Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Scifi/Fantasy
Raiting: 4 Ninja Stars
In this Hugo Award winning novel written by John Scalzi the world has been ravaged by a sickness called Haden's syndrome. People who are infected, called Hadens, are locked inside their minds interacting in the world through machine bodies known as Personal Transports or through another persons body. And in this world someone is using the new technology to commit murder.
I usually steer clear of these kinds of books because the thought of a future disease in the world kind of makes me nervous (go figure). But the mystery aspect of this story is what got me hooked. The sickness is not the highlight of the novel, Instead Scalzi uses it to show how society has been affected by it. For example because Haden's affects the brain by physically changing it, science and technology has advanced to such a degree that the brains structure has been completely mapped. The degree of which the disease affects someone varies. The most extreme cases causes a person to be trapped inside their bodies and have to rely on things like a Personal transport to interact with the physical world. They also have the option of going into a vast cyber world where they can either have their own space or interact with other Hadens and make connections. For others while the disease still changes the structure of the brain, it doesn't lock them in their bodies. Instead they have the potential to use technology and training to become Integrators. They have the consciousness of someone else put into their bodies and allow that person to become physically real for a short while. However, Integrators are quite rare and usually monitored and controlled by an agency. Not many people can afford to use an Integrator often.
I enjoyed this book mainly for the story line. The main characters have a common theme that you find in most mystery stories. One is from a well-off family who decides to become an FBI agent and the other is the seasoned veteran who is very good at their job, but complications from their past makes them a little dodgy at times. Scalzi uses first person writing to give the view and experience of one of the FBI agents who is a Haden lock in. It gives us a unique view of the world watching the way he interacts with people and things and just how he goes about his daily life. The Haden's syndrome reminded me a little bit of the Encephalitis Lethargica epidemic that occurred between 1915 and 1926 where people became catatonic.
There is also a political aspect in this book as well. The U.S. Government had classified Haden's as a disability. But with all the jumps in technology that support is going to be ending. The book takes place around the time when a bill ending support has been passed and the unrest that it is starting to take place. On the other side is a Hadens Separatist movement calling for Hadens to abandon the physical and reside solely in the digital world. So while this future may seem a little distant there are relatable examples that help the reader identify with the characters. Debate and politics doesn't seem to have changed much in the future.
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to get to the end so I could find out "who dun it!" If you're looking for a unique read I say check this book out.
