Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ballantine Books (New York, 2004). 1st trade paperback edition, 4th printing. 384 pages. $13.95
Description
Thoughtful, poignant, and unforgettable, The Speed of Dark is a gripping exploration into the world of Lou Arrendale, an autistic man who is offered a chance to try an experimental "cure" for his condition. Now Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that may change the way he views the world--and the very essence of who he is. "Compelling...an important literary achievement and a completely and utterly absorbing reading experience." --Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel "A pwerful portrait...an engaging journey into the dark edges that define the self." --The Seattle Times
User reviews
LibraryThing member Terpsichoreus
Barely Sci-Fi. A watered-down 'Flowers for Algernon'. The writing was alright, and there was some interesting characterization, but the reason it got the Nebula and Clarke awards was its trendy political correctness. Rarely do we get such a concise example of award committees walking hand-in-hand
It feels like Moon stamped on the Sci-Fi elements in order to draw the audience. I hope that isn't true, because that would be a cheap move. This is just modern pop-fiction, an 'emotionally confessional' book with a veneer of 'vaguely near-future'.
Moon took an interesting idea, but completely failed to capitalize on it. Speculative Fiction has always been obsessed with what makes us human, and how much we can change before we become something else entirely. While that is ostensibly the main theme of this book, it goes almost unexplored.
Imagine a book which posited the invention of an immortality serum, but then only showed that people would have more jobs and schooling, instead of exploring the economic and social ramifications of such a remarkable change.
This becomes even more apparent at the climax, which is rushed and inauthentic. The character growth is almost entirely skipped over, and the whole thing takes place over a few short chapters. Compared to the rest of the book, which is an internal, step-by-step presentation of a fairly different mind, and the sudden, convenient, external ending is a poor fit.
The denouement following the climax is particularly tidy, with the emotional progression of the end of an 80's college movie where we learn through super-imposed text that "Barry went on to win the Nobel prize" to the strains of Simple Minds.
The rest of the book was interesting, as it showed the psychological workings of autism. Moon researched this disorder much better than Mark Haddon in his 'Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time'. It also had a part about fencing, except it didn't resemble fencing as much as weird SCA dressup. Not that I have anything against SCA dressup (or do I?).
It's an alright read, goes pretty quick, and it might give you some insight into how brain disorders, but doesn't use this as a way to tie human experiences together; which is really a shame, because a sci-fi book with this topic could have asked some very difficult and profound questions about how the future of technology might change the way we deal with thought, the mind, and the different ways people process information.
Actually, a book did take that theme and tackle those issues, it was called 'Flowers for Algernon' and was written sixty years before Moon's less profound attempt. You'd think we'd have something more to say after sixty years of neurology and psychology, but apparently not.
This book was light and fluffy, especially given its subject matter, and is more likely to make soccer moms feel proud of themselves for reading something so 'different' than actually inspiring anyone to change the way they think about humanity, the mind, or the possibility within us.
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with politics.It feels like Moon stamped on the Sci-Fi elements in order to draw the audience. I hope that isn't true, because that would be a cheap move. This is just modern pop-fiction, an 'emotionally confessional' book with a veneer of 'vaguely near-future'.
Moon took an interesting idea, but completely failed to capitalize on it. Speculative Fiction has always been obsessed with what makes us human, and how much we can change before we become something else entirely. While that is ostensibly the main theme of this book, it goes almost unexplored.
Imagine a book which posited the invention of an immortality serum, but then only showed that people would have more jobs and schooling, instead of exploring the economic and social ramifications of such a remarkable change.
This becomes even more apparent at the climax, which is rushed and inauthentic. The character growth is almost entirely skipped over, and the whole thing takes place over a few short chapters. Compared to the rest of the book, which is an internal, step-by-step presentation of a fairly different mind, and the sudden, convenient, external ending is a poor fit.
The denouement following the climax is particularly tidy, with the emotional progression of the end of an 80's college movie where we learn through super-imposed text that "Barry went on to win the Nobel prize" to the strains of Simple Minds.
The rest of the book was interesting, as it showed the psychological workings of autism. Moon researched this disorder much better than Mark Haddon in his 'Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time'. It also had a part about fencing, except it didn't resemble fencing as much as weird SCA dressup. Not that I have anything against SCA dressup (or do I?).
It's an alright read, goes pretty quick, and it might give you some insight into how brain disorders, but doesn't use this as a way to tie human experiences together; which is really a shame, because a sci-fi book with this topic could have asked some very difficult and profound questions about how the future of technology might change the way we deal with thought, the mind, and the different ways people process information.
Actually, a book did take that theme and tackle those issues, it was called 'Flowers for Algernon' and was written sixty years before Moon's less profound attempt. You'd think we'd have something more to say after sixty years of neurology and psychology, but apparently not.
This book was light and fluffy, especially given its subject matter, and is more likely to make soccer moms feel proud of themselves for reading something so 'different' than actually inspiring anyone to change the way they think about humanity, the mind, or the possibility within us.
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LibraryThing member amanderson
This is a really interesting science fiction novel set about 40-50 years in the future. Shades of Flowers for Algernon, but rather philosophical. Lou, the protagonist, is an highly intelligent autistic man who fences with "normals" as a hobby and works for a tech company doing pattern analysis in a
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unit of well-paid autistic staff. They are the last generation of autistics, as now a cure can be given to autistic babies. Now a new boss threatens the unit, because he doesn't believe they deserve the special work environment, with a gym where they can bounce to chosen music to calm themselves, special allocated parking spaces, etc. He tries to force them to undergo an experimental medical procedure to become "normal", in exchange for keeping their jobs. Will they succeed in fighting back, given how difficult it is for them to communicate with "normals" and advocate for themselves, and is the procedure something they want to try regardless? The details of what it is like to live as an autistic person is very educational, and Lou is a very appealing protagonist. Recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
Most of this book is told from the point of view of Lou, an autistic man in a future where autism has been cured, but he was just too young to get the cure, so he and his cohorts are among the last autistic people alive. Lou is capable of living independently and holding a job, where his role is to
So obviously the book is exploring two big issues: the ethics of medical research, and whether what the neuro-typical world perceives as a disability is actually a bad thing. Unfortunately, the book is pretty heavy-handed about these issues. The manager who wants to force Lou to get the treatment is totally one-dimensional and unbelievable, and his behavior is so unethical that there is no question of what should actually happen here.
Aside from that, the book totally rambles. There is a whole big sub-plot where a man from Lou's fencing club tries to kill Lou. I guess the point of this sub-plot is to explore what "normal" means and who is really the "handicapped" person here, but this storyline doesn't drive the plot forward at all. The pacing of the story is really strange.... the middle goes on for a really long time, and then it feels like the author got tired of writing and wrote an ending really fast.
The one good thing I can say about the book is that Moon does a convincing job of getting inside the head of an autistic person (although since I am not autistic, I can't answer to how authentic or accurate this is). However, even there, sometimes she is inconsistent about what kind of abstract thought Lou is capable of doing, to the point that I sometimes wondered if he was being given the treatment for autism against his knowledge.
So all in all, there are some interesting concepts here, but the execution is pretty clumsy.
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look for patterns - his employer has realized that autistic brains are valuable to their work, and has created an autistic-friendly workplace. However, a new manager on the job doesn't see the value of the autistic employees, and wants to force the autistic employees to receive a minimally-tested treatment to "cure" their autism.So obviously the book is exploring two big issues: the ethics of medical research, and whether what the neuro-typical world perceives as a disability is actually a bad thing. Unfortunately, the book is pretty heavy-handed about these issues. The manager who wants to force Lou to get the treatment is totally one-dimensional and unbelievable, and his behavior is so unethical that there is no question of what should actually happen here.
Aside from that, the book totally rambles. There is a whole big sub-plot where a man from Lou's fencing club tries to kill Lou. I guess the point of this sub-plot is to explore what "normal" means and who is really the "handicapped" person here, but this storyline doesn't drive the plot forward at all. The pacing of the story is really strange.... the middle goes on for a really long time, and then it feels like the author got tired of writing and wrote an ending really fast.
The one good thing I can say about the book is that Moon does a convincing job of getting inside the head of an autistic person (although since I am not autistic, I can't answer to how authentic or accurate this is). However, even there, sometimes she is inconsistent about what kind of abstract thought Lou is capable of doing, to the point that I sometimes wondered if he was being given the treatment for autism against his knowledge.
So all in all, there are some interesting concepts here, but the execution is pretty clumsy.
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LibraryThing member annbury
This is a mind-bending novel. It's the job of fiction to let us in to other people's minds, and reading fiction has taken me on many fascinating mental voyages. "The Speed of Dark" took me on one of the strangest and most gripping. Ms. Moon's hero Lou Arrendale is a very high functioning autist,
"The Speed of Dark" isn't just an adventure into a different kind of mind. It is a novel with a compelling story (and substories) that kept me reading full time until I finished it. I did find the ending troubling in some respects, but I don't think that is a fault in the novel. The choice that Lou faces has upside and downside whichever alternative he chooses. Kind of like life.
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who is given the opportunity to risk an experimental reversal of his condition. Almost all of the novel unfolds from his point of view, which means we share not just what he thinks but the way he thinks. For me, this made the patterns of autistic thinking and perception far clearer and far more vivid than they have ever been before. At the same time, Lou emerges as a lovable and highly individual personality -- as another character says, a good man -- who is many things in addition to autistic."The Speed of Dark" isn't just an adventure into a different kind of mind. It is a novel with a compelling story (and substories) that kept me reading full time until I finished it. I did find the ending troubling in some respects, but I don't think that is a fault in the novel. The choice that Lou faces has upside and downside whichever alternative he chooses. Kind of like life.
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LibraryThing member zeborah
This is the kind of book where you get so immersed in the point of view that, when you emerge from it at the end, you find yourself thinking in shadows of the same patterns. I'm in awe of the prose. The voice is vividly written: incredible amounts of detail are packed into every scene without ever
The ending disappointed me a bit. I could understand it; it made sense for that character; but... Just but. But a great book.
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dragging.The ending disappointed me a bit. I could understand it; it made sense for that character; but... Just but. But a great book.
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LibraryThing member RebeccaAnn
The book follows Lou Arrendale, a thirty-something autistic man who has been offered an experimental cure to his autism. He must decide whether or not he will accept himself as he is, autism and all, or if he would rather go through with the treatment and hopefully become "normal".
I enjoyed the
So why did I only rate this 3.5? I can't really say I agree with the ending. I don't think I can go too much into it without giving it completely away, but I was surprised at the action Lou took and in my opinion, I thought the author was sending the wrong message to her readers.
I enjoyed the
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book for the most part. Lou was a very engaging character and seeing the world through his eyes was a learning experience. At times, I felt like the author wasn't giving us much from the supporting characters, but from what I learned from the book, autistics do not enjoy socializing with people so much (I could be wrong as I have no personal experience with autism). It was sad, seeing as how hanging out with friends is an activity I greatly enjoy, but it worked for Lou and he was happy. So why did I only rate this 3.5? I can't really say I agree with the ending. I don't think I can go too much into it without giving it completely away, but I was surprised at the action Lou took and in my opinion, I thought the author was sending the wrong message to her readers.
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LibraryThing member JudithProctor
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 reading this and things were chiming all the way, especially with regard to sensory overload.
Lou is an autistic. A
He's confused when asked multiple questions; which order is he supposed to answer them in? He's marked down on IQ tests because he sees connections between items that are not the ones most people would choose.
He's falling in love, but doesn't know what the rules are to ask a woman to dinner.
His life is all pattern, routine and repetition.
His life is pushed out of kilter when his new boss decides that he wants the autistics in his office to take a new (and unproven treatment) - and tells them they will lose their jobs if they refuse.
Lou learns a lot about himself while trying to decide whether to take the treatment, and we learn a lot about him.
Towards the end, I suddenly realised why the book is mostly written in the present tense. As we come towards the end, we realise that we do not know who Lou will be by the end of the book. It's unsettling (and deliberately so).
Anyone who has read 'Flowers for Algernon' will understand the feeling exactly.
I won't say how the book ends, but I do recommend reading it.
(The book would have benefited from better proof-reading. My copy had two obvious typos and a point where the wrong tense was used - the tense change was particularly annoying as I assumed at first that the writer was trying to convey a subtle point by having Lou use the past tense when narrating)
Lou is an autistic. A
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high-functioning autistic who was helped by techniques developed while he was young. He's a genius at spotting patterns, whether they be in numeric data or in the moves of a fencing match. However, he has serious difficulty in understanding people. We slowly come to realise that he has been taught to mimic 'normal' behaviour. He knows what many of the rules are - when someone asks how you are, the correct answer is 'OK', but we come to realise that he doesn't know why this is the correct answer.He's confused when asked multiple questions; which order is he supposed to answer them in? He's marked down on IQ tests because he sees connections between items that are not the ones most people would choose.
He's falling in love, but doesn't know what the rules are to ask a woman to dinner.
His life is all pattern, routine and repetition.
His life is pushed out of kilter when his new boss decides that he wants the autistics in his office to take a new (and unproven treatment) - and tells them they will lose their jobs if they refuse.
Lou learns a lot about himself while trying to decide whether to take the treatment, and we learn a lot about him.
Towards the end, I suddenly realised why the book is mostly written in the present tense. As we come towards the end, we realise that we do not know who Lou will be by the end of the book. It's unsettling (and deliberately so).
Anyone who has read 'Flowers for Algernon' will understand the feeling exactly.
I won't say how the book ends, but I do recommend reading it.
(The book would have benefited from better proof-reading. My copy had two obvious typos and a point where the wrong tense was used - the tense change was particularly annoying as I assumed at first that the writer was trying to convey a subtle point by having Lou use the past tense when narrating)
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LibraryThing member faganjc
I enjoyed "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" much more. This one was just okay for me.
LibraryThing member Hegemellman
Lou is in the last generation of autistic people, everyone younger is now cured before birth. His employer wants him to take an experimental treatment to fix him. Somewhere else in there is a little bit of plot, but more than anything, your 340 pages worth of time will be taken up hashing and
I can't gauge how well the experience of being autistic is replicated in the first person narrative, but it was good at showing an inner dialogue that is different from most. The biggest problem with being inside Lou's head is that it is perfect; The author created a person without flaws. Lou's every action and thought is perfectly justifiable and rational within the framework of the story.
The Speed of Dark is well outside of my wheelhouse even though, being a Nebula Award winner, you wouldn't think that it would be. One would be better off approaching the decision to read this as if it had no science fiction or speculative fiction elements at all, as those elements are very minor and in some places don't serve the story well.
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rehasing the theme of autistic versus "normal" (if you've never experienced repetitive thoughts, this book will teach you what it is like).I can't gauge how well the experience of being autistic is replicated in the first person narrative, but it was good at showing an inner dialogue that is different from most. The biggest problem with being inside Lou's head is that it is perfect; The author created a person without flaws. Lou's every action and thought is perfectly justifiable and rational within the framework of the story.
The Speed of Dark is well outside of my wheelhouse even though, being a Nebula Award winner, you wouldn't think that it would be. One would be better off approaching the decision to read this as if it had no science fiction or speculative fiction elements at all, as those elements are very minor and in some places don't serve the story well.
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
When one is experiencing the inner life of our main character Lou Arrendale, part of the last generation of autistic adults in a future where that medical issue has been dealt with, this book feels like a real accomplishment. As for the rest of the novel that this character study is incorporated
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in, well, I found it less than convincing. Whether it works as a rebuttal to the notion of the "other-abled" is another thing entirely, as I can well recall that in the decade before this book came out there was a controversy over whether restoring hearing to those deaf from birth was an assault on the community that the deaf had created for themselves; it seems likely to me with the outcome depicted in this story that Moon rejected that self-ghettoization too. In the end, there is no real option to accepting the challenge of the wider world. Show Less
LibraryThing member sara_k
I stretched this book out as long as I could but I finally couldn't resist reading it through to the end. The Speed of Dark is a novel about autism. Well, it could be called that but it could also be called a story about humanity, what makes each person who s/he is, and what role medical
Lou Arrendale is a successful man with autism. He and his autistic coworkers do specific pattern work what their autism makes them very suited for. Their workplace includes adaptions and compensations that help them to balance their rhythyms. A new manager decides that he can save money and improve output by using a new experimental process to cure the autists.
Lou has a good life outside of work. He has a circle of friends who revolve around fencing, a group of internet aquaintances, and another circle of coworker friends. He is interested in a woman in his fencing group but isn't sure about how to romantically approach her. He knows the restrictions that he has socially and has routines and plans for dealing with them.
The pressure at work to take the cure comes at the same time as someone starts to attack Lou escalating from attacks on his car to attempted murder. Lou finds that he can take control of his life and that he must advocate for himself. He also finds that he has good supportive friends who do not see him as less than human or in need of curing.
Great book.
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intervention and technical advances have in our lives.Lou Arrendale is a successful man with autism. He and his autistic coworkers do specific pattern work what their autism makes them very suited for. Their workplace includes adaptions and compensations that help them to balance their rhythyms. A new manager decides that he can save money and improve output by using a new experimental process to cure the autists.
Lou has a good life outside of work. He has a circle of friends who revolve around fencing, a group of internet aquaintances, and another circle of coworker friends. He is interested in a woman in his fencing group but isn't sure about how to romantically approach her. He knows the restrictions that he has socially and has routines and plans for dealing with them.
The pressure at work to take the cure comes at the same time as someone starts to attack Lou escalating from attacks on his car to attempted murder. Lou finds that he can take control of his life and that he must advocate for himself. He also finds that he has good supportive friends who do not see him as less than human or in need of curing.
Great book.
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
So, I did like the book - the writing was good - the protagonist is an autistic man who works for a high end research company doing pattern analysis. But, something was .. off. And I'm not sure what. As I think about, it might be because it feels like a "techno thriller", with the story moving
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forward for the sake of moving forward. But, I did get some insight into autism, and how people with autism think. Elizabeth Moon did an excellent job into getting into the head of an autistic man. Of course, this book is set in the future, and there are techniques in this universe that help autistic people live a more independent life. So, ultimately, its a product of the type of books written ~10 years ago, but it does have value in today's world. Show Less
LibraryThing member debs4jc
I wish I could find more books just like this one! Through the eyes of the main character, Lou, the reader explores a futuristic world with timeless conflicts. Lou was born with autism, and while advanced therapies have helped him adapt to the "normal" world he still wonders what
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
I think the book is worth buying for those of you who don't have a good enough library. It does start a little slow, in that it seems like it might be about to become a little didactic or moralistic. Then it gets exciting, and more gorgeous. The ending is the only bit that's science-fiction'y and
I've read lots of books, both fiction and memoirs, about autism and related issues (I won't call it a disease) and this is one of the best in a lot of ways. It is also one of the earlier ones, and research is being done aggressively into what autism means and how to address it, so if you're thinking about reading this I recommend you do so soon so you don't have to be confused about the 'accuracy.' Otoh, you might be interested to learn what folks commonly believed, over a decade ago.
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I'm still thinking about it. I've read lots of books, both fiction and memoirs, about autism and related issues (I won't call it a disease) and this is one of the best in a lot of ways. It is also one of the earlier ones, and research is being done aggressively into what autism means and how to address it, so if you're thinking about reading this I recommend you do so soon so you don't have to be confused about the 'accuracy.' Otoh, you might be interested to learn what folks commonly believed, over a decade ago.
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LibraryThing member The_Hibernator
Lou Arrendale is a high-functioning autistic man in a near-future world. When his employer starts to put pressure on him to be one of the first human subjects in a dangerous brain-altering experimental “cure” for autism, he questions what it is to be Lou. Is his autism part of his personality?
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What does it mean to be “normal?” Are the normals even normal? This book is full of deep questions of identity and categorizing of humans. It is also about mistreatment of disabled people by bigots. In fact, I thought the bigotry was a little over-done to the point of not being realistic…but maybe this is Moon’s idea of what the near future will be like. Or maybe I’m naïve. :) This book was very thought-provoking and interesting, though I thought it lacked verisimilitude. And there were three (apparently) independent secondary characters named Bart within a 25 paged interval. Not sure what Moon was trying to say there—maybe she really likes the name Bart. :) Anyway, despite my nit-pickiness, I thought it was quite a good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Celimlodyn
I enjoyed this. The descriptions of life from the point of view of an autistic person seem really well done as far as I can tell; and the reactions of 'normal' people are thought-provoking. I wasn't so pleased by the ending, personally, though there was nothing wrong with it.
LibraryThing member ladycato
I haven't read any of Moon's books before, but I decided to buy this one for personal reasons. The author is on a LiveJournal community with me; we both have autistic sons, hers an adult and mine a toddler. She extended me sympathy and support when I mentioned that I am a writer. I really needed
The Speed of Dark features an autistic man as its protagonist. It is apt to compare it with Flowers for Algernon, but the insight is deeper and more complex. We don't simply follow Lou Arrendale's story. We see into his mind, see how math and patterns figure into the most mundane details of the day. (Again, this is personal for me because my son is two and can count to 200 and knows the names and locations of every state, but he can't drink out a cup or do other simple things we take for granted.) Lou is a fascinating man, living life to the fullest despite his "disability." When his employer applies heavy pressure to Lou and his fellow autistic co-workers to try a new experimental procedure to cure adult autism, Lou faces the difficult decision of being cured or lose a part of his own self and his identity.
This is classified as sci-fi, but the reality is very close to our own. It takes place sometime in the 21st century but that is revealed in subtleties. It feels like a very realistic future, and the questions that Lou faces are timeless and vital to all people, not just autistics. This book will linger in my mind for a very long time.
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that support... some days it's just hard to get by, period, and trying to work on a novel at the same time feels like an impossibility. With a string of bestsellers to her name - including this book, a Nebula Award winner - I have much admiration for her.The Speed of Dark features an autistic man as its protagonist. It is apt to compare it with Flowers for Algernon, but the insight is deeper and more complex. We don't simply follow Lou Arrendale's story. We see into his mind, see how math and patterns figure into the most mundane details of the day. (Again, this is personal for me because my son is two and can count to 200 and knows the names and locations of every state, but he can't drink out a cup or do other simple things we take for granted.) Lou is a fascinating man, living life to the fullest despite his "disability." When his employer applies heavy pressure to Lou and his fellow autistic co-workers to try a new experimental procedure to cure adult autism, Lou faces the difficult decision of being cured or lose a part of his own self and his identity.
This is classified as sci-fi, but the reality is very close to our own. It takes place sometime in the 21st century but that is revealed in subtleties. It feels like a very realistic future, and the questions that Lou faces are timeless and vital to all people, not just autistics. This book will linger in my mind for a very long time.
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LibraryThing member Kamile
I thought this was an elegantly written novel. I enjoyed every twist and turn of it and found it vivid and captivating. Perhaps I just liked the repetitiveness of it because I'm autistic myself. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of autism. However, the author paints a picture of Lou as very
I did not find most characters to be one-dimensional, aside from Mr. Crenshaw, Lou's higher-ranked boss. Although Emmy seemed like a one-dimensional character, too, I can actually imagine someone with a developmental disability acting like that in real life, based on my own encounters with such individuals.
I got only slightly depressed throughout reading the book due to thinking about discrimination, accommodations, and that there are lots of people out there who would simply refuse to make the extra effort. However, the ending came as a complete shock. When Tom was trying to convince Lou that there is nothing wrong with him and when he came to visit Lou after the treatment, I burst out crying. And afterward, I couldn't stop thinking. Considering that the majority of the autistic employees of the company did take the treatment in the book, would this pattern be the same if something like this happened in reality? What is it exactly that made Lou want to take the treatment? I didn't quite understand his reason for it. While I think there is really no right or wrong path for him to take, I wanted to know what happened to his ability to do the work that he did and to be able to fence the way he did. I'm not quite sure what other people would think once they finish the book - would it reinforce their disposition toward a cure, or would it make them realize that neither remaining autistic or becoming more "normal" is the right answer? The only thing that is very worrisome about something like this happening in real life, where children are treated from birth and then adults are treated, is that for those who have chosen to stay autistic, it would be much more difficult to make their way in the world. So, in a way, they might end up being forced to take the treatment as well by their life condition alone, which, to me, is unethical.
In sum, this book, especially ending the way it did, definitely gives a lot to think about, with some quite depressing thoughts.
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repressed individual in terms of the expression of his autistic traits. He is also quite knowledgeable about social interactions and is very intellectually advanced. In fact, all of the autistic characters in the book seem very verbally fluent. This gives something to think about, as I sometimes wonder whether those on the spectrum who speak very little, despite being perfectly capable of doing so, hold themselves back out of a fear caused by the confusion of non-autistic social interactions, which are laden with implied nuances. I did not find most characters to be one-dimensional, aside from Mr. Crenshaw, Lou's higher-ranked boss. Although Emmy seemed like a one-dimensional character, too, I can actually imagine someone with a developmental disability acting like that in real life, based on my own encounters with such individuals.
I got only slightly depressed throughout reading the book due to thinking about discrimination, accommodations, and that there are lots of people out there who would simply refuse to make the extra effort. However, the ending came as a complete shock. When Tom was trying to convince Lou that there is nothing wrong with him and when he came to visit Lou after the treatment, I burst out crying. And afterward, I couldn't stop thinking. Considering that the majority of the autistic employees of the company did take the treatment in the book, would this pattern be the same if something like this happened in reality? What is it exactly that made Lou want to take the treatment? I didn't quite understand his reason for it. While I think there is really no right or wrong path for him to take, I wanted to know what happened to his ability to do the work that he did and to be able to fence the way he did. I'm not quite sure what other people would think once they finish the book - would it reinforce their disposition toward a cure, or would it make them realize that neither remaining autistic or becoming more "normal" is the right answer? The only thing that is very worrisome about something like this happening in real life, where children are treated from birth and then adults are treated, is that for those who have chosen to stay autistic, it would be much more difficult to make their way in the world. So, in a way, they might end up being forced to take the treatment as well by their life condition alone, which, to me, is unethical.
In sum, this book, especially ending the way it did, definitely gives a lot to think about, with some quite depressing thoughts.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
Wow, this book was compelling, suspenseful, funny, sad and as a bonus, it was well-written.
The inside of an autistic man's head is where the majority of the book takes place, and it seems to me to be a very realistic portrayal. I loved looking at the world through Lou's eyes. A fair bit felt
Set in a recognizable near-future, this novel gives one a lot to think about and question. I loved this line: "Correctly identifying danger is not paranoia."
The inside of an autistic man's head is where the majority of the book takes place, and it seems to me to be a very realistic portrayal. I loved looking at the world through Lou's eyes. A fair bit felt
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familiar, including Lou's love of shiny glittering things that move. His experience of music made me ache with the desire to be able to hear what he heard.Set in a recognizable near-future, this novel gives one a lot to think about and question. I loved this line: "Correctly identifying danger is not paranoia."
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LibraryThing member nilchance
Fantastic book, recommended reading for anyone connected to a person on the autism spectrum, and especially for those on the spectrum themselves. A vivid illustration of life with those who can't adapt to your needs, and the social model of disability. HOwever, I was disappointed by the ending.
LibraryThing member ScoLgo
A solid read for me. Moon imagines a near-future where autism has been cured but there is a percentage of people that were born slightly too early to receive the genetic fix. The final autistic generation, if you will. A small group of them work at process analysis and pattern-recognition for a
When Lou is speaking or contemplating, the story fires on all cylinders. I haven't decided yet if the lack of development of the supporting cast is perhaps an intentional attempt to show how those other characters are perceived via Lou's autistic viewpoint. If so, that only adds to the brilliance of the novel. If not, (and the more I ponder, the less I think it's fully intentional), there is not enough of it to detract very much from Lou's story. And this is Lou's story. From beginning to end, a more compelling protagonist is difficult to come by. The 'voice' that Moon employs as Lou describes his daily routines and how he perceives what people say and do is nearly pitch-perfect. There is gem after gem relating how an autistic person might view terms and speech that us 'normals' take for granted. But then, as the autistics mention once or twice, "Normal is a dryer setting".
Highly recommended.
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large corporate conglomerate. The bulk of the narrative is told in first-person via Lou Arrendale, one of the autistic employees of the company.When Lou is speaking or contemplating, the story fires on all cylinders. I haven't decided yet if the lack of development of the supporting cast is perhaps an intentional attempt to show how those other characters are perceived via Lou's autistic viewpoint. If so, that only adds to the brilliance of the novel. If not, (and the more I ponder, the less I think it's fully intentional), there is not enough of it to detract very much from Lou's story. And this is Lou's story. From beginning to end, a more compelling protagonist is difficult to come by. The 'voice' that Moon employs as Lou describes his daily routines and how he perceives what people say and do is nearly pitch-perfect. There is gem after gem relating how an autistic person might view terms and speech that us 'normals' take for granted. But then, as the autistics mention once or twice, "Normal is a dryer setting".
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Landwaster
I've been a fan of Elizabeth Moon's fantasy and science fiction adventure novels for years. This is a serious departure from what I've come to expect for her - in a very positive way. This book moved me deeply, and three years later I still think about it often.
LibraryThing member autismsociety
If I had not been what I am, what would I have been?" wonders Lou Arrendale, the autistic hero of Moon's compelling exploration of the concept of "normalcy" and what might happen when medical science attains the knowledge to "cure" adult autism. Arrendale narrates most of this book in a poignant
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earnestness that verges on the philosophical and showcases Moon's gift for characterization. The occasional third-person interjections from supporting characters are almost intrusive, although they supply needed data regarding subplots. At 35, Arrendale is a bioinformatics specialist who has a gift for pattern analysis and an ability to function well in both "normal" and "autistic" worlds. When the pharmaceutical company he works for recommends that all the autistic employees on staff undergo an experimental procedure that will basically alter their brains, his neatly ordered world shatters. All his life he has been taught "act normal, and you will be normal enough"-something that has enabled him to survive, but as he struggles to decide what to do, the violent behavior of a "normal friend" puts him in danger and rocks his faith in the normal world. He struggles to decide whether the treatment will help or destroy his sense of self. Is autism a disease or just another way of being? He is haunted by the "speed of dark" as he proceeds with his mesmerizing quest for self-"Not knowing arrives before knowing; the future arrives before the present. From this moment, past and future are the same in different directions, but I am going that way and not this way.... When I get there, the speed of light and the speed of dark will be the same." His decision will touch even the most jaded "normal." Show Less
LibraryThing member jmyers24
Compelling look inside the mind of someone coping with autism.
LibraryThing member susanadewey
A group of high functioning, autistic savants are coerced by their employer to undergo an experimental treatment to 'cure' them of their autism. Elizabeth Moon explores varyng reactions by the 'autists' and the 'normals' around them to this act of coercion. And to the larger question of whether
It is not a 'lyrical read' as the author speaks primarily from the point of view of Lou Arrendale, the main character. But this literary tool is well executed to provide the reader with incredible insight into Lou's perceptions, realities, and struggles. My own son has special needs. Moon's inner portrayal of how autism may look and feel led me to a renewed pledge to judge outward behaviors less swiftly and harshly.
This is also a coming of age story. As the story progresses, Lou takes on a broader world view and he realizes the ability to be the architect of his life. In this and many other ways Lou is very much like each of us. Or maybe I should say that we are very much like Lou. I
I read this book to fulfill a book club's science fiction slot. Some members are 'anti-scifi' so I was looking for a light read with broad appeal that would stimulate discussion. I found what I sought and more.
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their autism is something that in fact needs curing.It is not a 'lyrical read' as the author speaks primarily from the point of view of Lou Arrendale, the main character. But this literary tool is well executed to provide the reader with incredible insight into Lou's perceptions, realities, and struggles. My own son has special needs. Moon's inner portrayal of how autism may look and feel led me to a renewed pledge to judge outward behaviors less swiftly and harshly.
This is also a coming of age story. As the story progresses, Lou takes on a broader world view and he realizes the ability to be the architect of his life. In this and many other ways Lou is very much like each of us. Or maybe I should say that we are very much like Lou. I
I read this book to fulfill a book club's science fiction slot. Some members are 'anti-scifi' so I was looking for a light read with broad appeal that would stimulate discussion. I found what I sought and more.
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Subjects
Awards
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 2003)
Arthur C. Clarke Award (Shortlist — 2003)
Locus Recommended Reading (2003)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2002-11
Physical description
384 p.; 5.54 inches
ISBN
0345447549 / 9780345447548