Book Review: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives

Title: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives Author: David Eagleman  

Genre: Short story collection, adult fiction, science fiction
Publisher: Pantheon   

Publication Date: January 1, 2009

Sypnosis: SUM is a dazzling exploration of funny and unexpected afterlives that have never been considered–each presented as a vignette that offers us a stunning lens through which to see ourselves here and now. Read more...

Review: This is less of a book review, and more of a recommendation for a fascinating, original and ingenious collection of short stories. Sum is an amazing collection of the possibilities of what the afterlife might hold. In one, you may find that you must work as a background character in the dreams of the living, or that it is just like life, but with only the people that you remember. Maybe in the afterlife you split into all of your different ages or, maybe you get to decide what form you will take in your next life. There are many more possibilities in Sum, as Eagleman purposes and explores forty different scenarios.

Sum is beautiful written, amusing, disturbing and thought proving. The short stories make one not only envision and think about the afterlife, but bring new meaning to our present lives, how we are living them, and the potential impact for the future.

This book can be read all at once, but I read it over a period of time, savoring each story and reflecting on it. This is a great book if you don’t have time to sit down with a whole novel, but want something that you can pick up from time to time. Also for anyone who has ever thought about what happens after we die, this will provide you with a plethora of new ideas.        

You might also enjoy: The Tipping Point or Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

My Rating: 5.0/5.0