Speed Of Dark: A Novel
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First Sentence
QUESTIONS, ALWAYS QUESTIONS. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
QUESTIONS, ALWAYS QUESTIONS. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Lou is autistic. He, and a group of other autistics, work for a company, finding "patterns" in scientific formular. In return, they receive various perks, to make their life easier. But this is about to change: a new manager has decided that the Lou and his colleagues are too expensive, and wishes to force them to be guinea pigs of an experimental treatment to make them "normal".
But Lou doesn't wish to be normal - he has a job, a flat, a hobby, and is content with his life.
Elizabeth Moon is known for her fantasy and space opera work, loosely based on her experiences in the army. This novel marks her entry into a new genre - near-future thrillers. And what an entry - it's easiest her best work to date, and had me reading until the small hours.
Finding comparisons for this book are difficult - the best I can come up with are "The Business" by Iain Banks, and the film adaptation "Minority Report". It is a book that I intend to recommend to non-science-fiction fans, and has prompted me to write this, my first amazon review.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
1st of all I would like to join other reviewers in my confusion regarding the back cover, this is as much a Thriller as Lord of the Rings is a travel guide or Harry Potter is a love story. This is a book about an Autistic man trying to live his life in a near future setting where a "cure" for autism becomes available to him and how that impacts on his life.
I would also hesitate to compare this to 1984 or Handmaiden's Tale as whilst there is a side message regarding potential future horror its hardly a big part of this book and is actually dealt with reason and care by the authority figures in this book.
I am not autistic myself so can't judge directly on that, however I am disabled (not obviously) and quite severely dyslexic (which was picked up at school) and felt that the author really touched that alienated feeling that I have endured at different times in my life regarding my different problems and the difficulty's I had explaining my problems to "normals" and making them realise what my problems are and what I need to cope with them.
Lou the main character in the book is a real work of art (which would confuse him) I was able to feel for him and against him. I wanted to take him and shake him at various parts of the book to make him do things. All of the supporting cast are equally well written and just as sympathetic.
The plot in this book isn't really that important as its only used as a tool to develope Lou, and show us how he is changing. Yet it is still handled with a fair touch of flair and talent, it never feels forced and kept me happily turning pages one after another.
I only really have one complaint about this book (apart from the idiotic publisher and the summary they put on the cover) and that is the final few chapters of this book happen in a blur and then the book ends.... I could quite happily have read another 400 pages about Lou and his journey between the last chapter and the epilogue.
Whilst I don't class this book with 1984 and Handmaidens tale as "eye openners" I do think think this book should be mandatory reading, especaily for anyone who wants to be a teacher or work with young / vunerable people as this really does make you empathise with someone who is very different to "normal" people.
I have put "normal" in brackets a couple of times as to me Lou seemed to be a completely normal person who I would happily call a friend.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
For me, this marked a real change in Moon's writing. Not just in the obvious realm of subject matter - 'Speed of Dark' deals with issues far closer to home and 'reality' than either the Paksenarrion or Serrano series' - but also in the style and maturity of writing. Her phrasing and expression seem to me to be growing in power and clarity all the time.
As a story, this was excellent, with a highly likeable main character, a well-paced plot and a cast of thoroughly three-dimensional supporting characters.
I can't comment on the accuracy of the portrayal of autism, but to a non-expert it came across as realistic, well-researched and very compassionate. The issues the story raises regarding definition of self, medical experimentation and the right to be treated as a valid individual were interesting and carefully handled. My one quibble was with the ending; it was just a touch too 'happily ever after' for my taste (although, logically, with the plot structured as it is there probably wasn't another option). All in all, an excellent read - highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
SF and Autism
Elizabeth Moon's novel takes place in the near future, at a time when a cure for autism becomes available. In this sense it is science fiction. Read more
Published 1 month ago by acewindsor
A beautiful story
As a parent of three children with varying degrees of autism I found this book so insightful.
The main character, Lou, is a man with high functioning autism who manages... Read more
The main character, Lou, is a man with high functioning autism who manages... Read more
Published 13 months ago by R. Morse
terrible book
Let me just say that this could have been a really good novel. It started out well, and the idea of telling the story from the viewpoint of an autistic person was well written. Read more
Published 13 months ago by bazzawazzachazza
Decidely average
After reading the rave reviews for this book I thought I'd give it a punt, boy was I disappointed! So disappointed in fact that I felt compelled to write a review - not something I... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. Russell D. Grier
A new Favourite
This is one of the first books that i've read in a long time, that had my mind coming back to it for a few weeks after finishing it. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Z. Goldie
A work of the heart
What an amazing book. I think it gives us Neurotypicals an insight in to the world of Autistics. We must allow E Moon some licence in her writing as she uses Lou's voice to give... Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2009 by JJ
A compelling, if slightly disturbing read
This is an extremely well-written, but slightly disconcerting book. The writer's research shows - by coincidence, I'd read an article in New Scientist on autism only a week before... Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2008 by Mrs. J. Proctor
A little gem - lovely!
I haven't read any of Elizabeth moon's work before, but picked this up because of the sci-fi tag on the back cover blurb. Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2008 by SongBird
Insightful and well done
Forgive me if I review this more for people who already know the author for her Sci-fi work: This is a totally contemporary novel of rare thoughtfulness. Read more
Published on 22 April 2007 by C. Richards
Know what you're buying!
First of all, I have to say for accuracy of description this book gets zero stars. Yes, I did say zero.
I was expecting a sci-fi thriller - which is what is says on the jacket. Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2005 by Shivari
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