Sum: Tales from the Afterlives

It is perhaps strange to think of a neuroscientist sitting down to write a collection of stories concerning something so non-scientific: the existence of an afterlife. But David Eagleman’s thought-provoking, funny and frequently touching fiction uses sciencific thought to underpin something we as humans cannot ever comprehend. In his hands, the sheer possibilities of our own existence are brought  sharply into focus.

Despite its lofty ambitions and subject, Sum is actually terrific fun. There is wit and energy in every short, snappy vignette. Moreover, there are moments of genuine heartbreak, of real emotion. These are studded throughout the stories, like dying stars, and give one pause as you hit upon them. Take the title story, 'Sum'. In this version of the afterlife, you relive all your experiences thematically. So you spend 36 consecutive years asleep, six days clipping your toe nails and 200 hours under the shower and so on. Then Eagleman hits you with the sentence 'fourteen minutes experiencing pure joy'.  And suddenly a sadness raises up out of nowhere.

This is a powerful, life affirming and boldly funny collection that everyone should experience. It may well form part of your fourteen minutes.