Six Wakes

I finished this book, even though I wasn't enjoying it, because I was curious to find out all the details of what was going on. But I had guessed the correct explanation pretty early, and there wasn't much detail given about it, when everything was revealed. One plot twist really did surprise me: the nature of the AI. Otherwise, there were not many surprises.

Maria turns out to be unbelievably powerful, capable, and intelligent, and yet she isn't fully responsible for almost anything she's done. Yes, she was tortured, but the narrative gives her original ethical lapse (editing Sally's partner's mind map) very little scrutiny, and Maria agreed to do that without any torture. So the story seems cowardly in that it fails to make Maria responsible for any of her own choices.

The worldbuilding is really weak, in my opinion. It's set several centuries in the future but it could almost be our world plus cloning, spaceships, and driverless cars. Until late in the book, when we learn what's up with the aunt-impostor in Maria's memory, there are very few references to any made-up culture of the future, or history, except what readers already know and the fictional clone riots (which never get all that much exploration). I didn't understand the “life” substance at all. Is cloning the only change in human society that has come about because of its discovery or invention?

Okay, the changes in the Catholic Church were unusual, but also pretty unbelievable to me. But I had a lot of trouble suspending disbelief at different points in this book, which might have been my own problem. The portrayals of mind hacking also seemed ridiculous.

Most of all, I don't understand why we needed to be in everyone's point-of-view almost all the time. It felt like lazy writing. It was also very annoying to spend so much time in Maria's and Hiro's PoVs early on, only to learn that I didn't know much about either of them. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author, and it was not a good experience. She doesn't differentiate between character voices very much, which is especially bad because of the constant PoV shifts.

I noticed that Audible has it classified as a technothriller, and that makes a lot more sense than science fiction. There's no sense of wonder or possibility. I don't understand why it got a Hugo nomination. I've really enjoyed several other works on the nomination list this year, but I've also read lots of great books that would never get anywhere near that list.

?? I loved the premise of this story: 6 astronauts that wake up in a generation ship to find their past clones dead and must investigate who is the murderer. So it is a good mix of closed room thriller/mystery and sci-fi. I liked the format: chapters alternating and revealing the background of each character. And with every chapter, you discover new things, and the characters??? past and motives get more complex as you go. It was interesting, it got me engaged to the end. I didn't want to put down this book. The ending felt a little bit too rushed and convenient, but the ride was super fun.??

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bookclub read and I was intrigued to see how differently some people reacted to the mystery and storytelling style.

A positive for me was the way in which each character was flawed, yet relatable - they all had made mistake or had a negative personality trait - yet each was presented as human and worthy of sympathy. Other readers surprised me by feeling the exact opposite and disliking the regular flashback chapters that revealed the character's backstories. I actually thought this was handled very well and, once I caught on to the structure, looked forward to each flashback as pieces of the jigsaw.

Something that was both a positive and a negative is Ms Lafferty's writing style. To me it is eminently readable and just flows. It almost feels fairy-tale in its smoothness. My mental image of the story was very much one of brightly coloured animation. Her writing style lends itself to a social story, but very much not Hard SF. If you are trying to figure out the science behind things, I suggest leaving your brain at the door or you'll get a headache. I just had to firmly tell myself that there had obviously been a huge revelation in our understanding of science at some point, so nothing works the way we think it does...then it was all OK.

A negative for me was that several “surprises” seemed to have flashing neon signs on them long in advance - to the extent that I was sure that they were red herrings the murderer, the nature of the ships AI and, above all, the use of the large 3D printer as a cloning device...dood, they make such a big deal out of the fact it can print a pig...with every last detail of the organs...what do think is going to happen?. It very much surprised me that some other readers found these same points rather too much of a surprise.

So I think this book presents itself differently to different people. I found it an enjoyable, interesting story well told with its greatest strength being the interesting and relatable characters. Put it this way, I immediately picked up another book by the same author - that should tell you what you need to know.

This was a reread for me of a book I listened to a few years back which then got picked for my book club, and it was great to go back to it. I think genre murder mysteries are some of my favorites, and the complications of cloning and generation ships elevate this far above the average whodunnit. The writing is sharp and snappy, the characters are great, especially Joanna who is as a bonus great representation for people thriving with disabilities. Highly recommended.

Six Wakes is a sci-fi/mystery that takes the familiar idea of the locked-room mystery and moves it to a spaceship. Six clones wake up aboard a ship, their last memory being just before they boarded it twenty-five years earlier. Around them is evidence that all six had recently met with foul play. The novel follows these six characters as they try to unravel the mystery of their missing time, and find out which one of them was the murderer in their previous life.

What makes this story so fresh and dynamic is how Lafferty is able to blend the the two pillars of the story together (the mystery elements and the sci-fi ones), creating a story that felt both familiar and completely unique throughout the entire time I was reading it. She slowly unveils this fascinating, complex world that's been impacted by its technological developments, and provides us just enough clues to keep us engaged in the novel's central mystery while withholding enough that it remains compelling and thrilling. Along with the worldbuilding, the interesting characters, and the engaging mystery, Lafferty weaves themes of rebirth, hopefulness in the face of tragedy, and how technology affects our sense of morality. This was a fascinating book and I loved the experience of reading it.

Solidly plotted closed room murder mystery in space. Characters are complex and sometimes likable while also being flawed, for various reasons. Enjoyed the fact that there were no saints. This is about the characters and the plot - the science well, more just a setting or device to drive the thought puzzles. Enjoyed

While each crew member aboard Dormire was cloned in the event of their death, all six never imagined waking up at the exact same time. And to wake up amidst their murder scene is one of the most unsettling encounters to experience. Especially when your mind map is missing decades of memories. Together the crew must find out what happened and who wiped out the entire crew.

This clone murder mystery is one of the most gripping sci-fi stories I have ever read. Readers will be cast into the anxieties and doubts of each crew member. Chapter by chapter the point of view will change allowing readers to see everyone’s inner thoughts and experiences. And the pieces of information are expertly revealed, laying out a maze of possibilities the reader and characters must navigate. You’ll be guessing right up until the end who was responsible.

Six Wakes also explores a myriad of ethical dilemmas. The crew members have their own opinions on clones and their rights. And given the various ages of clones on board, they have witnessed historical moments in clone history. The good and the bad. Each crew member has deep seeded secrets and past regrets that could have pushed them over the edge. Not to the one debate hanging over all their heads. Just because the previous version of someone committed murder, does that mean the new clone should be held responsible? What if within 25 years, something happened to trigger the event, but it would never happen again?

This was a phenomenal read. Six Wakes will pull readers in and refuse to let go. The science fiction elements are easy to digest and accent the overall world-building and plot. I highly recommend this to fans of murder mysteries and sci-fi.

Pros: fantastic mystery, suspenseful, interesting technology, diverse characters

Cons: a few continuity errors

When the six member crew of the starship Dormire all wake up in new clones, they're shocked to find several of them were murdered. Unsure of who to trust, knowing they're all convicted felons but not what each others' crimes were, they try to find answers for what happened in the 25 years of memories they've lost.

You're introduced to all six characters, plus their AI, all at once, so it's impressive how Lafferty keeps their voices unique and their personalities distinct. You jump around to everyone's POV, so this is important.

The story unfolds mostly linearly, with important historical background flashbacks as needed to forward the plot, learn more about the characters, and keep you guessing about what happened. I was impressed by how intricate the various stories were and how they eventually pulled together. The pacing is great, propelling you towards the ending.

I was also impressed by the treatment of Joanna's character. She was born with withered legs and uses a wheelchair and 2 prosthetic legs in the book. Her choice to retain this disability comes up in the book, and is handled well.

The technology and world-building were a lot of fun. There's a series of codicils governing the creation of clones, riots, anti-cloning sentiment, the generation ship, AI, mind hacking, and more.

I did notice two minor continuity errors, one where a character got up twice to program food, and another where two characters suddenly shift from talking in the theatre to talking in one of their rooms. Hiro got a little annoying at times, but even the characters in the book complained about that.

It's a fast paced book that kept me guessing and glued to the pages. Highly recommended.