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'The Postmortal' Paints a Terrifyingly Realistic Picture of Immortality

Drew Magary's novel The Postmortal explores what might happen if scientists discovered a cure for aging.

In this dystopian sci-fi story, governments initially outlaw the cure; many people obtain it and use it anyway, and the world soon faces overcrowding and increasing tensions between immortals and "organics" who remain mortal.

The novel, written primarily as a series of blog entries and Internet news stories, paints a very realistic picture of the political, philosophical and religious implications of immortality.  It's been chosen for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga'sFirst Year Reading Experience Program,and is being used in freshman composition classes and other activities throughout the year.

Drew Magary joins us to talk about the book, as well as his experiences as a sports writer and satirist.  He writes regular content for GQ.com and for the sports Web site Deadspin.com.

From the publisher:

Imagine a near future where a cure for aging is discovered and-after much political and moral debate-made available to people worldwide. Immortality, however, comes with its own unique problems-including evil green people, government euthanasia programs, a disturbing new religious cult, and other horrors. Witty, eerie, and full of humanity, The Postmortal is an unforgettable thriller that envisions a pre-apocalyptic world so real that it is completely terrifying.