Head On

John Scalzi

A follow up, of sorts, to Lock In, we are about 1 year later and FBI detectives Shane and Vann are still partners and still on the job. Recall that Shane is a Haden, a human who has contracted a disease that completely immobilizes their body, but not their brain. These Hadens have neural network hardware implanted in their brain that allows them to remote operate humanoid robots (Threeps) and participate in the physical world. The political/social culture in this novel opens with a new major sports league based on Hadens (i.e. their threeps) competing on a football-like field where the goal is to decapitate an opposing player and score with the head. At the same time, massive government subsidies to help Hadens with affording all this expensive access to the world is ending. And then a journeyman Haden athlete dies on the field (which shouldn't be able to happen) followed by a suicide, an arson, a murder-suicide, and assassination, etc. Special Agents Shane and Vann are on the job. I love the technology, the ethical gray areas, and the buddy cop dynamic that thread through the entire story. Keep them coming.

4 stars (out of 4)

Victory Conditions

Elizabeth Moon
Book 5 of Vatta's War series

In this final chapter, everything gets wrapped. Ky gets her fleet and the battle and war are taken to Nexus, the planet where all interstellar communication is controlled. Rafe is there on planet, Ky is coming in hot after the pirates, Stella is managing the 'behind-the-lines' subterfuge, and Aunt Grace is already next level. Overall, this is a quality ending to a great storyline and storytelling. In hindsight, I liked the hints (but not in-your-face integration) of AI and augmented humans (humods), the subtle quality science (some rules are broken, but not all of them and the ones that aren't are plot essential), and the (unfortunately) non-standard role for women who don't necessarily want to grow up to be parents. Well done Elizabeth Moon.

4 stars (out of 4)

A Darkness More than Night

Michael Connelly

Book 7 in the Harry Bosch Series

This felt like a departure, of sorts, from the Bosch formula. The first part of the book didn't really even include Bosch, except in an ancillary way. Instead, we are introduced to former FBI profiler Terry McCaleb, who now lives the retired life on Catalina Island. We are treated to his backstory, and how he now gets involved with a potential serial killer case as a consultant, brought to him courtesy of the LA County sheriff. Turns out the murder is connected to Bosch since the crime scene has lots of explicit "clues" left behind that point directly to the painter Heironymous Bosch, thereby implicating Harry. And Harry is in court testifying against a Hollywood producer bigwig who is also a serial murderer... hmmm, any connection?

I didn't really feel the connection with McCaleb or his detective-ing style, so didn't really like the story as much as the others that focus on Bosch and his neurosis. Just enough to get me to finish I guess.

2 stars (out of 4)