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Who
Have they changed their minds? Or have their minds been changed?
Death is no longer the end. Those who prepare, and can afford it, may have their memories and personalities digitally preserved. The digitally stored population can interact with the world of the living, remaining part of their loved ones’ lives. They can even vote.
But digital information has its vulnerabilities.
After the young and vital Thea dies and is stored, her devoted husband Max starts to wonder about changes in her preoccupations and politics. Are they simply the result of the new company she keeps? Or has she been altered without her knowledge and against her will?
And if Thea is no longer herself, what can they do?
Death is no longer the end. Those who prepare, and can afford it, may have their memories and personalities digitally preserved. The digitally stored population can interact with the world of the living, remaining part of their loved ones’ lives. They can even vote.
But digital information has its vulnerabilities.
After the young and vital Thea dies and is stored, her devoted husband Max starts to wonder about changes in her preoccupations and politics. Are they simply the result of the new company she keeps? Or has she been altered without her knowledge and against her will?
And if Thea is no longer herself, what can they do?
- GenresScience Fiction
344 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2016
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Karen A. Wyle
26 books234 followersKaren A. Wyle is the author of multiple science fiction novels, including The Twin-Bred Series: Books 1-3; YA novel Water to Water; and near-future novels Division, Playback Effect, Who: a novel of the near future, and Donation. Her first novel outside the SF category was the afterlife fantasy/family drama Wander Home. She then turned to historical romance with her Cowbird Creek series, including What Heals the Heart, What Frees the Heart, What Shows the Heart, and What Wakes the Heart. She returned to fantasy with 2023's Far From Mortal Realms: A Novel of Humans and Fae. Her novel The Decision/A Novel of Germany is inspired by a crucial incident in her own family history. Her latest novel, That The Dead May Rest, comes out on October 17, 2025 -- a good month for a paranormal story!
Wyle has also published one nonfiction work, Closest to the Fire: A Writer's Guide to Law and Lawyers, a resource for authors or for anyone interested in understanding more about American law. An updated and slightly retitled edition came out at the end of July 2021.
Finally, Wyle has collaborated with illustrators on five picture books: You Can't Kiss A Bubble; When It's Winter; Wind, Ocean, Grass; Where Fireflies Sleep; and A Boy Who Made Music/The Extraordinary Life of Joaquin Rodrigo. There are more to come!
Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age ten, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age nine.
Wyle is a retired appellate attorney, dormant photographer, and mother of two wildly creative adult offspring. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Wyle's near-future novels and her upcoming fantasy novel draw on her legal experience in various respects.
Wyle's personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.
Wyle has also published one nonfiction work, Closest to the Fire: A Writer's Guide to Law and Lawyers, a resource for authors or for anyone interested in understanding more about American law. An updated and slightly retitled edition came out at the end of July 2021.
Finally, Wyle has collaborated with illustrators on five picture books: You Can't Kiss A Bubble; When It's Winter; Wind, Ocean, Grass; Where Fireflies Sleep; and A Boy Who Made Music/The Extraordinary Life of Joaquin Rodrigo. There are more to come!
Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age ten, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age nine.
Wyle is a retired appellate attorney, dormant photographer, and mother of two wildly creative adult offspring. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Wyle's near-future novels and her upcoming fantasy novel draw on her legal experience in various respects.
Wyle's personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 6, 2017
Author Karen Wyle has the knack of taking present-day technology to a not-so-farfetched future and asking those difficult questions that make it all real. In Who, she invites us into a world where selves can be digitally preserved after death. But will a digital nose still run when we cry? Do digital wrinkles increase or decrease with age? And will the digital self be true to the real? All of which leads to those central, most important questions, of life as well as fiction; how well do we truly know anyone—ourselves or anyone else? And what is self?
Add politics, perfectly tuned to seem real without offending readers, whatever their persuasion; add art, with music, shape and form to enthrall and absorb; add two people who truly love each other, families who really can overcome disagreement, and a lawyer with vision and purpose; add “Digital Life Denies Life Eternal” messages on protesters’ banners; and add an enticing story that moves swiftly through art and science, religion and politics, relationships and law, love, loss and more—Who is smoothly written, hauntingly imagined, entertaining and thought-provoking, and a really great read.
Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review.
Add politics, perfectly tuned to seem real without offending readers, whatever their persuasion; add art, with music, shape and form to enthrall and absorb; add two people who truly love each other, families who really can overcome disagreement, and a lawyer with vision and purpose; add “Digital Life Denies Life Eternal” messages on protesters’ banners; and add an enticing story that moves swiftly through art and science, religion and politics, relationships and law, love, loss and more—Who is smoothly written, hauntingly imagined, entertaining and thought-provoking, and a really great read.
Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review.
December 17, 2016
I was sent this book for an honest review ... here it is.
This is a very well written and fascinating story about a future, which allows the wealthy to have their minds digitally stored after death so that the can 'live'.
It brings to light many issues such as control, corporate greed, separation, loss, grief and love, while delving into the rights and wrongs of many things within a court case - this is extremely well done.
Great characters and a thought-provoking story.
Highly recommended.
This is a very well written and fascinating story about a future, which allows the wealthy to have their minds digitally stored after death so that the can 'live'.
It brings to light many issues such as control, corporate greed, separation, loss, grief and love, while delving into the rights and wrongs of many things within a court case - this is extremely well done.
Great characters and a thought-provoking story.
Highly recommended.
December 21, 2016
A stand-alone thoughtful science fiction book about what could happen if, when, people’s personalities are digitized.
LiveAfter is a firm that specializes in digitalizing people’s minds. It’s a new concept and technology. So they’re giving incentives for people to sign up and advertising planned benefits even before their programmers make them. Of course, the leaders and investors of the corporation want to make a hefty profit. They’re promising that the digitized people can still interact with their families and friends, and that’s the biggest draw: that death doesn’t separate people anymore.
Thea and Max are a young couple deeply in love. They’re musicians and because they made music for LiveAfter, they got a discount on their digitalization deal. Of course, because they’re young, they don’t think they’ll need it but Thea makes the deal anyway. When she dies is in a fatal accident, it’s up to Max to decide if she’ll be digitized. Max allows it.
At first Thea seems to be almost the same person as before. She can even play the flute and compose. Legislation is changed so that the stored people can vote. Thea hasn’t been politically active before but now she becomes interested in politics. Did she really choosing to change or was is imposed by the firm?
What makes a human… a human? If your memories are altered, are you still the same person? What if your opinions and worldview can be changed against your will? These are all questions explored in this book.
Max and Thea are very sympathetic characters. They both struggle with loss and grief in a very human way. But they’re also intelligent and curious people. Thea’s parents also struggle with their loss. We also see the people on the other side of the conflict: the people running LiveAfter and their affiliates. However, they are left purposefully vague: most of them don’t even have names.
The focus is on Thea, Max, and their friends.
This is a very thought provoking read, as is usual for Ms. Wyle. Highly recommended.
LiveAfter is a firm that specializes in digitalizing people’s minds. It’s a new concept and technology. So they’re giving incentives for people to sign up and advertising planned benefits even before their programmers make them. Of course, the leaders and investors of the corporation want to make a hefty profit. They’re promising that the digitized people can still interact with their families and friends, and that’s the biggest draw: that death doesn’t separate people anymore.
Thea and Max are a young couple deeply in love. They’re musicians and because they made music for LiveAfter, they got a discount on their digitalization deal. Of course, because they’re young, they don’t think they’ll need it but Thea makes the deal anyway. When she dies is in a fatal accident, it’s up to Max to decide if she’ll be digitized. Max allows it.
At first Thea seems to be almost the same person as before. She can even play the flute and compose. Legislation is changed so that the stored people can vote. Thea hasn’t been politically active before but now she becomes interested in politics. Did she really choosing to change or was is imposed by the firm?
What makes a human… a human? If your memories are altered, are you still the same person? What if your opinions and worldview can be changed against your will? These are all questions explored in this book.
Max and Thea are very sympathetic characters. They both struggle with loss and grief in a very human way. But they’re also intelligent and curious people. Thea’s parents also struggle with their loss. We also see the people on the other side of the conflict: the people running LiveAfter and their affiliates. However, they are left purposefully vague: most of them don’t even have names.
The focus is on Thea, Max, and their friends.
This is a very thought provoking read, as is usual for Ms. Wyle. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2016
This novel is set in the near future, and raises questions about the possibility of digitally storing people after death. Although I found this idea quite interesting and I was very much looking forward to reading this book, I have to admit that I didn't like it very much. In fact, I was just looking forward to the end. It starts too slowly, amd when finally something starts to happen, it is just too much of a legal battle. The story is very detailed, but a lot of times it was too much for me. I would have liked less explaining and more happening if you know what I mean. The protagonists were well described, and there was also some character development.
I gave 3 stars because I admire the amount of research and thoughts that are behind this story. The author is very thorough and talented in my opinion, just too slow for me. I would recommend this book for those interested in future tech and law.
*I have recieved this book in exchange for an honest review*
I gave 3 stars because I admire the amount of research and thoughts that are behind this story. The author is very thorough and talented in my opinion, just too slow for me. I would recommend this book for those interested in future tech and law.
*I have recieved this book in exchange for an honest review*
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March 10, 2018Review to come
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews