J's Pages

I really shouldn't wait so long to write my reviews--I forgot what I was going to say about this one. Something good, I'm sure. Seriously, this book is practically advertised as a mystery. "Dr. Peter Hobson... has created three electronic simulations of his own personality. ... But now  all three of them have escaped from Hobson's computer... and one of them is a killer." Now I have a soft spot for science fiction mysteries ever since I read Asimov's Mysteries in days of yore. (Note to self:  pull that one off the shelf for a re-read.) Problem is, the mystery of The Terminal Experiment isn't all that hard to figure out.  The science fiction part, on the other hand is excellent. Dr. Hobson's  impetus for creating his simulations is his scientific discovery of the human soul. Mr. Sawyer does an excellent job of showing the consequences of this discovery while also telling the tale of troubles between Hobson and his wife. (Which provides motives for the killing spree.) The tale evolves, all the while looking at the concept of death and life after  death. Another excellent tale, securing Mr. Sawyer's position as one of  my favorite science fiction authors. I've got to reserve some more room for his books on my shelf.

LibraryThing link