Divorced and working as a security guard in Portland, 73 year old Carl is attacked by an unknown creature before he is able to taser it to death. After being released from the hospital, he discovers by accident that he is unwittingly acquiring DNA samples from other people he touches.
He discovers a number of shocking facts about himself when a blue box appears in his right eye, Most importantly, he discovers that his health is nowhere near to what he assumed it would be. Can he reverse the negative aspects of his health using these blue boxes somehow? And can he reverse his poor financial situation after his wife took half his pension just before retirement?
Biomedical Self-Engineering is a LitRPG slice of life adventure, following Carl as he discovers new ways of living life when he is nearing the end of his own. There are no explicit scenes, no harems, and only one swear word at the very end.
My Opinion: 228 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased a copy when it became available.
While the title is a mouthful, it does describe the power set of the main character (MC). This is a real world LitRPG story where the elderly MC gains upgrade powers after he fights off a monster while working as a guard during his retirement years. When he returns home after almost dying, he finds that he has an interface and special points he can use to cure his arthritis, cancer, glaucoma, and the many other illnesses he hadn’t even known he had. Not only that but he can use these same points to upgrade himself. The only problem is that the number of points he has are finite, which sends him on the hunt for ways to get more and how to use his new powers to improve his life.
Like many real life LitRPG stories, this is a slice of life format. The story simply follows the MC as he upgrades himself, gathers more points, and uses his new powers to increase his wealth. There is also a small undeveloped secondary storyline with aliens and hints about other people with similar powers. There is no combat in the story besides one brief scene but it was entertaining to read about a smart character who figures out ways to exploit his upgrade abilities. It was also fun to think about what I'd do in a similar situation.
The only thing I wished I would have seen in the story was more conflict. Not necessarily physical fights, but some opposition to what the MC was doing. For the most part he accomplishes most of what he sets out to do with few obstacles even slowing him down.
Overall, it's an original take on the real life LitRPG premise that was enjoyable to read, if you’re ok with the slice of life story. Small side note. I liked all the old movies mentioned in the story. Which means I have the same taste in movies as a 73 year old man.
Score: 7.4 out of 10