I follow Patrick Rothfuss on Goodreads, and I notice that his tastes in books tend to the sci-fi and fantasy, whereas I’m more selective in those genres. Yet some of his high recommendations catch my eye, and John Scalzi’s Lock In was one of them. I was curious by the premise, and it seemed to go along with my reading of dystopian and survival literature.
The setting and premise are complex but highly interesting. A virus/pandemic has swept through the United States (of course) and it can cause either of two responses: the first locks you in your body and leaves you completely unable to function outside your skin, unless you have a Personal Transport that allows your brain to control an android and perform daily functions or your job; or it changes neural pathways and leaves you able to host a locked-in individual for a period of time. The former are known as Hadens (because the FLOTUS contracted it), and the latter, who survived and can host another’s body, are called Integrators. And this is just the premise. Chris Shane is a Haden and just starting the FBI, when a mysterious case of an Integrator’s murder causes a series of scandals to emerge. The novel hinges on being able to piece apart who is in whose body, as well as the problems of living in a mechanical body but being locked in a paralyzed physical form.
Once I got the main idea, I was hooked. It’s an interesting story, and Scalzi develops his world really well. There’s definitely room for more novels in this world. What I really liked is the fact that Chris as a protagonist is of indeterminate gender. Man or woman? Genderqueer? There’s room to imagine. I projected Chris as a genderqueer woman, and thought that reading was really interesting. But reading Chris as a man would also be highly plausible. It’s cool to be able to write a complex protagonist in a way that you can decide which gender he or she is, or what you think is the most likely, based on your reading. My sister told me that if you were to download the audiobook, there are two choices for narrators: Wil Wheaton or Amber Benson. Very cool.
Have you read the prequel novella? It’s pretty great. It’s a faux oral history of the Haden’s epidemic.
Adding to my list! That would be an excellent read. I thought Scalzi did an amazing job of building the Haden’s world, so I think the prequel will give me even more insight. Thanks for the tip!
Yeah, and you’re probably reading them in the right order. I read the prequel first and it wasn’t as much fun to discover the world in the book when it was introduced. It’s a super interesting read.
Ah, that makes sense. Glad to know I got it right! As soon as I get this current stack thinned out, I will check out the prequel. Any other Scalzi I should check out?
Hmm, well I like them all!
You can’t go wrong with his first book, Old Man’s War, which is sci-fi Heinlein style, except without the sexism. It’s my favorite book/series of his.
If you want sillier, go for Redshirts (Star Trek meta parody, which also stands on its own) or The Android’s Dream (this book opens with a man being farted to death, and the plot hinges around the search for a genetically engineered sheep, so yes, silly). Fuzzy Nation might also be a great place to start. It’s a sort of soft sci-fi legal drama, involving really cute (fuzzy) aliens. It’s a remake of a Hugo award winning novel from the ’60s. It’s probably the most like Lock In.
As you can see, I love Scalzi. I’ve read pretty much everything he’s written, barring a few short stories. He’s always good for a good time, IMO.
Thanks for asking for Scalzi recommendations — he’s an author I’ve always wanted to try but didn’t know where to start. I’ll be adding a few of these to my library list ASAP.