Lock In
2.0 Stars
1-1-2015

A somewhat sub-par Scalzi novel that focuses on tech and robots that directly interface with the brain. The book is set in the near future, but the basic plotline/tech conceit is recycled from his _Old Man's War_ series. If you've read those books, you pretty much know where _Lock In_ is going from page ~50. It doesn't help that Scalzi writing about neuroscience is like a doddering Senator talking about the internet. The science and brain modeling are atrocious; by comparison _Nexus_ looks like a work of genius. The basic writing, dialog, action, and mystery plotting are passable if you haven't read his other books.

More generally, this book combined with a talk by Scalzi have convinced me that Scalzi just isn't a very good author. It would be one thing if he were trying and failing, but the impression I get is that he is just churning out hack work to cash in as quickly as possible. I like for my authors to care a little bit, just a little bit, about the quality of their writing and thinking.