finished reading.

There is much to praise in this novel. The recreation of 20th century America is accurate and riveting. The book is written from a third-person perspective, centered on Ralph, but the author overcame the distance that this point of view usually provides, and the reader still gets to know and care for all the characters, which is a hard feat to achieve. This is also a book full of intricate questions and fascinating characters. Challenging our own beliefs is one of the most enriching benefits of literature and, An Awesome Journey excels at this. When I started reading this novel, I dismissed the idea of cryopreservation as futuristic nonsense. But, searching further, I found actually, you can do it for around $28,000.00, and as of 2017 around 250 individuals had chosen this path. A survey conducted in 2020 among USA Internet users found that 6% of people intend to be frozen after their death.

The first flaw that stands out in An Awesome Journey by David Pizer are the plethora of editing mistakes. These are minor but so many that it’s bothersome. Though I understand social conventions were different in the 1950s, the sexualized descriptions of teenage girls are unnecessary. There are different ways to convey Ralph’s desire that are less disturbing for contemporary readers. Finally, some arguments of the book advocating for cryonics crumble easily. Unlike the author, I don’t think the problem is only on the moral aspects, but on mere practical ones. Works like Death with Interruptions by José Saramago highlight some practical concerns that make not dying unachievable.

I rate An Awesome Journey by David Pizer 3 out of 4 stars. The plot is original, the recreation of past-time America is perfect, the characters are well-developed, and the book raises a lot of thought-provoking questions. I deducted a star because of the many editing mistakes and the inappropriate sexualization of teens.

It is complex to narrow down the audience for this book. Extremely religious people from different faiths could feel bothered by the constant defiance of religious dogma presented in the novel. On the other hand, atheists could find the long faith-centered discussions tiresome. So, I can only conclude that An Awesome Journey is appropriate for open-minded people, religious or not. Readers who enjoy science fiction, who are interested in deep philosophical and theological topics, who enjoy pondering the Big Questions of human life and the universe, as well as readers who like romance or historical fiction will love Mr. Pizer’s novel. The many questions that the book poses make it an ideal read for a book club discussion. This novel is not suited for audiences that look for a light read or a fast-paced novel, that like traditional romance stories, or who dislike sci-fi.

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An Awesome Journey
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[InStoree]

I think I saw a movie once (sorry, I forgot the name) that highlighted this procedure of freezing after death and resurrection in future evolved times. This book sounds very interesting, and I'm curious to see the author's perspective on the subject.

So... all I need is $28.000...

Thank you for this intriguing recommendation! Insightful review! Love it!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I think I saw a movie once (sorry, I forgot the name) that highlighted this procedure of freezing after death and resurrection in future evolved times. This book sounds very interesting, and I'm curious to see the author's perspective on the subject.

So... all I need is $28.000...

Thank you for this intriguing recommendation! Insightful review! Love it!

$28.000 and huge hopes that future scientists will actually care to bring you back
It is a mind-boggling book. Thank you for your kind words, dear.

[Bertha Jackson]

This book sounds interesting. Thank you for your review.

[Beatus]

Yes, I'd like to live forever, but with a purpose. I think humanity currently doesn't know why life shouldn't end. Furthermore, do we really know what is death? Or do we really die consiously? Nice book, though.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

Yes, I'd like to live forever, but with a purpose. I think humanity currently doesn't know why life shouldn't end. Furthermore, do we really know what is death? Or do we really die consiously? Nice book, though.

I don't know. Even with a purpose, I think I would miss my loved ones too much. I've already suffered through enough losses in my life. And you're right, we don't even know what happens when we die. It is an interesting book, especially because of the recreation of past-time America, but after thinking and researching, I concluded I rather let nature follow its course.
Thank you for your insightful comment!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

This book sounds interesting. Thank you for your review.

It is. I rarely go for sci-fi, but I'm glad I made an exception. Thank you for your comment!

[ViviVivid]

I might not be an advocate of cryopreservation but I would love to read a novel based on it. Living forever won't be as fun as one would think. It's like eating your favorite food every day. There will ultimately come a point when you get tired of everything when nothing new will be left to explore. An exceptional review!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I might not be an advocate of cryopreservation but I would love to read a novel based on it. Living forever won't be as fun as one would think. It's like eating your favorite food every day. There will ultimately come a point when you get tired of everything when nothing new will be left to explore. An exceptional review!

After much reflection and research, I decided I wouldn't choose cryopreservation either. But I like books that challenge my beliefs. Thank you for your kind comment!

[sharon titus]

I did not liked the idea of living forever but I fancy the idea of reading this book. Thank you for your hard work.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I did not liked the idea of living forever but I fancy the idea of reading this book. Thank you for your hard work.

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I don't want to live forever, either, but the book has a little romance and a great recreation of America during the 50s and 60s.

[Vivian Jabeya]

This book sounds interesting. I have never heard of cryopreservation. I would love to read this book to know the arguments that the author makes. Thank you for your great review!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

This book sounds interesting. I have never heard of cryopreservation. I would love to read this book to know the arguments that the author makes. Thank you for your great review!

I had heard about it, but I thought it was an urban legend, to be honest. It is a very interesting book. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

[Stephanie Runyon]

I am not sure, in the present state of what is happening in the world, that I would want to live forever. If I was in my late teens or early twenties, I would consider it but I am sure that there is research lacking on possible issues with cryogenic preservation. This is a great review that has made me start thinking about some of the issues in the book.