Since I was a young adult, I have been dreaming about
teleportation. Staying away from my loved ones, it's always a delicate balance
to be with them, be in a place with the job, and be in places that are good for
my mental well-being. I do not intend to be greedy outside of personal use and
am very good at keeping secrets. Because of this wish, I think about this a
lot, albeit always briefly, about how having this kind of device would impact
my life and others if it's finally realized one day.
So, I am happy to read this book, especially when it
explores the origin.
I was worried that the book would be a lump of narration and
information in the beginning because we were barely introduced to any
character. It has its purpose because it's just an introduction to the
beginning. Twenty years later, there are multiple characters and storylines.
The premise.
I love the concept of this book; as told, I want to know
what would happen if this thing became a reality. Every ordinary person thinks
about all these scenarios daily, no? At least I have this book. Although I have
nitpicks (more on that later), I admire the author's knowledge about a lot of
things and read in amazement as he brings me through the science, jurisdiction
system, business, banking, and the future.
The characters.
I love to root and feel for characters when I read books,
and I root for none of the characters in this one. The primary and more
prominent characters are decently created, but I can relate to none. The most
down-to-earth, realistic, and ordinary characters are introduced in snippets
just to put a name for how the device impacts them. However, it works for this
book, and I think there is a decent balance between hard and soft science
fiction. This would make a good movie with the montage of ordinary characters
among the craziest things that ever happened to humanity. I wish Beach, Joe,
and Irina would be less one-dimensional, but who cares? I have a four-second
trip to make.
The pace.
The pace is great, although some timelines seem impossible
for me, who worked in corporate deadlines many times before, especially in
those sectors that rely on many things, including supplies and utility. But no
part of the book is boring to me. It keeps me interested.
The style.
The book is a 'documentary.' I think it's creative and has
many things that would make a great movie. But more on the nitpick.
Now, the nitpicks that sadly have knocked one star from me.
- I am a nerd. I
like to read about theories, calculations, details, and analysis (whether I
understand them or not is another matter), and this book has many of them. It's
all great, but something very simple caught my eye. It's a nitpick, of course,
for something that takes only half a page, but hear me out. Emily, one of the
minor characters, owns a boutique, and for some reason, the author details how
the business has been doing well by including some simple calculations. With a
rent of $28,000 a month, the company would break even if it could rake $1,000 a
day, which makes it $30,000 a month. It is simple, but in the previous scene,
it was mentioned that it is located in a very prime area with three full-time
salespeople, even though they also work on a commission basis. Based on my
knowledge, there is no way $2,000 a month would cover other expenses. Salaries,
utilities, business trips, expenses, taxes, interior, packaging, transport,
marketing, and bonuses are the basics. There is just no way the number would
work. If there is a higher number, or best, not to mention them at all outside
the general idea. It's a tiny thing; however, it makes me wary a bit. What
about all those impressive calculations and details that I don't have any
knowledge about? Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't impact my reading enjoyment,
but it would make me less confident.
- The aftermath
It's great that I get to read about the impact on the world. The author has a lot of insights into things that I have yet to consider, and it's really awesome to read them. While there are mentions of some negative impacts that spark a very tiny idea of reverting to the old transportation method, everything goes very smoothly regarding long-term technology impact, not social rejection (the riot).
It says a lot about the better environment, while in my
head, it is the other way around. I was an avid traveler and sought remote
areas: unpopular islands, underwater, and mountaintops. The best factors for
all these are the destinations, the views, nature, and cultures. On the other
hand the most disturbed factors by this device are the tranquility,
exclusiveness, and the journey. All these would be gone (and that's why I
decided unselfishly that this device is not ready to be introduced to the mass
population ha). Every corner of my beloved destinations would be flocked with
these annoying tourists and influencers. There would be no more peace. And who
are the most disruptive and destructive visitors? Tourists and influencers. The
beautiful marigold field would be flattened to the ground, and the unique
mountaintop outcropping would collapse from the weight of people pretending to
do yoga there. While we finally would be able to retrieve Green Boots from
Everest, it would be a disaster up there with some wealthy housewife trying to
do gender reveals. I feel stressed typing this.
Sadly, the journeys would no longer be possible without
alternative methods. Part of the satisfaction of these destinations is the
journeys.
The other most important factors are animals and plants.
People want to see wildlife up close and bring souvenirs; the consequences
would be unimaginable. Endemic animals and plants, with their natural reasons
and causes, would no longer be protected. Wallace's line exists for a reason.
Of course, there could be solutions, but I am just a bit
disappointed that these very glaring negative impacts (to me) are not
mentioned, combined with the population rise. (I have read somewhere that the
lack of need to do other things and the plentiful of time will result in the
increase of baby-making activities)
- I am not sure
why there is a need for a 'Post Release Update.' Imo, it totally throws
everything else away. It doesn't go with the documentary style as this is
supposed to be the private life of someone who is mentioned repeatedly as very
reserved. The tone is also very different from the rest of the book, and it
kind of ruins the consistency of the characters. I'm really not sure why this
is included. Imho; it would make a much better book without.
- The missing
importance. The disappearing, the original scientists, and the alternate
universe need to be fleshed out more. Those should be very important and
alarming, or it would be interesting to learn about more than a few sentences. What
about blackouts in between travels? Not all countries in the world have the
same stability or capacity; blackouts happen often in some. Most less developed
areas don’t even have internet connections. It would also be interesting to
think about how vulnerable the system is to cyber-attacks and unauthorized
imitations. Everything can be imitated, especially when they have the
prototype.
4 out of 5 stars
