Mindscan by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Adam Volk
Jake Sullivan is trying desperately to put together the shattered pieces of his
life. Afflicted with a fatal neurological disease known as Katerinsky's syndrome, Jake is in his early 40s but
due to his condition could conceivably drop dead at any moment. With his wealth, Jake
decides to discard his potentially doomed biological body and replace it with a synthetic android body. The process, known as a Mindscan, is not quite
consciousness transferring, but rather using quantum mechanics and advanced computer technology creates an
instantaneous copy of an individual's mind, transporting every thought, memory, and emotion into a duplicate android body.
Relativity by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Adam Volk
When it comes to blending cutting edge science with complex philosophical ruminations, there are few authors more talented
than Robert J. Sawyer. For those unfortunate few who have not yet heard of him, the man has left an indelible mark
on the Science Fiction community; earning a well-deserved reputation as a major talent, in addition to his recent receipt of
both a Hugo and Nebula award. He is one of those rare SF authors who is able to approach complex scientific concepts and
humanize them with believable characters, rich dialogue and all too real moral and philosophical dilemmas.
Hybrids by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Contact between a world where humans
were the dominant evolutionary path, and a world where Neanderthals survived instead continues to heat up, as the two worlds share
aspects of science, culture, history, and more. Ponter Boddit, the first Neanderthal to cross over to our world, continues his
growing love affair with human geneticist Mary Vaughan, and the two begin to plan ways to be together permanently, and ways to
signify their union with a child of both races.
Hybrids by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
With this novel, the author completes his three-volume Neanderthal Parallax, a story of the opening
of a parallel world where Neanderthals out-lived Homo Sapiens, and of the people it brings together, most notably
the Neanderthal physicist Ponter Boddit and Mary Vaughan, a human geneticist who falls in love with him. It is also a story
that contrasts two very different cultures, and incorporates what are bound to be some discussion-provoking viewpoints on
justice, social engineering, and gender politics.
Iterations by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Although he is best known for writing novels, he has also written numerous pieces of short fiction, many of
which have been nominated, and won, for awards ranging from the HOMer to the Hugo.
Nevertheless, his short fiction is not generally well known, possibly because it doesn't appear in the major genre magazines.
This is a collection of 22 stories which were originally published in a variety of anthologies and a few magazines.
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Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Hard science fiction is easy. Rising above the facts, figures, phenomena, and fancy gadgets to create a
story that is so much more is where the true artistry lies. That rarefied air is where you will find
this author's novels. Near the top of that even more select list, you will find this one, his latest
novel. It's a blend of physics, anthropology, and sociology that snatches up the reader with
a sharp hook of a first sentence and just keeps gaining speed.
Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Donna McMahon
It is April 21, 2009. Physicists at the CERN particle collider facility in Geneva throw the switch on an experiment which they
hope will detect the elusive Higgs boson particle. Instead, the scientists "Flashforward" -- experiencing visions of
their lives 20 years in the future -- then return to discover that they've been unconscious for 2 minutes.
Frameshift by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Rodger Turner
Pierre Tardivel's life hangs on the flip of a coin. His father died of Huntington's
disease so he's got a 50-50 chance. He's moved to Berkeley to do post-doctoral work
on the Human Genome Project, mankind's attempt to map DNA. The author
asks a number of probing questions about where genetic science is leading us.
Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by David Soyka
How does an outspoken advocate of cold hard logic that leaves no wiggle room for concepts
such as God and an afterlife deal with his own soon-to-be demise? Or, to put it another way, if there are
indeed atheists in foxholes, what do they think about? In meditating on this subject, the author has created a
highly readable, entertaining, and informative work.
Factoring Humanity by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Rodger Turner
Robert J. Sawyer writes interesting characters, fast-paced plotting
science threaded elegantly into the prose yet simply put to let Rodger understand
it -- he can do it all with grace and style. He does it again in this novel.
And he's found a way to make the format of technology as important as the content.
Illegal Alien by Robert J. Sawyer
reviewed by Leon Olszewski
Murder mysteries and science fiction are similar in that both expect the reader to think.
There is a rich history where the two have been melded together.
To this illustrious list we can add Robert J. Sawyer.
This novel does more than just bring a murder mystery into a science fiction
setting; it also brings the legal intricacies of a courtroom drama into the story.
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