The Modular Man

The Next Wave

by Roger MacBride Allen w/ and Essay By Isaac Asimov, Isaac Asimov (contributor)

The Modular Man by Roger MacBride Allen.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

306 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising depth in its discussion of the psychological, philosophical, ethical and legal ramifications of cybernetics, bionics and artificial life extension through partial and complete body replacement.

[Alla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite SF books. I read it ages ago but it is fresh in my memory. The title is "The Modular Man" but the main character is a woman. The book is about disabled people who are enabled by technology by different means.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, the issues it explores are soon to be relevant to us all and some of the solutions will be worth discussing when we get there. However, I am appalled at the writers continued and pervasive assumption that disabled people are (or should be) ashamed to go out in public. That going out in a power chair is somehow harmful to their health. That going out in a chair makes them 'less than' other people. Suzanne, the main character, might have had some of that feeling because she is newly disabled in the story, but the sentiment goes deeper than that. The other characters think about how shameful it must be for her. Other characters who have artificial parts are ashamed to say so in 'polite' society.
I'm not disabled myself, but I know many people who are and none of them are ashamed of that, nor should they be. They are too busy living their own lives. Shame on the author for spreading such a harmful assumption.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading this in 97 for a graduate class in literary theory. Basically, I wrote a paper proposal to apply Lacanian theory to the work. It worked out pretty well, and I went on to present the paper at a conference. The book has an interesting plot to it: the protagonist, a cyberneticist, who suffers from a terrible disease, transfers his consciousness to a robot. The robot is then charged with murdering the human (i.e. murdering himself, so to speak). I was looking at the aspects of developing consciousness for my paper. However, academics aside, it is a very interesting book with a pretty good story. The trial itself is interesting too. Worth a look.

[Foxtower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this simple premise about cybernetics much more than I thought I would as the plot continued to build to a great climax while Allen kept me turning the pages!

[Jeff Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun I Robot novel by Isaac!

[Terry Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very intriguing book, far fetched, maybe, maybe not. Has a pretty good story, makes you wonder what is in store for mankind in the future.