Piziks, Steven
IN THE COMPANY OF MIND
Steven Piziks
BAEN 1998
Pb 339 pages
ISBN#
0-671-57776-X
Wow! Do you like stories that focus on
characterization? This one delivers. Also, if you've read any of
Steven Harper's stories and liked his style, you'll be pleased to
know that Steven Harper and Steven Piziks are one and the same
(changing author names is a game the book marketing people love to
play).
Set in future London and outer space, the
"company" in this story is Michael's Company Security Analysis,
headed by Johnathan Lance Michael Blackstone II, called John by his
father, Lance by his mother, and Jaylance by one of the many
personas living inside his mind. The whole Company resides in
Lance's mind, for he has multiple personality disorder, a phenomenon
brought about by . . . well, you'll just have to read the book to
see. Lance's complicated characteristics and amazing adaptations
are an awesome read.
Even though this book doesn't have as much plot
as the Harper stories do, IN THE COMPANY OF MIND does have enough
intriguing character-driven action in high tension to keep the pages
turning. Someone is chasing Lance and we don't know why. My only
complaint about this book is that the chapters bounce back and forth
between the now-time chase and the "then" time explanation that
unfolds how things got this way--a stylistic ploy that I'm not fond
of that creates mystery and tension. But the great characterization
offsets this stylish device, and besides, Lance's use of nanobot
technology is pretty cool!
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