Paperback, 320 pages
English language
Published Jan. 1, 2023 by Griffin.
Mickey hat einen einfachen Job. Er hilft einer Expeditionscrew, den Eisplaneten Niflheim zu kolonisieren, und dabei übernimmt er alle gefährlichen Aufgaben. Wenn er draufgeht, ist das kein Problem, denn dann wird einfach der nächste Klon von Mickey generiert und macht da weiter, wo sein Vorgänger aufgehört hat. Aber irgendwann fasst Mickey Nr. 7 einen unerhörten Entschluss: Er will nicht sterben. Aber wie überlebt man als Wegwerfklon auf einer tödlichen Mission?
The idea of a “ship of Theseus” disposable human is engaging, but the book doesn’t do it justice. It’s a short read, not without its entertaining moments, but I don’t think I’ll be curious enough to read what’s bound to come next.
Sarcastic worker on a colony assignment deals with jobs that can literally kill you.
I liked the character and the situations. This is set far in the future - they are part of a diaspora of humans leaving the cradle to ensure the survival of the species - but exactly how far is left unsaid. A lot of magic technology has to be accepted here, including rapid cloning, memory and personality transfer, direct communication between persons, etc.
The premise described on the book jacket happens in the first chapter, so no spoilers there. The back story of earlier Mickeys and the reactions of crewmembers feels like slowish building, but most of that is actually important in the resolution chapters. The book resolves quite nicely, but the publisher is apparently releasing a sequel in 2023 . Not sure how I feel about this, but I will no-doubt read it.
If someone is completely disassembled, and then perfectly reassembled with all (or most) of the same memories, are they the same person?
Mickey7 isn't the first book to try these sorts of questions, but it does handle them in an entertaining and very accesible manner. I would have liked a bit more depth but for what it is, this book is an enjoyable thriller with several nods to some interesting concepts.
