SFF

Dealbreaker

Tor. (The Bounceback, Bk. 2). Jan. 2021. 512p. ISBN 9781250165299. $27.99. SF
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Following Gamechanger, this book will appeal to those who loved the quirky characters, fast-paced action, and, best of all, Star Trek references of the first book. Humans are extremely resistant to dealing with crises, whether they be climate change, famine, or offworlder threats to Earth’s sovereignty. AIs have gone on strike, there is a shortage of food and resources, and the only recourse the government can offer its people is unlimited bandwidth and the ability to upload their memories and personalities into consciousness vaults where they can reload themselves into printed bodies of their own choosing. In the midst of the final collapse of Earth’s economy and alien takeover of the government, a handful of humans are doing their best to keep their ship and their lives intact.
VERDICT While the future technology is fascinating and the premise of the novel is intriguing, the author has chosen to make the characters almost mechanical to the point of being artificial in nature and speech and, possibly, unappealing to their target audience. However, the first novel was well received and, for those sf junkies who enjoy everything technological, this will be a welcome return to Beckett’s world.
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