The Pressure to Succeed

What if education could be extended into the womb? Would we get brilliant, well-balanced babies? Monsters? Or a frightening/hopeful combination of both?

DR. PAK'S PRESCHOOL by David Brin is told from the POV of a wife and mother, impregnated through an experimental procedure. The experiment does not end with conception, but is continued throughout the pregnancy as the fetus is conditioned to think and reason on extraordinary levels. However, there is a price to be paid for such intelligence, leaving the mother to question her own conditioning within Japanese society.

While most of the story has a sci-fi dystopian theme, as the Japanese government uses extreme methods of genetic manipulation to close the gap with America in the area of computer programming, the ending is mix of fantasy and theology. The result is a metaphysical turn of events, which may seem too convenient for some readers.

I've learned this story is being marketed for a film, and I think the premise would make for a very controversial movie.

As always,
AstraDaemon