What makes us human? This is the existential question at the heart of The Sparkzgott Anthology by T.D. Holt. It’s a profound philosophical journey made up of twenty-one vignettes as you journey through the eyes of an unborn child looking into the lives of people in twenty-one locations around the world. In a brilliant fusion of science and fantasy, your journey begins in a time slice. Given that you are traveling in a vessel that is yet to be born, you are following this unborn child into the infinitesimally small slice of time that begins a human life—the Sparkzgott. From here, you begin your journey to Erie, Pennsylvania, where you observe two couples. Throughout the rest of your travels, you learn that each person is different, though with some commonalities.

So what does The Sparkzgott Anthology tell us about human uniqueness? T.D. Holt’s narrative tells us that it involves many different factors. Then he creatively throws in his answer given from a scientific and personal standpoint. It is interesting to note, as the unborn child quips, that without some agreed-upon guiding wisdom, people get lost in the darkness of their own nature. The unborn child doesn’t know what it means so he returns to where he started to finish his journey. The concept of self-identity and social identity and the influence of the environment called nurture as opposed to nature are strong tying components in the storyline of these vignettes. You try to make an honest self-assessment as you try to discover what the unborn child has become. Whether or not you find the answer to what makes us human, The Sparkzgott Anthology will give you something to think about.

The Sparkzgott Anthology by T.D. Holt is a brilliant book, a heartfelt anthology full of hope and love. It is a collection of stories held together by the peculiar concept of 'Sparkzgott'. This term refers to the spark generated when an egg and sperm fuse inside a human body. This book features an omnipresent character suspended just before a Sparkzgott, which is to say that the character doesn't exist in the real world. We follow as he/she jumps through time and space to peer into the personal lives of several people. This anthology is a mix of themes in which the parent-child relationship dominates. We follow the thoughts of these innocent beings as they try to make sense of concepts that are naturally much bigger than their existence.

This book is testimony to the fact that a book can make one travel without moving an inch from one's cozy library. We travel to America, Japan, Australia, Africa, China, and several different places as the author brilliantly evokes the aroma and sense of the respective countries. The science used in this book is also well researched. The serious topics are dealt with in an educative manner. The book deals with many important contemporary issues, such as gender identity, race, and politics. Although this book includes sexual content and topics that some readers may find disconcerting, it never does that offensively and the sensitive issues are delicately handled. The editing of this book is impeccable, and the stories flow naturally. The naïve voice of a pre-Sparkzgott paired with the peculiar concept will naturally raise questions for the reader to ponder. I highly enjoyed The Sparkzgott Anthology by T.D. Holt and recommend it to everyone who wants to enjoy a hard-hitting and unique anthology that is humorous in an unusual way. This book and its tales will stay with readers long after they finish reading it.