Lock In

I've been a fan of John Scalzi for a while, but didn't really feel like reading this one. I love the Old Man's War Universe, and was (and still am) waiting for the next book. I want to start raving about the episodic structure of The Human Division, but this is not the time or place.

Title: Lock In
Author: John Scalzi
Format: Audio

Twenty five years ago a disastrous epidemic known as Haden's syndrome has run rampant across the world. It started with flu like symptoms, but in others it has a second stage where the brain swells in a manner similar to meningitis. Some of these patients then fall victim to Lock In, where they lose all control over their body, though their mind remains completely unaffected. The US and allies invested trillions of dollars in research and now have developed "Threeps" or robots which can be controlled by remotely by the afflicted people. Chris Shane is a "Haden" and it's his/her first week as an FBI agent. Of course it becomes the most chaotic and exhilarating week imaginable. There's murder, suicide, corporate espionage, and more all set against a backdrop of a march to protest the impending Abrams-Ketering Bill which will soon cut off all funding for Haden care.

Let's start with the potentially confusing thing from the synopsis. No, not the pseudo science or plot, the his/her. Close investigation of the text gives no indication of Chris' gender. In fact, there are two audio versions of the book, one narrated by Wil Wheaton, and one by Amber Benson. You get to pick which gender you want Chris to be. I went with the Wheaton version, which I think was a mistake, but I'll get to that later. This genderless situation is a really cool concept for a story, and Scalzi is subtle in his implementation. Rather than this being the focus of the story, it's an added perk to a savy reader.

But rather than gushing about book, I'll get to the heart of my critique and why I think I chose the wrong version of the book to listen to. John Scalzi has a signature style. His characters are smart, fast talking, agreeable, and did I mention smart. He often runs into a problem with what we'll the call "superman complex." All his characters can do anything and come up with a solution to any problem all while being a smart ass. In each instance it is hilarious and entertaining, but when looked at together, everything seems to blend together into a similar blob of overly talented characters telling jokes. Add to this that Wil Wheaton is the voice behind maybe half of Scalzi's audiobooks and it becomes the same voice telling you about the same characters doing the same things.

This superman complex and singular style stem from a deeper problem in Scalzi's writing. His characters just aren't very complex. There are good guys and there are bad guys. The "grey" characters and still very good guys, just less good and less talented than the real heroes.

I love Scalzi's writing and his humor, but I'm also ready for something new from him. He's perfected his little niche and has the fan base. Now it's time to innovate and experiment a little. Maybe the good guys could lose the fight.
Fans of Mystery, Sci-Fi, and humor will enjoy this book. Scalzi fans know what to expect, it's more of the same
6/10
Another note. Feel free to use the comments to ask questions, disagree with me, tell me how awesome I am, or make requests for other books