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Ex-regional journalist pens debut novel on cryonics

andrea-darbyA former regional journalist has written her debut novel on the subject of cryonics.

Andrea Darby’s The Husband Who Refused to Die is based on a story she read about a young couple who wanted to have their bodies frozen after death in the hope that they could come back to life.

Andrea, 48, started her career as a reporter for the Gloucestershire Gazette, before working for both Gloucester daily The Citizen and the Bristol Post as a sub-editor.

The story focuses on a 40-year-old mother whose husband dies unexpectedly with a wish to be frozen.

Andrea, pictured above left, said: “It’s a complex and emotive subject, but what has always intrigued me above all else is how a radical decision like being frozen after death would affect loved ones left behind.

“When I came up with the idea I knew the concept of cryonics had been given the science fiction treatment in many books and films, but I wanted to explore the realistic setting – it’s a real thing affecting real people after all.”

To research the book, Andrea met several people who are signed up to be cryo-preserved and even attended the ‘emergency procedure’ training to better understand the process.

She added: “I knew very little about cryonics at the start, but that was part of the appeal – to learn something beyond my own experience.

“It was a case of writing a book I’d like to read and I’m always drawn to novels where the extraordinary happens in ordinary lives.”

The book is out now published by Matador.