- Title:
- You Have Arrived at Your Destination
- Author:
- Amor Towles
- Release:
- September 17, 2019
- Format:
- Audiobook
- Narrator:
- David Harbour
- Series:
The Forward Collection is something I discovered in late 2019 or early 2020 when I first started listening to more Audiobooks. It’s a 6 book series written by 6 different authors about possible futures, curated by Blake Crouch.
This is one of the stories in the Forward Collection that I always felt was on the weaker side. I don’t care about the protagonist or his future/possible son. What’s interesting about this is the thought experiment about genetic modifications.
I think too many people obsess over shit that doesn’t matter, such as what gender their kids or grandkids are. If you have a son, why do you need a daughter? Are you going for a full set? Why does it matter what gender they are? Wouldn’t you love them just the same regardless? So in the case of genetic engineering, why does it matter what skin color your kid is, how tall they are, how inclined they are to focus on sports, learning, their eye color, etc.
Too many parents with gigantic egos try to turn their kids into miniature versions of themselves instead of letting them be their own people. I don’t think genetic engineering is wrong from some arbitrary moral outrage B.S., like claiming the parents or scientists are “playing god”. I think it’s distasteful that they don’t allow their kids to be their own people and make their own choices.
I often find myself disgusted with parents who disown their kids for being gay, bi, lesbian, trans, atheist, mixed-race, whatever. Especially when the kids cum out of the proverbial closet. They don’t love their kids for who they are, they never did. They only loved their kids for who they thought they were. In the case of genetic engineering, it’s parents trying to craft the perfect kid instead of just loving their kids for who they are.
This is why I think the character and the story are weak. He’s not interesting. His questionable marriage issues aren’t interesting. What’s interesting here is the thought experiment it provides. Should parents be allowed to genetically modify their offspring? If so, how far should they be allowed to go? If they’re allowed to, assuming parents remove undesirable features such as being prone to cancer, genetic diseases, poor eyesight, etc; can the child ever be considered their own person? This is a perfect example of the collection being greater than all of its parts.
I recommend this story, as I do the entire Forward Collection. But not individually.
The narrator was excellent at emoting, though I think his character voices could use some work.