Scalzi, John ; Lock In (Lock In #1) ; Informal Buddy Read ; Start Date 1 Dec 2014

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

What is a Buddy Read?

This is an "Informal Buddy Read"
An “Informal Buddy Read” doesn’t have a discussion leader and participants are asked to consider some generic questions when making comments about the book. An example is here.

Book synopsis
A novel of our near future, from one of the most popular authors in modern SF

Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.

One per cent doesn't seem like a lot. But in the United States, that's 1.7 million people “locked in”...including the President's wife and daughter.

Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.

This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse....

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

reserved

[Erin]

Yay!

[Kristie]

I won't have time to start this one on Dec 1st, but I might jump in later. I look forward to seeing what everyone thinks of it.

[Snowtulip]

Can't wait to start this one!

[Becca]

I'm excited for this one! I just started it :)

[Becca]

hey all! I started reading this over the holiday break, and I'm about 45% through right now!

Chapter 12 - (view spoiler)[Really enjoying this so far! This is very different from any other book I've read before. Really loving diving into this world and thinking about how it would be as a Haden, laying in bed but sending your mind out with another body. So interesting.

One thing I wonder about though.. I understand that there is confidentiality between a Haden and their Integrators, but I feel like they should at LEAST have to say WHO they are hosting for if questioned by the law. It just seems like such a loophole in their legal system. If an actual person is at the crime scene, they can't just hide who they are, so I feel that Hadens who are using an Integrator should have to at least divulge who they are. Or the Integrator confidentiality shouldn't go far enough to keep that info from the police.

Also wondering how the heck people found out that the Locked In people still had full functionality of their brain, aside from moving their bodies? Maybe it's as simple as seeing that there was brain activity, but I'm not sure how they went from that to investing millions of dollars on developing new technology and infrastructure to support the Hadens. I see that there is a novella that might explain all this. But it's interesting to think about :)

I am paying close attention to all the clues of the mystery, but I have no ideas how this will play out yet. Really enjoying the ride, and am really pumped that this is a series! I want more of this world already! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Snowtulip]

Go Becca!

I plan to start on the drive to work tomorrow morning :)

[Karsyn]

Fantastic freakin' book ya'll!! I read it right after it came out, and LOVED it so much. Top 5 for me for the year. Too bad it came out so recently, I'd re-read it and talk it over with ya'll!

[Karsyn]

Becca wrote: "hey all! I started reading this over the holiday break, and I'm about 45% through right now!
"


Maybe I can talk about this some, even though it's been a while since I read it. Saw what you were wondering about in your spoiler Becca, and just wanted to add my own spoiler about that ~

(view spoiler)[
If you are wondering about your question ~ Also wondering how the heck people found out that the Locked In people still had full functionality of their brain, aside from moving their bodies? ~ You are right in what you said. Yes, it does tell you how it happened in the novella and it's pretty neat. There was (to not give too much away) a test subject and it was pretty neat to hear that person talk about it. Definitely worth a read of the novella to get the background info. I didn't read it until after I read the book and it explained a lot.
(hide spoiler)]

[Erin]

just digured out where "threeps" came from.
C3PO

[Becca]

Ahhhhhh! I've been trying really hard to think of where Threeps came from. I think he stretched that reference a little too far ;)

[Becca]

Karsyn - (view spoiler)[That is awesome! I'm really interested in reading that then (hide spoiler)]

[Karsyn]

Becca wrote: "Karsyn - [spoilers removed]"

It's definitely worth the time to read, plus (slight spoiler) (view spoiler)[He also reveals how/why the Threep name came to be, with that reference. (hide spoiler)]

[Becca]

finished! I loved it! I really loved the world building, and imagining how I would feel in the various scenarios that were in the book
(view spoiler)[
I meant to write more as I read, but then I would forget by the time I got to the computer! Some things I remember:

I felt so bad for the Navajo guy (blanking on his name, and hopefully I was right on the Navajo!), when they were reading his note. He seems like such a good person, and I felt so awful that he was put through something so traumatic. All he wanted to do was make some money for his family. So sad.

It was really interesting to hear about Vann's past and why she is the way she is. I love those little bits of character development.

I loved that 2 of Chris's roommates ended up being part of the Scooby Crew XD That's just too fun.

I didn't find the story predictable which I had seen on one of the GR reviews. Though I did expect some sort of twist since they figured out who did it at about 75%. Normally that is too early, so I was expecting to find that someone else was actually behind it all. (hide spoiler)]


Super excited that the audible version of Lock In actually included Unlocked (the novella) after it! So I ended up listening to that too. It explained so many of the questions I had on how Hadens would work out logistically. This world is so interesting :)

[Snowtulip]

I just finished ch.9, so far I'm enjoying how he creates this world.

Listening to the audio, didn't realize there are 2 diff. narrators I could have chooses from, but am enjoying the Wil Wheaton version :)

[Becca]

Snowtulip - I was pretty happy with Wil Wheaton's narration, but I was thinking I might try out the Amber Benson version next time, if they do the same thing :)

[Karsyn]

I listened as well, as I love listening to Wil. He's not the best narrator, since he really doesn't do accents or change how he talks for different characters, but he's fun to listen to.

I'm super curious if everyone noticed something about the book, but I don't want anyone seeing my spoiler and clicking on it. It's something that's neat to not know until after (at least I thought). Anyone notice anything that stood out about the book?

[Becca]

hmm, I don't know if I picked up on what you're hinting at :) Maybe just put SPOILERS FOR FULL BOOK - spoiler tag start - blah blah blah

Hopefully people would see the caps and know not to click :D

[Snowtulip]

I'm loving Shane's smart ass approach to life :)

[Erin]

I am going to read the Unlocked novella one of these days.

Whole book spoilers:
(view spoiler)[
As a disabled person, I found that a lot of this book hit really close to home for me. Having funding cut for your care, dealing with abuse and prejudices, having to build your own community and find your place in the world, and still have it challenged... Yeah. So the book as a whole was really hard for me to read, but also really awesome. Because Scalzi did a lot of things right. He didn't make Haden's too closely relateable to anything real world, though he has stated that the deaf community was used as his basis. He didn't make the sick people into victims, but he made the reader see them as people.

I was disappointed with the whodunnit of it all. I did find it a little predictable, except that with the names feeling similar I couldn't pinpoint on who exactly it was who did things by name, but I knew from very early on it was likely to be the dude from Accelerant.

The motives for the killings, the corporate sabotage, etc is also something that ill and disabled people today have to deal with. The whole "keep them sick, so they will have to keep buying care products" combined with the fact that in the read world, there is no real regulating factor for things like medication. So a month's supply of various medications can vary in price from company to company by hundreds of dollars. (hide spoiler)]

Still whole book spoilers, but I think this is more related to what Karsyn was getting at!
(view spoiler)[
The main character for the course of the whole book is not gendered. I think this is really great. I think it is doubly great now that I know there is a choice of narrator! I personally found I gendered Chris as male, but once I realized I was doing it and I didn't have to, I tried to recombobulate my thinking to gender Chris as a female. It was interesting seeing the contrast between the two, but I also felt like it took away from Chris' character development. How does Chris feel about things? I think it also sheds light that for me, gender is a big part of knowing a character. Male, female, fluid, queer, trans, the whole spectrum... But I think the lack of any sort of discerning factor for me was a detriment to the writing.

On the same note, in a world where the person is in a construct at all times, is gender really important? For me, I would say yes. If it was me using a threep, I would want it to be a threep that is visually female, because a big part of my personal identity is being a female. I love being a woman. On the other hand, there are so many other things to consider... but that is getting political and I don't want to go there :D (hide spoiler)]

Bottom line, I loved the book.

So, if you were a Haden, would you want a cure, or would you be content to live with being in a threep, etc? Do you think you could ever use or be an Integrator?

[Snowtulip]

Just finished!

Erin (view spoiler)[ gender was one of the more interesting components of the story, it really impacted me when the lawyer was at dinner in a female threep and the men having husbands. I appreciated how gender was such a non issue, is is how it is in this world. I identified Chris as male, because of the audio narration primarily, but it sure would have been interesting to do what you did by looking at Chris from a female viewpoint.

Great perspective regarding real life disabilities and the story. (hide spoiler)]

Personally, I think I would want a cure, but with options for others to continue using a threep...keeping choice alive. I just would like to be in my own body and all the highs and lows associated with that.

No way I could be an integrator, just the thought of someone else being able to manipulate my body...nope. I would like to give the answer that I would love to help people in anyway I could even by lending my body, but in reality I think it would be very difficult.

[Karsyn]

Yup, Erin is right, about what I was hinting about!! :)


WHOLE BOOK SPOILER!!

(view spoiler)[
We don't know Chris' gender, which I TOTALLY did not catch and did not know until I read an article that Scalzi did on it. He did it on purpose, and is why there is 2 narrators for the book, one male and one female. I also listened to Wil, so I did identify Chris as male, but when/if I decide to reread it, I'll definitely listen to Amber's version, see if that changes my point of view.
(hide spoiler)]

As to answer your question, Erin, I'd want a cure, provided I could get back to a full lifestyle. If I couldn't, I'd be content as a threep, there's a ton you could do, be stronger and such. Plus, I love the virtual reality stuff, so I could see myself quite content living life as a threep.

[Renee]

This finally came in at my library (I think they bought it for me). I've only read the first couple of chapters so far, but I'm enjoying it.

Thanks Erin, I hadn't worked out where Threeps had come from. Becca I agree, that was a bit of a stretch.