Love Minus Eighty

By: Will McIntosh

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins, Eileen Stevens, Ali Ahn

In the future, love is complicated and death is not necessarily the end. Love Minus Eighty follows several interconnected people in a disquieting vision of romantic life in the century to come.

There's Rob, who accidentally kills a jogger, then sacrifices all to visit her in a cryogenic dating facility, seeking forgiveness but instead falling in love.

Veronika, a shy dating coach, finds herself coaching the very woman who is stealing the man she loves.

And Mira, a gay woman accidentally placed in a heterosexual dating center near its inception, desperately seeks a way to reunite with her frozen partner as the years pass.

In this daring and big-hearted novel based on the Hugo-winning short story, the lovelorn navigate a world in which technology has reached the outer limits of morality and romance.

Critic reviews

"This is speculative fiction at its most personal and powerful, extrapolating current social and technological trends and exploring how they would affect future people... Intriguing, quirky, perversely charming and definitely affecting."—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) on Love Minus Eighty

"How do we keep on connecting in our ever-growing maze of social technologies? How can love succeed in the techno-surround we've trapped ourselves in? These are the questions Will McIntosh explores in this tightly plotted tangle of love stories. The stirring result casts a clear and knowing eye on our current society, from the best viewpoint of all: the future."—New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson on Love Minus Eighty

"Love Minus Eighty is a book that makes me envious as a writer: a clever premise, brilliantly executed. More importantly, though, it's a book that thrilled and delighted me as a reader, chilling and touching at the same time, a great story that stimulates the mind, the heart and the nerves."—Charles Yu, the author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

"McIntosh's latest novel combines sf future tech with horror to craft a story that is both disturbing and hopeful as it questions the value of a life on borrowed time. The dystopic view of the future is both frightening and plausible, while the characters keep the story grounded in the details of human existence."—Library Journal on Love Minus Eighty

"Building his Hugo-winning short story "Bridesicle" into a novel, McIntosh takes a cold-eyed look at relationships in a grim future... Fans of "what if?" SF will enjoy this dystopian tale."—Publishers Weekly on Love Minus Eighty

"McIntosh paints an intriguing picture of a society ruled by celebrity culture."—Daily Mail

"McIntosh manages to show how technology can both divide and unite us while delivering a highly entertaining tale."—RT Book Reviews

"[Love Minus Eighty] manages to deliver a light, romantic story without ever sacrificing its dark vision of the future."—i09

"More people should be reading Will McIntosh."—Tor.com

"Credible, compelling and relentless ... the best and most disturbing moments will stay with the reader for a long time.—Locus, on Soft Apocalypse

"A prime example of masterful storytelling--the characters are so well-drawn you feel like they're sitting beside you."—Mur Lafferty, author of The Afterlife Series, onHitchers

"An intriguing story that explores the meaning of what it is to be dead. Far from the usual 'occult' tale, this original and intelligent work well illustrates the complexity of the human soul."—Pat Whitaker, author of Antithesis and Mindset, onHitchers

"Grimly plausible.. this SF romance is a fine piece of work."—SFX

Touching

Would you listen to Love Minus Eighty again? Why?

No, but that is because I have about 40 in my wish list. But if my wish list was completed and I would.

What did you like best about this story?

The love stories. I was surprised I became so involved with them.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The were good. I like how they each did their own person. Good concept.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I couldn't wait to start it again. I would even listen to it while I was running.

just wow

im normally a fantasy/litrpg person (approaching 1000 titles) but i got a short version of this free from soundbooth theater. after a few minutes i knew i had to have it. this story is amazing. well written, great narration, and completely captivating from beginning to end.

What an original idea

Would you listen to Love Minus Eighty again? Why?

Not sure I will but I think so. I just now finished it so I remember it all quite well.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Love Minus Eighty?

The downwards spiraling of Rob's emotions when things take a turn for the worse about halfway through the book.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrators were excellent, they really conveyed emotions well, and it made it easier for me to just close my eyes, sit back and imagine the scenes, their expressions, the future.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did think I was getting a bit teary towards the end, or better yet, I got very emotional. I felt the characters' pain, and I know what it's like to have things not work out in real life, so I found myself very much wishing it could all work out for them at the end.

Any additional comments?

I just recently heard somewhere that in life we often pick up just the right book we need at that time in our lives. True, this was just what I needed. In fact was looking for something like this for a while, only it actually combined two topics: a profound love story (but not the horrible porn-ish so called "romance" books), and a sci-fi books dealing more with the neuroscience aspect (minds, clones, AI, existentialism, etc). What a breath of fresh air.

Great social science fiction

A clever premise, brilliantly executed. A romantic love story at first glance, but the further you delve into this world, the more interesting the themes that relate to our own time that question love, technology and mortality become. The novel pushes the idea of objectification to its very extreme - whether it’s a frozen mail bride whose only hope to return to life is to enter permanent indentured servitude of her reviver, or even rather well-off people that must lead their lives as if in a reality TV show, or lose followers and risk irrelevancy.

The picture Will McIntosh paints here is an exceedingly grim one. Characters are powerless to escape the various levels of exploitation they live through. Social injustice in a post-collapse future is not reduced by advanced tech. There’s a cure for most diseases, even death, but only if you can afford it, and most people can’t. The gap between rich and poor has widened dramatically. The most affluent can afford to live in New York’s High Town, the rest in the run-down suburbs. Personal augmented reality devices block out unpleasant sights and smells of poverty and decay, making more privileged people that can make a difference oblivious to the struggles of the poor - let them eat synthetic cake.

Tech of the future described in this book brings omnipresent social networking to a next level of over-sharing - reality TV-style 24/7 voyeurism binge - a somewhat disturbing but utterly believable progression of current social networking trends. Body systems allow users to be online everywhere, all the time. In its conglomeration of social media, Love Minus Eighty makes a telling point about all the people who "take time away from their own pathetic lives to watch [a self-made celebrity] live hers."

Cryonics has become a viable industry, but of course only the rich can afford to have their bodies frozen and revived. However, if you happen to be an attractive young woman, you may be eligible for a free period of cryonic preservation, as long as rich patrons express their interest. The only hope of revival for frozen mail order brides is acting exactly the way rich, pervy bridesicle customers expect.

At the same time, there is also a sweet, romantic touch. Even in the bitter darkness of this novel’s future, there is love, friendship and loyalty. Main characters are somewhat two-dimensional in Disney-like simplicity of motives and portrayal, and there’s there is a clear division between likable and unlikable characters, but still are very likeable and engaging.


As for narration, i prefer if they didn’t use Eileen Stevens - her attempt to speak in a lower voice when reading for male characters is a little jarring. Kevin T. Collins and Ali Ahn are great.

great consept, too much of a romace book

Would you try another book from Will McIntosh and/or the narrators?

maybe

Would you recommend Love Minus Eighty to your friends? Why or why not?

Only if they like romance novels.

What three words best describe the narrators’s voice?

good, o, sappy

Could you see Love Minus Eighty being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes with some changes to the love part

Any additional comments?

The book is suppose to be a SYFY book. The Syfy really gets lost to the romance aspect. Its a great concept just wish the author would have elaborated on the technical aspects of his future instead. As book go it was ok. Nothing to right home about just ok in most elements. Wish it was shorter and found myself a bit board at points. It was almost too nice of a book. Almost wish I could have had the rated R version. It got great reviews but I'm not sure why. Not for the syfy reader but it would be a great movie with a few boosts.

Original

Futuristic tale done well. The author does a good job drawing a picture of an advanced society and it's inhabitants. Believable characters, unique story line. It could have moved a little faster but it worked for me.

Really interesting story with a great cast.

Really enjoyed this more than i thought i would for some reason. The cast was very good and i really enjoyed the development of the characters. McIntosh did an excellent job of making the interweaving of the characters organic and interesting.

poorly written

Would you try another book from Will McIntosh and/or the narrators?

probably not

How did the narrator detract from the book?

narrator wasn't bad - book however was hard to follow and poorly written

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

a little anger that more detail weren't given for the listener/reader to understand what was going on

Any additional comments?

none