Mickey7

by Edward Ashton

Digital Audio

English language

Published Feb. 15, 2022 by Macmillan Audio.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-83961-9
OCLC Number:: 1296956947
Goodreads:: 60490541

(5 reviews)

Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.

Mickey Barnes is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

On a routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, his fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties, and there can only be one Expendable. If Mickey7 reports his survival to Command, one of them is going into the recycler. If he doesn’t and they’re caught, they both are.

Meanwhile, …

Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.

Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

That is, if he can just keep from dying for good.

5 editions

Phil in SF reviewed Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (Mickey7, #1)

Much fun

4 stars

Mickey Barnes has the job of "expendable." He's sent into hazardous jobs with a high risk of dying, which he often does. Then his body is cloned and his brain is restored from a recent backup, and he's sent out to do something else dangerous. In order to put some tension in the story, Ashton has made it so having more than one multiple alive at the same time is illegal. In the backstory, it's because of a rich multiple who murdered an entire planet and used the biomass to create copies of himself. Oh, also the head of the colony thinks multiples are an abomination because clones have no soul.

That's what he's up against. What he's got going for him is one clone is left for dead but doesn't die. He and his next version (Mickey8) get to put their heads together to save the colony on a …

That's what he's up against. What he's got going for him is one clone is left for dead but doesn't die. He and his next version (Mickey8) get to put their heads together to save the colony on a harsh planet and figure out how to keep the rest of the colony from knowing about them.

There's a bunch of little things that just don't quite mesh together super nicely, but the characters and plot are much fun.

joachim@lire.boitam.eu reviewed Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Interesting concept

3 stars

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.

Thom reviewed Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Review of 'Mickey7' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

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.

Paul reviewed Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Review of 'Mickey7' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

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.

Kalle Kniivilä

rated it

Jan. 31, 2022