February 26, 2009

• “The Speed of Dark”, a book review

  An utterly fascinating look inside the mind of an autistic person. “The Speed of Dark” by Elizabeth Moon, is set in the near future. Lou Arrendale, the book’s protagonist, is an autistic man nearing 40. He was born in an era where early intervention methods made it possible for him to live a near normal life, while not actually “curing” his autism. He is one of the last of his “kind”, as those just slightly younger than he were given a treatment in-utero to “fix” the genetic abnormality identified as the cause of autism. Lou struggles with the idea of being “not normal” in a world of “normals’. He is near genius in his intelligence, but significantly impaired in his ability to interact socially. When the pharmaceutical company he works for develops an experimental treatment designed to re-wire his brain through a combination of genetic engineering and nanotechnology, with the potential to elimate his autism, he and his fellow autistic co-workers find themselves wondering who and what they will become if they agree to submit themselves as volunteer subjects for the procedure. Will it change the very essence of who they are?

  The story raises many moral, philosophical, and ethical questions about how society views not only autistic people, but anyone who is considered “different”, for whatever reason. At the core of many of these issues is the question: if we truly love and accept people for who they are, why is it necessary for them to change, especially if they are also happy with who they are?

  Lou is a very likeable character. He reacts to his environment in interesting ways. I especially enjoyed the way he was able to internalize music (classical) to adapt to his moods or to regulate them when he felt himself becoming anxious. His special ability in pattern recognition is a common trait among autistic people, but I was intrigued by the descriptions of the many ways he uses pattern recognition to help him cope with the world and his interactions with it. He is endlessly fascinated by the idea of darkness and whether or not it has a speed (light has a speed, why not dark?) “The Speed of Dark” becomes a metaphor for other things – discrimination, ignorance, death – basically anything unknown or misunderstood. Lou prefers his environment to be ordered, predictable, routine – known – but through the course of the book he encounters situations that he cannot control, things that challenge his rhythms and routines and force him to change in order to adapt and understand. He learns that change is inevitable, and that we must make the choice to accept or resist the change, even if the result is unknown.

  Most of the story is told from Lou’s point of view, but occasionally the perspective changes to that of another character. I did not find this to be at all difficult to follow. I liked being inside Lou’s mind the best, but the occasional shift of perspective helped with the overall flow and development of the story line.

  I would put this book near the top of the list of books I have read in the past year. I would highly reccommend it for readers who enjoy character-driven vs. plot-driven stories. It is not action and adventure, but more an exploration of culture and ethics. This book won the 2004 Nebula Award for best novel.  The Nebula Award is given annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.  The author, Elizabeth Moon, is better known as a science fiction writer, and the story is set in the near future where science and society have made some significant advances, but this is not your typical sci-fi story, so even those who usually don’t care for science fiction could enjoy reading “The Speed of Dark”. My only complaint with the book is that I was not 100% satisfied with the ending. Because the story and Lou’s character were developed in such detail, I found the ending too abrupt. I was so invested in Lou Arrendale I wanted more details, and they simply weren’t there. On the other hand, it does have a great ”last line”, one of the best of any of the books I have read lately.  However, you will have to read the book yourself if you want to find out what it is!

  • 1:06 pm
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