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2BR02B
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922–April 11, 2007) was a prolific American author. The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy & science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963) & Breakfast of Champions (1973).He was also known for his humanist beliefs and being honorary president of the American Humanist Association.
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(first published January 1962)
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"To be or not to be" es una historia corta publicada originalmente en 1962.
Sin adelantar mucho, la historia va de que en el futuro el envejecimiento se ha curado, la gente tiene un promedio de vida de al menos 130 años y existe control de población. Para que una persona nazca, deberá primero ofrecerse alguién voluntariamente a morir. Consecuentemente, los nacimientos son pocos y las muertes ocurren sobre todo por accidente.
Lo mejor es que "2BR02B" se re...more
Sin adelantar mucho, la historia va de que en el futuro el envejecimiento se ha curado, la gente tiene un promedio de vida de al menos 130 años y existe control de población. Para que una persona nazca, deberá primero ofrecerse alguién voluntariamente a morir. Consecuentemente, los nacimientos son pocos y las muertes ocurren sobre todo por accidente.
Lo mejor es que "2BR02B" se re...more
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As I now know, it is 2BRnaught2B. It is a story of population control, a topic I have personally thought about and spoke about often over the years. It is a good short story worth your half an hour or less. My Vonnegut list continues to grow, as does my appreciation for the author. He has not yet for me, achieved the higher plane achieved by the likes of Dickens or E. R. Burroughs or Jane Austen.
The theme of population control recalls to my mind a time when I too ranted about this ...more
The theme of population control recalls to my mind a time when I too ranted about this ...more
A short interlude while waiting for the next George R.R. Martin book, a short story downloaded from the Gutenberg Project. An even shorter interlude than expected as it turns out; the second half of the book turns out to be the Gutenberg licence which considerably shortens the read.
But, while the story is short (and it is really short) it's a clever allegory set in the future where ageing has been conquered and consequently population growth must be tightly controlled. One in equals ...more
But, while the story is short (and it is really short) it's a clever allegory set in the future where ageing has been conquered and consequently population growth must be tightly controlled. One in equals ...more
Man, this was bleak. It is set in a future world where aging can be halted and the average age is somewhere around 130. Because people are living much longer and the planet's resources are depleted, the government keeps the US population at 40 million. The Federal Bureau of Termination provides several ways for people to die if they'd like to give up their life for a newborn. One man is at the hospital waiting for his wife to give birth to triplets, but he doesn't have enough volunteers to die s...more
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A nifty little short story with a similar theme to novels such as The Declaration, Trouble with Lichen, Extras and Death at Intervals.
Read on DailyLit in 5 parts. I downloaded this around the same time that I read Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and Extras, because I learned that the themes are similar. It's an interesting short story in the same way those stories are: science has advanced the body's potential, so that almost nothing natural happens any more. Ageless bodies, with (almost) all of time to live.
This story focuses on the grisly math of the concept, and what that means about population, birth, and ...more
This story focuses on the grisly math of the concept, and what that means about population, birth, and ...more
Much shorter than I thought it would be (the number of pages on my free digital copy is misleading. Half of the pages are actually all the legal and copyright info.)
The world reminds me of the RPG Paranoia. I read a lot of dystopian stories in the last few years and this one could be counted among them. The protagonist reminds me of the type of person who swears he will move out of the country if a certain candidate is elected President, then when the candidate is elected, surprises ...more
The world reminds me of the RPG Paranoia. I read a lot of dystopian stories in the last few years and this one could be counted among them. The protagonist reminds me of the type of person who swears he will move out of the country if a certain candidate is elected President, then when the candidate is elected, surprises ...more
Stumbled upon this 16 page novel amongst the free options for the Nook reader. Chilling account of the future of medicine and overpopulation. What are we to do when people live to be 130,140,150? What would be the govt's take on all of it -- allocation or resources, paperwork to have children, paperwork to volunteer your death. Inventory and valuation of human beings...population control. For my comfort this fits in much too well with some conclusions jumped to on the federalized healthcare...more
Sometimes I love a good short story and sometimes I get a little frustrated. I am a little frustrated with 2BR02B, but that’s mainly because I want to read more about the world. I love the concept of a dystopian society with population control. Granted that there is an argument in there based on pro-population control and saying that the year 2,000 wasn’t liveable because of it, giving over to population control in the first place, but if I can see past that it doesn’t bother me overly much.
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I have to say this was interesting. It was my first read by Vonnegut and I do understand now why my son loves him.
It's a short story about population control. For every child born that is going to live, a volunteer must die. Imagine what goes through a father's head when his wife is about to have triplets!
I enjoyed it and it really makes me stop and think. I didn't think I would enjoy it and I was pleasantly surprised. I think I will give something else by this author a...more
It's a short story about population control. For every child born that is going to live, a volunteer must die. Imagine what goes through a father's head when his wife is about to have triplets!
I enjoyed it and it really makes me stop and think. I didn't think I would enjoy it and I was pleasantly surprised. I think I will give something else by this author a...more
"Your city thanks you; your country thanks you; your planet thanks you. But the deepest thanks of all is from future generations."
in order to have a new baby born someone must die!
2BR02B is a very interesting short science fiction story about a controlled population!!
It'll take u less than 16 mins to finish up the whole story!
Absolutely worth reading!!
in order to have a new baby born someone must die!
2BR02B is a very interesting short science fiction story about a controlled population!!
It'll take u less than 16 mins to finish up the whole story!
Absolutely worth reading!!
I'm teetering on four stars for '2 B R 0 2 B' because I know that I always judge short stories very harshly. This is mostly because of their limitation (i.e., word count) and the fact that this limitation really hinders any profundity of the statement they're trying to make (at least for me). My main problem with this story is that, though it's definitely fun to read, as Vonnegut generally is, he's not saying anything I haven't heard before.
This short tale by Vonnegut was a brief but poignant tale of a father who's having triplets in a world where when one person enters, another must die. It's a morality tale that examines the quality of life and when it's worth living. While I found the tale to be thought-provoking, I didn't think it was a defining work like some of Vonnegut's other classics.
This is actually a novella, but it is sold separately. This is a rather dystopian view of a future in which everyone is essentially immortal, and the only way a new baby is allowed is when someone agrees to commit suicide. Told with typical Vonnegut black humor, somehow this tale was not as depressing as I would have expected. I actually liked it.
I really enjoyed this. It is sometimes hard to make really thought provoking short stories. He succeeded beautifully. It also felt like either choice for society ultimately fails. Nothing will work until the individual chooses to take responsibility without the force of the law. That scenario will be a ways off, so until then there is extra pain.
3.5 stars.
Definitely worth a read. A grim, dark premise that could have done with just a little more expansion from Wehling's side. The writing and the dialogue felt stilted in places, especially from the painter, but the premise is so good and the ending is so chilling and it's so short that I still highly recommend it.
Definitely worth a read. A grim, dark premise that could have done with just a little more expansion from Wehling's side. The writing and the dialogue felt stilted in places, especially from the painter, but the premise is so good and the ending is so chilling and it's so short that I still highly recommend it.
Interesting, thought-provoking & depressing in equal amounts. I wouldn't say it was brilliantly written though and if such a scenario ever arises in the future, I imagine it would be dealt with quite differently. ie not entirely voluntarily, so the main premise has rather a big drawback. Even so, it's a pretty good read.
It is quite difficult to review this short story.It is almost too short and is rather slight, the review could end up larger than the subject. There is also a danger of giving the story away and taking away the little enjoyment if offers.Consider it an amuse-bouche on the subject of longevity and population control.
It's interesting reading this during the heart of the American health care debate with the arguments of Death Panels. I'm suprised the Republicans didn't hold this up as an image of a future to come. His usualy wit and wisdom shine through with the sardonic bite present in much of his work. A good if quick read.
For something so short, it does a great job when it comes to delivering its message. It leaves you thinking for much, much longer than the five minutes it takes to read it, though I admit that the subject is not something I like to think about very often. Gloomy? Yes, but very effective.
I think I got this from Feedbooks? I'm not sure. In any case, I read it on my Kindle today in the school parking lot after I finished Plenty. Kurt is the king of dystopia, and this is no different. I felt the world around me become Vonnegut's vision, and was really disturbed by it.
A quick, short read, but classic Vonnegut. In just a few short pages, he paints a vivid world which holds a mirror up to our own. The social commentary in here is subtle but, at the same time, hard to miss. I wish there had been more to it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
A great little short story about how immortality and a cure for aging may not be as grand as everyone might think it would be. I've always felt that a life with no risk of an end makes living it seem less grand, less important, and less worthy of rememberance.
This is a thought-provoking dystopian story of a world determined to hold its population at a perpetually steady number. Everyone lives a long life ... if they're lucky enough to be alive at all ...
Subscribe to this story by email in 5 short installments at http://www.dailylit.com/books/2bro2b.
Subscribe to this story by email in 5 short installments at http://www.dailylit.com/books/2bro2b.
Another great short story by Kurt Vonnegut. Utterly wonderful. It is the world when the population is held at 40,000,000 people since they don't want overpopulation and disease. Therefore, when someone is born, someone must die. It is only eight pages but it captures the dilemma this brings up perfectly.
This is an exploration of what the world would be like if everyone could live forever, and if the population was set at (in the US) 40 million. I laughed at the supposedly very futuristic description of the hospital waiting room, which included ashtrays!
Mr. Vonnegut is definitely an interesting fellow. The only other book I've ready by him is "Slaughter-house 5", which I am a big fan of. I love his ideas, his visions. It's a breath of fresh air sometimes. Something different than everything else. This short story is no exception. It made me feel... awkward sometimes. In a good way. He definitely knows how to make you feel the story.
Not the ending I'd envisioned, but what a life to have to live--population control; this plays like a scene from the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. I loved it and now I think I've become a Vonnegut fan. Slaughterhouse Five is next on my list...
I found this while searching for free books on my iPod touch. It is the first thing that I have ever read by Kurt Vonnegut and I would come back for more. It speaks upon controversial issues, such as population control. Sometimes I find books that look into the future hard to follow - but this went well.
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Kurt Vonnegut, Junior was an American novelist, satirist, and most recently, graphic artist. He was recognized as New York State Author for 2001-2003.
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked a...more
More about Kurt Vonnegut...
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked a...more
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