The Methuselarity Transformation
Moskovitz explores the boundaries of reality and humanity in a way that is both intelligent and exciting.
The Methuselarity Transformation tells the story of Marcus and Ray, two individuals whose lives become intimately entwined through a deal that each makes with a shadowy organization offering immortality at a high price. Full of twists and turns and packed with action from beginning to end, the book is a fresh and innovative offering in the science fiction genre.
Marcus is a sad and lonely man. Though still young, he has little hope of ever achieving the wealth and success he once dreamed of. He has no family, no prospects, and no money. Ray is also sad and lonely. Though he is quite well off, he earned his money inventing and selling an environmental product that ultimately had devastating effects on the world. Because of this, Ray is universally reviled and lives his life in fear. Though he is married, his marriage is not happy as his wife, Lena, feels trapped and isolated by her husband’s fears.
Both Marcus and Ray are approached by the same woman, Terra, who offers an intriguing bargain. Marcus will be paid the sum of fifty million dollars if he agrees that when Ray dies in the distant future, Ray’s consciousness will be allowed to take over Marcus’s body, which will be kept young through an antiaging process known as the Methuselarity Transformation.
Author Rick Moskovitz presents some unique ideas in this novel. The challenges that Ray and Marcus must face in dealing with the bargain are fascinating, and Moskovitz delves into the many facets of the ethical quandary they find themselves in. Additionally, the book is full of scientific conjecture exploring the boundaries of reality and humanity in a way that is both intelligent and exciting. For example, the author offers some ideas about the origin of human life on earth:
While seeking the purpose of the last remaining bits of “junk” DNA in the genetic code, an advanced intelligent computer discovered a pattern in the code that appeared to be the work of an intelligent entity. Sequences of base pairs found at regular intervals, when worked in a matrix, bore a message that could only have been embedded deliberately by sentient beings.
Though science fiction requires the suspension of disbelief, this story stretches the boundaries of plausibility. The contributions that Ray and Marcus make to society are virtually identical, though Marcus succeeds and Ray fails. That these two men with such similar ideas and goals should be randomly paired in this experiment in immortality is a huge coincidence. There are a few smaller plot points—like Lena being kidnapped and taken to an abandoned building that happens to be her childhood hideout, where she retrieves a still-supple slingshot that she left there decades ago—that are difficult to accept.
Ultimately, The Methuselarity Transformation is an engaging story that is a great deal of fun to read. The writing is intelligent and creative, the story is new and different, and the characters are complex. Science fiction enthusiasts will find much to be excited about in the pages of this book.
Reviewed by
Catherine Thureson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
