Fragments of Me: A Science Fiction Novel

by Eric G. Swedin

James Barash is a psychiatrist with a unique ability to place copies of himself into other people with just a touch. This makes him an unusually effective therapist. Over the centuries Barash has lived within the bodies of many men and women, yet he does not know his own origins. A sensitive person who has seen too much misery, he suppresses his memories of the past in order to fully live only in present, trying to do as much good as he can. When he meets another person with similar abilities, but who is completely malevolent, Barash is forced to flee and learn who he really is--only to find that the past may not be what it seems. Another riveting SF adventure by the author of Anasazi Exile and When Angels Wept!

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Yaaresse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had it ended as well as it started, I would have been willing to go 3-3.5 stars, although I found the constantly skipping around in time and verb tense changes annoying. No surprise there. I'm never a fan of present tense that goes on too long.

This started out as an interesting idea for a sci-fi plot, then devolved into a heavy-handed theology metaphor. It felt self-congratulatory. Frankly, C. S. Lewis did it better...or at least less arrogantly.

As an aside, I can't help but wonder if some doctoral student out there has ever thought to research the connection between Mormons (current or former) and science-fiction/fantasy writers. There certainly seems to be a huge overlap between the two.