Head On: A Novel of the Near Future by John Scalzi: The sport is called Hilketa. It’s brutal, violent, and extremely popular. The goal is to get your opponent’s head- literally- by any means possible. With a normal human body, of course, this would be impossible. But Hilketa is played by those with Haden’s Syndrome, the infection that leaves a person physically paralyzed but mentally alive and alert. Hadens play in their threeps, robotic bodies they control remotely. No one gets hurt, and the games go on. Until a player drops dead, for real, on the field. Agent Chris Shane, himself a Haden, and his partner Leslie Vann are sent by the FBI to investigate.
This is the sequel to Lock In, where we first met Chris and Haden’s Syndrome. It’s a good story, kind of Michael Crichton-ish in tone, with all the intrigue, high stakes secrets, and win-at-all-costs mentality that lies under the surface of this rising sport. Action is decent, even if that’s not the main focus. The dialogue is pure Scalzi- snappy, witty, and profane. It was a good read and I give it a solid 4 stars.
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson: One night, an impenetrable barrier appears around the Earth, blocking the stars and, more importantly, the sun. Outside the barrier, time rushes on. Inside, time slows to the point where one Earth year equals 100 million years outside the barrier. Earth must face the reality that, within a few decades of this time, the sun will expand to the point of destruction and the planet will become uninhabitable. Three friends, children when the barrier first appeared, grow up under the Spin and each takes a different path to reconciling how to deal with the impending doom. Jason, a scientific genius, is determined to solve the mystery and save humanity. Diane falls into religion and becomes part of a Spin cult. And Tyler, who narrates the story, tries to exist between the two.
Another decent read. Not a lot of action as such, but this is a more internal story. It focuses on the personalities and how this new reality affects relationships. There are parallels to climate change issues in our modern world. It looks at mortality, faith, and time, and how humanity might react to a doom that has suddenly become all too real. It gets three stars.
And So On... 