Lock in

Scalzi is one of my favorite dialogue writers out there, and Lock In is another showcase for his skills in this area. Othere than that trademark snark, though, this book is very different from other Scalzi books I've read. It is a murder mystery at heart, but one set in a future where a large percentage of the popuation suffer from a disease that locks their bodies up, but not their minds. Therefore, these people exist either in an online space or interact with the world via robot bodies, affectionately called “threeps.” This brings into play concepts of racism, classism, and other awful isms we have to deal with in the real world. It's probably not my favorite Scalzi (Redshirts will always have a special place in my heart), and it almost might have been a little too light with its subject matter, but I'll always take too light over too heavy. Also, Scalzi's extreme fondness for “said” speech tags seems to be fading as at least this time, it didn't often interrupt my reading. It's a short read, a good mystery, and a fine addition to any sci-fi collection.