Lock in

Short review: Another very good book by Scalzi. This is a near future Police Procedural (or FBI Procedural). Chris Shane has just started the FBI when a case comes up that is not what it seems.

Chris Shane is the poster boy for Haden's Syndrome. Haden's is a virus that starts with flu like symptoms, then for a sub group moves to meningitis like syndromes then for another subgroup moves to Lock in. About 1% of survivors have lock in where they can no longer move, interact, speak or participate in the world. But through technology Haden's syndrome victims can move around via robots or even other humans. So when someone a crime involves a haden's sufferer or a robot, the FBI is called in to determine who it was that actually committed the crime. The problem is this crime goes much deeper.

This is a good thriller/mystery with very good scifi elements. Scalzi does a great job with just enough humor and plot. But he also is good at characters. These are people that you want to find out more about. And also deftly inserts issues, medical ethics, government overreach, business regulation, etc. Never feeling like these issues veer into propaganda.

Well worth reading.