Scalzi goes well with pasta.

He might. And I took it to Italy, but moments after flagging it as Currently Reading, I changed my mind and switched to Cold Mountain. But this is up next, so I've left it on the Current shelf.

Cecily wrote: "He might. And I took it to Italy, but moments after flagging it as Currently Reading, I changed my mind and switched to Cold Mountain. But this is up next, so I've left it on the Current shelf."

In the pantry? Won't it get current juices all over it? ;)

I don't want to go raisin' any hopes. ;)

Well, he's no Atwood ;) His prose is similar to Andy Weir's though. Stick to Reynolds ;)

I've just finished it. He's certainly no Atwood and his prose and storytelling are not even close to Weir's. Such a good concept, but so poorly executed. Now I must find the motivation to write a 2* review...

Cecily wrote: "I've just finished it. He's certainly no Atwood and his prose and storytelling are not even close to Weir's. Such a good concept, but so poorly executed. Now I must find the motivation to write a 2..."

I think it's called altruism ;)

Thanks, but I suspect John Scalzi would disagree. (Let's hope he doesn't read this.)

I read his Redshirts and was not left with the desire to read anymore of his. That one should have been a short story.

I won't be racing back to him either. It's a shame, because the premise has merit and mileage. I'm not sure this one would be improved by being shortened, but by having some editorial guidance before publication.

You had me thinking about 'what's missing'. AND I love your review 'itself' and a little of 'you' in it. (I kinda adored it --smiling at how you can take a book like this and review it like you do!). I'm just basically impressed! :)

Thanks, Elyse. You're always so kind and enthusiastic. (I wish I'd felt that for this book!)

Very fun review, Cecily. Sounds like you were looking for the keys, and you were willing to pay any price to unlock yourself from this torment, Cecily. But this prejudice against Haden identity (though likely going extinct), and against Dodgy lawyers, and against sex with fetching threeps will not stand. Last time the flood; the virus next time! The premise does sound very promising, especially after the most recent Ebola scare. I love your block headings, and I chuckled at your including a quotation section, with no quotations. Thus proving why Haden identity is endangered. They lack a catchy slogan. I look forward to reading Mieville and Reynolds.

I think he should read this. Holding authors up to high standards for sloppy bits, cliches, and clunks is a worthy input to take to heart. I want some tighening up but I would not want to impede his flow of playfulness. As for the detective aspect, there is some nostalgia with the play and probably homage to Asimov. His threep in a commune of sorts was fun for me.

To me he makes a good run at all the potentials of someone living through a robot. You are perceptive to point out a bit of gender bender at play. And you are right that the problems of this society will ease away in a generation. But you can see the profit motive driving one company's perfidy in the plot, and likely lead to even more acceleration in cybernetics beyond the Lock In boost. If there is a follow up, it looks like the tech is headed to integration of mind and machine like the futurist Kaku predicts will steer us away from the Singularity of AIs suddenly realizing they should take us out.

Great review Cecily!! Your review also explains Hayden Christensen's lack of facial expressions! Why can't twins who share a threep and blow up a balloon then?

When are you going to read House of Suns?

liked that thing of character of a sex not being mentioned.

Steve wrote: "Very fun review, Cecily....
But this prejudice against Haden identity (though likely going extinct), and against Dodgy lawyers, and against sex with fetching threeps will not stand....
I look forward to reading Mieville and Reynolds."

Thanks for popping by, Steve. I'm glad you found it fun.

My prejudice against lawyers is limited to the dodgy ones!

As for Mieville and Reynolds, I'm not sure either is really to your taste, though I'd be fascinated in your views if you did try them, in which case, the two I've linked to are probably your best bet: not too much sci-fi weirdness, with a strong noirish detective story beneath.

Michael wrote: "His threep in a commune of sorts was fun for me."

Yes, that was another great idea - but we saw SO little of it, and only right near the end. Another lost opportunity, I think.

Michael wrote: "If there is a follow up, it looks like the tech is headed to integration of mind and machine like the futurist Kaku predicts will steer us away from the Singularity of AIs suddenly realizing they should take us out."

Lots of mileage for great stories there.

Apatt wrote: "Great review Cecily!! ...Why can't twins who share a threep and blow up a balloon then?"

The puzzlement was twofold: how twins could share a threep, and how any threep could blow up a balloon. As Chris never finds out, neither did I.

Apatt wrote: "When are you going to read House of Suns?"

No more sci-fi for a bit, and when I do, it's more likely to be China Mieville's new collection Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories, to tie in with a group read. But the House of Suns will come. You are on the same side as my son.

Cecily wrote: "Apatt wrote: "Great review Cecily!! ...Why can't twins who share a threep and blow up a balloon then?"

The puzzlement was twofold: how twins could share a threep, and how any threep could blowup a..."

Perhaps I am your son's threep ;)

Now there's a weird, and slightly alarming, thought!

I've just reread this review to compare it to the Brin book I just read. Similar but also very different. I'm also trying to memorize this review verbatim in case we get into a Fahrenheit 451 situation in the near future. Instead of being known as Apatt people will call me "Cecily's Lock In Review", aka CLIR ;)

Ha ha, and thanks, but were you really to memorise a review, there are many far better reviewers on GR, and even if you really wanted one of mine... why this one?!

Anyway, for a Fahrenheit 451 situation, you need something either rich and long to sustain you, or something likely to be useful in rebuilding society!