This book had a great concept. I was listening to the audio version of the book as narrated by the one and only Wi Unique and Complex - 3.5 Stars
This book had a great concept. I was listening to the audio version of the book as narrated by the one and only Wil Wheaton. If you do chose to listen to this, I highly suggest you physically read the opening segment. It explains the idea of "lock in" and the concept is much easier to grasp when the words are in front of you. I really did enjoy the novel but some elements left me a bit cold.
Plot Summary
The setup of the plot was somewhat complex and involves a steep learning curve. I was desperately grasping at the unfamiliar terms and concepts in an attempt to center myself. After a short while, I became comfortable with the material. In the world of this novel, a virulent strain of the flu has caused worldwide damage. Some people would catch the flu and be fine in a short while. Many people would catch the flu and suffer a form of meningitis, have brain swelling and die. A small number of peopled who had the meningitis had their brain altered and survived but suffered "lock in". Lock in refers to the fact you are alive and cognizant of your surroundings but unable to control you body in any way. Essentially, you brain is alive but disconnected from your body. An even smaller percentage had their brain altered but did not suffer lock in. These people could become "Integrators". This essentially meant that with the use of technology, the could allow the consciousness of a "locked in" person to enter and use their body. This would allowed locked in to experience life with a working body. Got it??? Maybe not, but if you read it you will catch on. The disease became known as "Haydens" and thought technology, the fact that people were locked in was not an impediment to their integration with society. A locked in person would be able to connect their mind to a "Threep" which is essentially an humanoid robot controlled by their mind. They could speak through them, work and live a life. Given the fact that Hayden's was so wide spread, millions upon millions of dollars was put into research and government subsidies for the sufferers of Hayden, so much so that segments of the population felt that the government subsidies for the Locked In was giving them an advantage over the non-Hayden sufferers. Legislation was pending that would alter the landscape for the Haydens. Enter Shane, the most well know Hayden in the country and newest member of the FBI. Shane and his partner are given oversight of a bizarre murder that involves an unknown deceased and an integrator. The question is, did the integrator kill on his own, or was he integrated with someone at the time of the killing. The questions turn out to be less than simple and complex web of deceit, subterfuge and murder begins to unfold.
My Take
That is probably the longest plot summary I have written. This speaks to the underlying complexity of the story. There is an entire world created into which the reader is thrust. Initially, it put me off and may be enough for some readers to stop reading. The initial learning curve is quite steep and does detract somewhat from the initial flow of the story.
This is my first novel by John Scalzi. I do know a bit about him but if I didn't, I would guess he leaned toward the left when it comes to politics. I gather this because this novel is quite clearly a piece of message fiction. I don't say this in a derogatory sense. In my opinion, there are two types of message fiction. One, a thinly veiled political statement masquerading as book. Two, a better veiled political statement that actually works as a book. This one falls into the second category. You don't have to like the message but it is not preachy. You can take the authors points without it feeling like propaganda. If I have to read message fiction, this is the type I want to read.
I will not spend much time on the message of the book. On one level, it does explore the idea of privilege. The book made me think of a quote from Donald Trump,
"A well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market. I think sometimes a black may think they don’t have an advantage or this and that... I’ve said on one occasion, even about myself, if I were starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated black, because I believe they do have an actual advantage."
First off, I don't agree with the statement. I find it to be ignorant and simply wrong. That said, it is certainly a train of thought and a train of thought that is, in part, attacked in the novel. But it goes further than that, it also looks at how removing what has been put in place to provide assistance can actually have the effect of destroying a culture. This is dealt with in a interesting and more abstract fashion in the book.
We also are asked to look at our dependence on technology and looking at how we view our relationships, society, employment and recreation through the eyes of technology. In some ways, we are forced to let it be part of our lives but would we feel that we lost a sense of community if we were unable to live our lives through that technology.
Honestly, I was enjoying the layers of the story and the questions that were arising, until it seemed to stop. A little over halfway, the character of the story seemed to change. These elements were the strength of the story but as the story progressed, the exploration of some of these themes simply died. Maybe I was reading too much into the story or drawing the wrong conclusions but couldn't help but feel like I was reading two different stories. Half way through the story felt far more traditional. I would have enjoyed the traditional story if it would have been that way from start to finish. The feeling of two different books was very jarring and disappointing.
Final Thoughts
The difficult beginning and inconsistent nature of the book hurt my rating. Overall I did enjoy the story as the sci-fi elements were great and idea quite unique. The plot was enjoyable but inconsistent. It was a good story that could have been great. In the end, it was an entertaining book and worth your time....more
Tim The Enchanter
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Books:
message-fiction
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