Ruben's Reviews > Toward Eternity

Anton Hur is best known as a translator of Korean literature (e.g. of Bora Chung), and Toward Eternity is his debut as a novelist.

It is an ambitious mix of sci-fi and literary fiction, spanning many generations deep into the distant future. It starts with Yonghun, a PhD in 19th century poetry turned AI-programmer, developing an AI that reads poetry. As he and his husband move to South Africa, he is employed by the Beeko Institute who work on a technology to replace body cells with so-called nanites and thus achieve immortality. When Yonghun is diagnosed with cancer the Institute selects him as guinea pig and he becomes Patient One.

I found it beautifully done, Hur's love for poetry shines through even of the plot remains central. It reminded me of Cloud Atlas.