I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Immortality Chronicles is a fascinating compilation of short stories by a talented group of authors all offering their original tales on immortality delving into the moral as well as ethical implications of man- made immortality.
I especially enjoyed the piece by David Bruns. In Legacy, we meet 199-year-old Edward Stemm, a veteran of the war in Iraq who lost a limb. Frustrated with the poorly crafted artificial limbs of the time, he creates a company that produced state of the art robotic limbs. His wife dies and he immerses himself in his work. His initial creation leads to innovation after innovation and his company goes on to recreate the entire human body.
The story brings us to a courtroom. His estranged great grand daughter, who reminds him of his deceased wife, is attempting to unseat him from his company, as she believes he isn’t working in the best interests of the company. Her argument is that Edward is no longer a man but rather a machine incapable of handling the business. At one point he declares, “I am Stemm Bionics. Every new invention-every single one, mind you-is tested on me first. Me! I am not a brand, I am a man.” Poignant, well crafted and a delight to read don’t miss this book.