Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Speed of Dark

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 3,819 ratings · 571 reviews

In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be ma...more In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal.

Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use “please” and “thank you” and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself.

But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music–with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world–shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a “normal”?

There are intense pressures coming from the world around him–including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is.

Thoughtful, provocative, poignant, unforgettable, The Speed of Dark is a gripping exploration into the mind of an autistic person as he struggles with profound questions of humanity and matters of the heart.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Paperback, 369 pages

Published June 28th 2005 by Del Rey (first published November 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

292nd out of 2,946 books — 12,387 voters

Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century

56th out of 209 books — 1,235 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 23, 2011 Keely rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, contemporary-fiction, novel, reviewed, american

This book is about as 'sci fi' as an episode of CSI. Moon basically takes 'Flowers for Algernon' and hacks off the ending. The writing was alright, and there was some interesting characterization, but I suspect it only got the Nebula and Clarke because award committees love nothing as much as political correctness. This book is the equivalent of an actor making an Oscar bid by playing a mentally-challenged character.

I know Moon is a sci fi author, but in this book, it feels like she just stamped...more This book is about as 'sci fi' as an episode of CSI. Moon basically takes 'Flowers for Algernon' and hacks off the ending. The writing was alright, and there was some interesting characterization, but I suspect it only got the Nebula and Clarke because award committees love nothing as much as political correctness. This book is the equivalent of an actor making an Oscar bid by playing a mentally-challenged character.

I know Moon is a sci fi author, but in this book, it feels like she just stamped on the 'Sci-Fi' label in order to draw an audience, or perhaps because her publisher refused to authorize a genre switch. I hope that isn't true, because that's always a cheap move. This is just modern pop-fiction, an 'emotionally confessional' book with a veneer of 'vaguely near-future'.

This wouldn't have been a problem if Moon had used this opportunity to explore human psychology, which was how 'Algernon' and 'A Clockwork Orange' treated this same theme, but she didn't. She rehashed half of an interesting idea, and failed to capitalize on it.

Speculative Fiction has always been obsessed with what makes us human, and how much we can change before we stop being human at all. While that should be the main theme of this book, it goes almost unexplored.

The climax is rushed and inauthentic. We never actually see the character change, we don't witness the effects as they happen, instead they are lightly explained in choppy montage at the end. Compared to the rest of the book--an internal, step-by-step presentation of a fairly different mind--this sudden, convenient, external ending is disappointing and jarring.

The denouement following the climax is particularly tidy, with all the subtlety of the end of an 80's college movie where we learn through super-imposed text that "Barry went on to win the Nobel prize" to the strains of Simple Minds.

And it's a shame, because the story leading up to the climax is interesting enough, presenting the psychological workings of autism. Moon researched this disorder much better than Mark Haddon in his laughably flawed 'Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time', but then, Moon's son is actually autistic.

There was also a part about fencing, which excited me at first, being a former competitive fencer and coach, but instead, it was just weird SCA dressup boffing. Not that I have anything against SCA dressup boffing (or do I?).

It's an alright read, goes pretty quick, and it might give you some insight into brain disorders, but it doesn't tie human experiences together; which is really a shame, because other sci fi books have successfully used this topic to ask some very difficult and profound questions about how the future of technology might change the way we think, and about the different ways people process information.

'Flowers for Algernon' tackled the exact same themes and was written sixty years before Moon's less profound attempt. You'd think we'd have something more to say after sixty years of neurology and psychology, but apparently not. It also pales in comparison with 'A Clockwork Orange', another good light sci fi which explores the morality of changing the way that people think.

This book was light and fluffy, especially given its subject matter, and while it will probably make soccer moms feel proud of themselves for reading something so 'different', it doesn't endeavor to change the way they think about humanity, the mind, or the possibilities within us.(less)

like 18 likes · see review

view all 13 comments

Kiri Must admit, that even as I wrote that about her take having more validity because of her own experiences with an autistic son, I thought to myself tha...more
Feb 23, 2011 09:25am

Jim Chiming in here. Hi Keely.

And Hi, for the first time, Jeanne.

Jeanne wrote: "it still ranks as one of my all-time-favorite science fiction novels"

Wh...more
updated Feb 24, 2011 12:35pm

Mar 08, 2009 Sandi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: sci-fi, 2009, cross-genre

I may need to review my top-ten shelf and see what can be bumped. "The Speed of Dark" book moved me like few books ever have. I cried, I laughed, I didn't want it to end. Elizabeth Moon does an absolutely amazing job of making a reader walk many miles in someone else's shoes. In this case, the reader becomes Lou Arrendale, an autistic man in an era when autism can be cured in childhood. Unfortunately, he was born too soon for the treatment. A new treatment is developed for adult autists and he h...more

like 24 likes · see review

Jul 30, 2007 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I was intrigued because this book was mentioned several times at WisCon’06 as an example of disability in science fiction and austism in general. Congoers had varying opinions—some touted it as the Best Writing About Autism Ever, while others said it was unrealistic. I have little experience with autism (besides being in fandom and reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), so I can’t comment on how realistically Moon recreates an autistic experience. As a book, it’s quite good,...more

like 6 likes · see review

Apr 12, 2008 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disability, sf-fantasy, library-books, favorites

I was very impressed by The Speed of Dark. Lou Arrendale is autistic and employed by a large company that requires his special skill of recognizing patterns that can't be seen by other people or computers. Despite the fact that he is gainfully employed and a brilliant fencer, autistics have a different way of interacting socially and perceiving the world.

The author has written about autism with a lot of knowledge and sensitivity.

like 9 likes · see review

Jun 01, 2009 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-sf, why-i-would-like-to-thank, why-favorites, why-favorite-authors

This book is outstanding. Moon's believable hero is a genius trapped in an autistic shell. The characterization was vivid and touching, I grew to love the man and feel very strongly about the things he dealt with. I even found myself getting angry with the bad things people were doing thinking, "they can't do that!" even though the book was just fiction. It was outrageous and yet believable. I loved how the author didn't relegate the autistic man to being stupid or unable to comprehend big words...more

like 8 likes · see review

May 05, 2009 Lisa Vegan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: Sandi

Shelves: fiction, novel, speculative-fiction, reviewed

It’s going to be a challenge to write a review without using a spoiler box but I will do it, as I have written all my other reviews without spoilers.

This is kind of a cross between The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Flowers for Algernon, both books I also really liked.

The writer is the mother of a son (adolescent at the time of this book’s publication) that has autism. The main character in this book has autism, but it takes place in the future where he has received better ea...more It’s going to be a challenge to write a review without using a spoiler box but I will do it, as I have written all my other reviews without spoilers.

This is kind of a cross between The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Flowers for Algernon, both books I also really liked.

The writer is the mother of a son (adolescent at the time of this book’s publication) that has autism. The main character in this book has autism, but it takes place in the future where he has received better early intervention and treatment than exist today.

It is speculative fiction that takes place in a (not too distant) futuristic world but this story is one hundred percent character driven so it was easy to forget the science fiction aspects. The science fiction aspects are somewhat subtle: there are definitely more advanced medical interventions and treatments available; occasional things are mentioned that make it clear global warming has gotten worse.

I found this story very moving and I really loved the main character and all the characters are well drawn. The author tells a very engrossing story.

I loved the main character's musings on various pieces of classical music; it was fascinating.

There was some unexpected, for me, humor that made me laugh & smile and I really appreciated that because much of the story was sad and there was quite a bit of suspense as well.

It’s the mark of a wonderful storyteller when I become very interested in some subject I’d never had interest in – fencing in this case – I did get an intro in high school gym/drama and two of my friends continued and took intermediate fencing, but really I haven’t been at all interested since then.

This book reminded me to never judge or underestimate anyone based on their disability or appearance, and it did make me think what exactly makes someone who they are and what makes a human being valuable. It also said a lot about change and about risk.

I thought that the story very nearly fell apart at the end, but then it ended ok, I guess, but I did not like the end; I did not like the end much at all, and it also felt kind of rushed. However, it was still a remarkable achievement. I just loved Lou’s voice, so very much! It wasn’t a flawless book and the end was not as good as the majority of the book, but I’m giving it five stars anyway.

I got a library copy that had tons of notes and also underlining/circling of the text and it took quite a bit of effort for the “autistic” part of me to ignore it and focus on just the text of the book, but for the most part I managed to do that.

Edit: I loved this book so much that I recommended it to two friends when I was still in the early pages. While it did go a bit downhill at the end, I would still recommend this book.
(less)

like 6 likes · see review

May 06, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

This book loosely resembles The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in that they both have narrators with autism, but there they diverge. The narrator of The Speed of Dark is Lou Arrendale, a man living in the near future when major developments have been made in treating individuals with autism. His work group consists entirely of people with autism. The group splinters when a new manager at the company learns of an experimental treatment that could cure autism, and demands that all t...more

like 4 likes · see review

Oct 12, 2011 Synesthesia rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. For some reason I couldn't like this book. The good things about it was the main character and how his autism was portrayed, but other than that, it just bothered me.
The main thing that bugged me is, what is normal in the first place? This book takes place in the future, how far it takes place, I don't know, but I would think that by the future we'd understand autism better and wouldn't just dismiss it as abnormal but would try to empathize with people with autism and to understand their point o...more For some reason I couldn't like this book. The good things about it was the main character and how his autism was portrayed, but other than that, it just bothered me.
The main thing that bugged me is, what is normal in the first place? This book takes place in the future, how far it takes place, I don't know, but I would think that by the future we'd understand autism better and wouldn't just dismiss it as abnormal but would try to empathize with people with autism and to understand their point of view.
In this book you have a man with a life that's already rich and full of fencing, people who like him and respect him (and one enemy, but you get to that later). He has a good job, sure he has to do things like bounce and have pinwheels around, but why is that a big deal? It's hard for him to appreciate himself with this concept of normal hanging over his head.
Could the world in the future expand to except other concepts of normal? Or will differences and variations be "cured" instead of taking care of the more difficult symptoms? This main character, after all, was incredibly intelligent, able to understand information about the brain the "normal" folks around him couldn't understand totally.
But the main frustrating thing about this book is simply, even in the future, there's no way something like this would even be allowed. No way can a corporation FORCE a person to accept a cure or experiment on their brain because that sort of thing is just not ethical.

So too many things about this book frustrated me.

Rereading Flowers for Algernon makes me realize just how frustrating this book is compared to that book. And it makes me take away a star.
For one thing, the character in Flowers for Algernon was more impaired than this main character in this book. As I said up there, he was autistic, but that's not the same thing as an intellectual disability. This character could function, think, remember. His brain functioned differently, but he could understand all sorts of books about neurology. So why did he have to be cured?
Is this just wishful thinking on the part of someone who has a child with autism? That they find a cure and they become normal which doesn't really exist? Why can't you be an astronaut even WITH autism?
Why can't folks learn more about autism rather than trying to wipe it out to the point that all you have are people who are normal when it doesn't exist? The spectrum must expand. Much as sexuality is narrowed in the minds of so many people to only encompass heterosexuality when you have a spectrum that goes from asexuality to bisexuality, normal must be expanded to include other people whose minds do not work the same way because there's really nothing wrong with that!

Also, too many of my reviews, especially negative ones turn into rants.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 10, 2008 Dlora rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tom, Dawn, Luan, Melissa, Karen, Marci

Shelves: general-fiction

I wouldn’t call this story science fiction even though it is set a little bit in the future. The timeframe is just far enough ahead to a time when scientiests have discovered how to correct the brain damage that causes autism. In The Speed of Dark, the protagonist was too old for the treatment by the time the breakthrough was made, but he was able to take advantage of some advanced treatment and training that helped him learn how to function in a more normal way than the autistic people of today...more

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 30, 2007 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: science fiction fans, health professionals

Shelves: fiction, sff

The Speed of Dark is an eloquently written examination of the internal life of an autistic man, as he considers whether or not to try an experimental cure for his condition. It is told from the first person point of view of Lou Arrendale, and his voice is so strong and unique that I found myself becoming personally involved in his dilemma. I didn't want to loose his voice, or any of his uniqueness. Through the window of Lou's experience, the novel examines the consequences of the medicalization...more

like 7 likes · see review

Feb 17, 2009 Lori (Hellian) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 03, 2009 PhilorChelsy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chelsys-readings

"Sometimes I wonder how normal normal people are, and I wonder that the most in the grocery store."

Started the book thinking it was simply a novel about a man with autism. After I few incidents I had to shift my thinking to that of it being an almost science fiction novel. Then I could read it more easily, and the black and whiteness of the characters made more sense to me. A fiction based on imagined, or hoped for, future science (which is actually not so very future anymore).
I really enjoyed...more "Sometimes I wonder how normal normal people are, and I wonder that the most in the grocery store."

Started the book thinking it was simply a novel about a man with autism. After I few incidents I had to shift my thinking to that of it being an almost science fiction novel. Then I could read it more easily, and the black and whiteness of the characters made more sense to me. A fiction based on imagined, or hoped for, future science (which is actually not so very future anymore).
I really enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of a man with autism.

Some favorite excerpt from the book:

"I do not think God makes bad things happen just so that people can grow spiritually. Bad parents do that, my mother said. Bad parents make things hard and painful for their children and then say it was to help them grow. Growing and living are hard enough already; children do not need things to be harder. I think this is true even for normal children. I have watched little children learning to walk; they all struggle and fall down many times. Their faces show that it is not easy. It would be stupid to tie bricks on them to make it harder. If that is true for learning to walk, then I think it is true for other growing and learning as well.
God is suppose to be the good parent, the Father. So I think God would not make things harder than they are. I do not think I am autistic because God thought my parents needed a challenge or I needed a challenge. I think it is like if I were a baby and a rock fell on me and broke my leg. Whatever caused it was an accident. God did not prevent the accident, but He did not cause it, either....
I think my autism is an accident, but what I do with it is me."

"...I pay attention to color and number more than most people. They don't notice, so they don't care....What am I missing, as they miss seeing the beautiful numeric relationships? ....What I have in my head is light and dark and gravity and space...and colors and numbers and people and patterns so beautiful I get shivers all over."(less)

like 5 likes · see review

Nov 08, 2012 Khrystyna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Khrystyna by: Joan

Shelves: american-author, science-fiction-fantasy, 2012-reads, excellent-reads

A really impressive book, in my opinion. Although it is technically classified as science fiction, it does not especially regard technological advancements and other aspects expected of typical books of the genre. It is more of a character analysis and, partly, an analysis of the type of society set in this not so distant future, both in which Moon effectively evokes a convincing portrait of an autistic person using a first person narrative. I think that is quite notable because such deep charac...more A really impressive book, in my opinion. Although it is technically classified as science fiction, it does not especially regard technological advancements and other aspects expected of typical books of the genre. It is more of a character analysis and, partly, an analysis of the type of society set in this not so distant future, both in which Moon effectively evokes a convincing portrait of an autistic person using a first person narrative. I think that is quite notable because such deep character analysis is much easier to undertake from the writer's position using the third "eye of God" person narration, so it's not very surprising that many writers opt for the latter narration option. As a result such books as this one are gems to read.

Lou Arrendale is an autistic person, but, being born ahead of our time, he had the good fortune to receive special treatment during infancy that allowed him to be able to grow up to live independently, work, drive, be a competitive-level fencer and even tolerate the things that unreasonably annoy autists (e.g loud, noisy music). He seems almost rid of his autism, however there is a seemingly slight, yet actually massive, aspect of character he lacks in order to be able to qualify as a member of the society of 'normals'- the mentality of non-autistics. Although he has learned to say "things that make normal people feel comfortable", like please and thank you, he remains unable to decipher the behaviour and actions of many of the normal people he knows, and cannot think, speak or act like one, so he has great difficulty in operating in social situations. The dilemma of this book occurs when a new treatment, so new it hasn't been tested on humans yet, is pressured on Arrendale and his autistic colleagues by the company they work for. This treatment is supposed to reverse the effects of autism, leaving a totally normal mentality behind. Should Lou take the treatment or not? And why or why not?

The most interesting thing about the character analysis was that it made me not only realise what it felt like to have autism, but think about what it means to be suitably "normal". What are the benefits of becoming normal? As Lou correctly notices, normal people are all too often crooked as persons. Why do these benefits outweigh the risks of the treatment? All of Lou's weighty ponderings throughout this book help you think over this very interesting dilemma, along with superb storytelling for which I rate this book five stars.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Oct 28, 2010 bookczuk rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: julia

Recommended to bookczuk by: Judy Hante, Sandi Kallas

Shelves: bookcrossing, rabck, read-on-recommendation, alternate-history, taught-me-something, wow, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down

There is a bird called the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. By the beginning of the last century, the bird had been nearly hunted to extinction. But a few years back, it's distinctive call just may have been heard in the backwoods of Arkansas. It was said to be so beautiful that when people saw it, they said, “Lord God! What a bird!” The name stuck. And now, I find myself saying, "Lord God! What a book!"

The Speed of Dark takes place in the not so distant future. The world is not that different, but in t...more

like 1 like · see review

May 03, 2008 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone. Think about how you deal with people who are different from you.

Recommended to Lisa by: Jennifer

Shelves: 2008

What a special and beautifully written book. It presents autism from the autistic person's point of view, and he is someone you can really relate to and begin to understand. Through Lou, readers also see ourselves and our social group interactions--"normals"--from an outside perspective, which has caused me to think about some things in my life differently.

The book has a great plot, all while asking profound questions. It challenges readers to think about what makes them who they are--are we re...more

like 6 likes · see review

Aug 19, 2008 Joanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Joanne by: Stephen

Shelves: fiction

Really interesting premise -- a future world where autism has been genetically removed from the population. Except our protagonist, Lou, is old enough to have missed the genetic modifications. He and some fellow autists work for a drug company, doing unspecified top-secret pattern recognition. The story is told from his point of view, which reminds me of Flowers for Algernon not only in its tone but also because an experimental treatment for autism becomes available and Lou has to decide whether...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 22, 2008 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-thinker

Really, really liked this book. Told (for the most part) from the perspective of a high functioning autistic adult, it was a look into the different thought process of someone who "normals" think of as disabled. The thing I loved was the Lou is so normal! The things that he does that normal people would see as affected (seeing patterns in colors of the cars in the parking lot, counting things, focusing on music) don't seem all that odd when you know the thoughts and the decisions that go along w...more

like 5 likes · see review

Feb 02, 2008 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

A group of autistic staff are "elite" pattern-recognition analysts at a major corporation, sometime in the future. Lou, the protagonist, is a high-functioning autistic & the reader is forced to consider the line between "normal" and "autistic" views of the world. Eventually Lou must choose whether to have experimental surgery that will cure his autism & change his life forever -- or continue on his present course. I felt this book described how autistic people experience the world far mo...more

like 2 likes · see review

May 13, 2008 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dlora Dalton recommended this book and it was a winner. The book takes place in a future time when medical advances have cured most mental problems either befor birth or shortly after. This book is the story of a high-functioning autistic who was born before the cures were available and thus part of the last generation of autistic people.

It is a real opportunity to go inside of an autistic person's mind and life to better understand what life is like for them and to see how their minds work. The...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 26, 2007 Rosa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: summer2007

I loved everything about this book except for the last chapter or two. I hated, hated, hated the ending, not because it was poorly written but because it seemed to betray the spirit of the novel.

Otherwise, I found this an enjoyable read that was hard to put down. Moon does a great job in assuming the voice and perspective of someone with unusually high functioning autism (due to futuristic advances in treatment). I do wish she'd done a better job of bringing in tidbits about the future world tha...more

like 4 likes · see review

Apr 03, 2007 Lake Oz Fic Chick added it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookreviews

Lou Arrendale, an autistic man living in the future, is pressured by his boss to reverse his autism with a new treatment. His symptoms already somewhat controlled by medication, he lives independently and holds a full-time job where his different way of looking at things has, until now, been appreciated. Lou struggles to decide what to do. Would becoming “normal” outweigh the risk of losing what makes him unique? Is autism a disease or just an alternate way of life? A provocative and touching bo...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 02, 2007 Francisco rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a nice surprise. This is a book narrated form the perspective of an autistic character. The deft device of learning everything about the story and characters via an autistic narrator was daring enough, but to be able to make you care deeply about the main character and others in the story makes the feat more amazing. After looking at the other titles from the same author, it seems this was a departure in the type of sci-fi she usually writes. I often wonder what caused her to think...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 28, 2010 Simeonberesford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, science, fiction, autism, dec06

Inevitable this is going to be compared with Flowers for Algernon. Equally inevitable it will suffer in that comparison. Judged by humbler standards though it does very well. [return][return]Lou is a high functioning autisic man who thanks to support and special education holds down a job and even has a social life. Autism is Rapidly disapearin though prebirth intervention means autistic babies are cured before birth.[return][return]Now his company is pressuribg him to try an experimental treatm...more

like · see review

Mar 22, 2009 James E. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dark is faster then light because dark got there first and departs at least as fast as light arrives. Ignorance is similar; it was there before learning arrived but it can resist learning and sometimes totally prevent it. Death is a singularity, as is a black hole where light gets trapped within a gravity well, but a black hole is full of light trying to escape as well as of information that doesn't get destroyed.

The book explores the thoughts of an autistic man, Lou Arrendale. But Lou is a diff...more

like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Jonna Doughty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an amazing book with, what I felt to be, a heartbreaking ending.
Set in the not-so-distant future, a time when most disease and crime has been wiped out by genetic modification or computer chips planter in the brain, this is the story of Lou Arrandale, an autistic man. Lou is part of the middle generation of autists; his generation has been able to gain great strides in "normal" functioning due to training in early childhood with computers that helped to teach speech in ways that accommo...more This is an amazing book with, what I felt to be, a heartbreaking ending.
Set in the not-so-distant future, a time when most disease and crime has been wiped out by genetic modification or computer chips planter in the brain, this is the story of Lou Arrandale, an autistic man. Lou is part of the middle generation of autists; his generation has been able to gain great strides in "normal" functioning due to training in early childhood with computers that helped to teach speech in ways that accommodated the sensory problems of the autistic brain. Lou and others his age hold high-functioning jobs, drive, and live alone, things that the autists of the older generation have not been able to do. The younger generation has benefited even more; genetic modifications in the womb have made autism for them only something they had before birth. Yet Lou and his friends still have many of the same social issues that face all autistic people: trouble with social skills, difficultly reading language and facial cues, and a tendency to be overly literal.
Told from Lou's point of view, we see the world through his eyes, and it is often enlightening look. As Lou muses about God, or music, or the patterns of the stars, the world opens up. Lou has "normal" friends, and takes a class once a week in fencing, something that he enjoys. Yet, he doesn't realize he is having fun until someone points out to him that he seems to be enjoying himself; he had only noticed that he was flushed and sweating.
The crux of the story is this: a new therapy is going into human trials, a therapy that may "cure" autism in adults. The pharmacological company that Lou works for has purchased this therapy, and his boss, who dislikes the special treatments the autistic workers get (things which allow them to function well in the workplace, such as a gym, music and Lou's spinners at his desk), decides they will be told to receive this treatment or lose their jobs. Of course, this is illegal, and most of the team do not want the treatment.
Lou ponders what would happen if they change his brain. Will he be the same person? Like the same things as before? Will it matter? For example, he knows he likes peppers on his pizza and doesn't like anchovies. If he has the treatment, will he suddenly like anchovies? And will it matter? It will matter to the anchovies, he decides, and to the man who sells anchovies.
I truly enjoyed this book, although I was disappointed with the ending. As I read, I was reminded of The Handmaid's Tale, another novel set in a future that seems strange yet possible. Lou's voice is so authentic, and so touching. This is definitely worth reading. (less)

like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 M.D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf

In this novel, Moon leaves the far reaches of space to plant her character's feet solidly on the soil of Earth. In fact, setting is barely apparent and serves only to populate the main character's inner world.

Lou Arrendale, an autistic adult, is fully functional. He lives alone, drives a car, works in a think-thank solving immensely difficult and complex problems, shops, and even takes fencing classes. Yet, he doesn't fit in his society: he has difficulty recognizing facial expression, doesn't t...more

like · see review

Oct 30, 2012 Chade66 rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: amy jo

Shelves: science-fiction, read-2012

I found The Speed of Dark almost by accident. I have been listening to Brandon Sanderson's lectures on the internet (located here: http://www.writeaboutdragons.com/home... he noted this book was a great example of writing in present and past simultaneously. And it is that. So thanks Brandon for the suggestion!

But more importantly this is an amazing book, the kind of speculative fiction I wish I were smart enough to write. What's really weird is that I bought the book at a library book sale, befo...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Allan Dyen-shapiro rated it 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Moon envisions a near-future in which autism is cured for the current generation, incurable for the oldest, and treated better than today but not cured for a middle generation. Then it's cured in apes in a way that might work in humans. And the company Lou works for has many ulterior motives in offering to pay for his treatment, some clear, some less clear.

The true strength of this book is speaking from the point of view of an autist. The first person, present tense narrative is grippi...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Revealing. Fascinating. Educational. A valuable experience. A+++

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to see the world through the perspective of someone whose mind works much different than your own? How different? Do you want to visit a mind that has different opinions and points of view? What about someone whose mind works in a fundamentally different way than yours? How about someone whose mind perceives the world differently than almost everyone you have met in your entire life?

The w...more

like · see review

May 15, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Moon has an autistic son, which clearly informed her writing of this book. The Speed of Dark tells the story of Lou Arrendale, an autistic man living in a near future very similar to our own time. The back of the book blurb focuses on:

"…an experimental “cure” for his condition. Now Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that may change the way he views the world–and the very essence of who he is."

But the book is so much more. This isn’t an action or adventure novel, and the treatments...more Moon has an autistic son, which clearly informed her writing of this book. The Speed of Dark tells the story of Lou Arrendale, an autistic man living in a near future very similar to our own time. The back of the book blurb focuses on:

"…an experimental “cure” for his condition. Now Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that may change the way he views the world–and the very essence of who he is."

But the book is so much more. This isn’t an action or adventure novel, and the treatments and potential cure for autism is pretty much the only real SF element in the story.

The most powerful thing, to me, is the way Moon brings you into Lou’s perspective:

It is hard to drive safely in the hot afternoon, with the wrong music in my head. Light flashed off windshields, bumpers, trim; there are too many flashing lights. By the time I get home, my head hurts and I’m shaking. I take the pillows off my couch into the bedroom, closing all the shades tightly and then the door. I lie down, piling the pillow on top of me, then turn off the light.

This is something else I never tell Dr. Fornum about. She would make notes in my record about this…

As the father of a boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, I spent a fair amount of time reminding myself that Lou’s experiences aren’t meant to be a universal representation of autism. Lou works with other autistics, doing pattern-analysis for a large corporation, and Moon does a very good job of showing Lou and the other characters as individuals. Autism is a significant part of who they are, but it doesn’t define them.

Moon shows many of the challenges Lou faces, both the internal and the external. A new supervisor wants to eliminate the “special accommodations” Lou and his unit receive at work. A man from Lou’s fencing group blames Lou for his problems, accusing people like him of stealing jobs from “normal” people. (Sound familiar? Much of this book could be set in today’s world.)

And then there’s the potential cure, the chance for Lou to be normal, whatever that means. Moon does a decent job of exploring the moral messiness and complexities of “curing” autism, though I would have liked to see more of this part. Should we cure someone who’s able to function? What about someone we define as low-functioning? How many of the challenges autistic people face are inherent to the condition, and how many of those challenges are externally created?

The Speed of Dark is a book that makes you think. Lou is a wonderful, sympathetic, beautiful protagonist. This isn’t a plot-oriented, action-packed book, but it’s one I definitely recommend reading.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (26)

More editions...

Genres

Science Fiction

221 users

Book Club

21 users

Speculative Fiction

19 users

Psychology

14 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

13 users

Novels

10 users

Disability

9 users

Fantasy

9 users

Science Fiction > Near Future

6 users

Contemporary

6 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Healer's War
by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
The Falling Woman
by Pat Murphy
The Quantum Rose
by Catherine Asaro
No Enemy but Time
by Michael Bishop
Slow River
by Nicola Griffith

About Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon was born March 7, 1945, and grew up in McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School in 1963. She has a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975) with graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

She served in the USMC from 1968 to 1971, first at MCB Quantico and then at HQMC. She marrie...more

More about Elizabeth Moon...

Books by Elizabeth Moon

The Deed of Paksenarrion (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #1-3)

Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #1)

Oath of Gold (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Speed of Dark

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Speed of Dark

“Sometimes I wonder how normal normal people are, and I wonder that most in the grocery store.” — 26 people liked it

“I like it that order exists somewhere even if it shatters near me.” — 25 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Speed of Dark
avg rating	preview: The Speed of Dark Goodreads rating: 4.02 (3819 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96063.The_Speed_of_Dark?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320497793l/96063.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96063.The_Speed_of_Dark?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon[/url]

The Speed of Dark

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website