Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty: A Review by Warren Bull
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Six Wakes was a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula Awards (Science Fiction Awards) in 2018.
Imagine Agatha Christie writing Science Fiction. Six clones wake up in a mixture of blood and bodily fluids. Unlike every other time they have been resurrected, they have no memory of what proceeded their murders. They are the only crew members on a spaceship headed to a new planet. One of them is the murderer. Which one? And why?
Mur Lafferty has taken an old idea into a new setting and environment. In this story cloning has changed the world. While religions argue about what happens to the soul when a person dies, past misuse of the cloning process has led to strict laws about what is permitted and what is not, especially in regard to cloning and in regard to altering the “mind map” integrated into new bodies. It is illegal to clone yourself for any reason except to extend your life. People can live hundreds of years passing from body to body along the way. Suicide is illegal, but assassination is an accepted part of society, if not exactly allowed by law.
The task of the six crew members is to search for the killer and the reason for the killing through the lifespans of each of them. The author explores the question of — what makes a person human? Each member of the crew is a criminal who has taken part in the lengthy journey to earn a new start with a clean record on the new planet. Everyone has secrets and reasons to avoid sharing them.
I enjoyed this very much and recommend it highly.
Compelling and provocative, though I'm not a sci fi fan.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite an amazing set-up for a story, Warren.
ReplyDeleteA great review of an interesting book. Sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI loved Mur Lafferty's Shambling Guide to New York and Ghost Train to New Orleans. They were engaging, inventive, and lots of fun to read. On your recommendation, Warren, I'm downloading Six Wakes. Many thanks!
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