Six Wakes

Mur Lafferty

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Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty is a science fiction murder mystery set in space where cloning technology is used for potential immortality. The story follows six clones who wake up on a spaceship to find all crew members murdered and must unravel the mystery of their own deaths while dealing with the ethical implications of cloning. The plot unfolds with a mix of psychological drama, suspense, and time-travel elements, creating a gripping narrative that explores themes of identity, humanity, and morality. The writing style varies from engaging and well-constructed to occasionally repetitive, but overall, the book presents a clever and thought-provoking examination of the consequences of technological advancements in a futuristic society.

Characters:

The characters are a diverse group of clones, each with rich and complex backstories, grappling with personal flaws and a shared history of crime, which adds layers of distrust and tension.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging, characterized by clear prose and a relatively fast-paced narrative that effectively utilizes flashbacks to enhance character depth, although some dialogue and characterizations may feel uneven.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a closed room murder mystery set on a starship crewed by clones who must uncover the circumstances of their murder while grappling with loss of memory and deep-seated mistrust among themselves.

Setting:

The setting takes place on a starship en route to colonization, emphasizing the isolation and technological intricacies of a future society grappling with ethical dilemmas surrounding cloning.

Pacing:

The pacing is mostly brisk, facilitating an engaging narrative; however, certain sections slow down to accommodate backstory reveals, which may impact the overall tension.

Sound struggled to make its way through the thick synth-amneo fluid. Once it reached Maria Arena’s ears, it sounded like a chain saw: loud, insistent, and unending. She couldn’t make out the words, bu...

Notes:

The story is set on a spaceship crewed by six clones, who wake up to find their previous bodies murdered.

The clones have lost 25 years of memories, including how they were murdered.

The novel explores complex themes like cloning, identity, and personal ethics.

It features a locked room murder mystery format, as the crew must discover who among them is the killer.

The narrative utilizes multiple points of view to build character depth and suspense.

Mur Lafferty delves into societal implications of cloning technology, questioning the rights of clones and their status in society.

The AI controlling the ship is also non-functional, leading to additional challenges for the crew.

The book raises philosophical questions about what it means to be human, given the ability to clone and erase memories.

The mystery unfolds through character backstories that intertwine with the current plot to create an intricate puzzle.

The writing style alternates between present action and flashbacks, revealing character histories over time.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include violence, death, and themes related to cloning and identity, which might be distressing for some readers.

From The Publisher:

In this Hugo nominated science fiction thriller by Mur Lafferty, a crew of clones awakens aboard a space ship to find they're being hunted-and any one of them could be the killer.

Maria Arena awakens in a cloning vat streaked with drying blood. She has no memory of how she died. This is new; before, when she had awakened as a new clone, her first memory was of how she died.

Maria's vat is one of seven, each one holding the clone of a crew member of the starship Dormire, each clone waiting for its previous incarnation to die so it can awaken. And Maria isn't the only one to die recently. . .

Unlock the bold new science fiction thriller that Corey Doctorow calls Mur's "breakout book".

Ratings (16)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (7)
Liked It (4)
It Was OK (3)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (42):

Read It (17)
Want To Read (21)
Not Interested (4)

1 comment(s)

Barada0

Did Not Like

2 months

I tried—I really tried. The dialog was so bad and artificial that I will not be able to finish it, even though I wonder who did it.

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