The Measure
by Nikki Erlick
What if you knew exactly when you were going to die? Would that knowledge change the way we live? This is the premise of Nicki Erlick’s debut novel, “The Measure”, a dystopian fantasy that imagines every adult awakes to a box with the measure of their life lying within. Each person must make the choice of knowing their fate while society must choose how to manage this new polarizing attribute. This excellent little novel will keep you on your toes, keep you thinking, and wrench your heart in the most lovely ways.
Fast-paced and imaginative, the author invites us to consider mortality. We meet multiple characters in brief vignettes, though all the characters are loosely connected. We see an American politician striving for the White House who galvanizes a movement that discriminates against short-lifers. We meet partners in love having different life lengths. Strangers searching for love in a world that feels riskier than ever. Best friends navigating equality in a stacked landscape and a doctor re-examining the contribution of his life.
Give it a read and then ask yourself these four questions: Would you want to know how long a life you’ll live? Would you live or love any differently if your end was near? Would you guard your heart or break it open if those you love have less time? Would you fight for a world that values all lives the same, even shorter ones?