Book Review: Six Wakes by Mur Rafferty
(Four Stars)
“Having a second clone is highly illegal, right?” “Well, so is murder, but that doesn’t stop people.”
Thought-provoking science fiction about trust, murder, and what it means to be human. Rafferty dumps the cast and reader right into the first crisis–blood and bodies floating everywhere who-knows-how-far from earth on a colonization ship with hundreds of sleeping humans and a brain-dead AI. What else could go wrong? Plenty.
“The greatest gift a creature can give another is that of sacrifice. Clones can’t sacrifice.”
Classic locked-room murder mystery; almost everyone has motive and means. Then the lights go out. Despite a diverse crew, all shared the same inner voice, except the AI. Well plotted with many opportunities for the reader mislead himself.
“Suddenly you realize you’ve had hundreds of years and not done a whole hell of a lot with it.”
Star Trek approach to science fiction: there’s a technology for everything, whether it makes sense or not. Clone adult humans overnight? No problem. “… pull entire mindmaps from … spittle. Including personality.” How convenient.Why stock a food printer big enough to produce a pig? Why indeed.
“Playing God isn’t as exciting as you think.”
(2018 Hugo Award novel finalist)
As a Matter of Fancy 