Scalzi Reads Scalzi: Lock In
People often ask me if I read my dad’s books. The truth is, I never really have before. Despite his numerous novels and several short stories, there is very little by him that I have actually read. I would like to change that, and I’d also like to review them honestly. So here we are.
I have just finished Lock In, and I thought you all might be interested in hearing my thoughts on it. Don’t worry, they’re completely unbiased opinions! Jokes aside, I do plan on being completely honest about what I think, even if I have negative criticisms. Pobody’s nerfect!
Before we dive in, here is your OFFICIAL SPOILER WARNING.
If you haven’t read it, Lock In is a sci-fi mystery novel set in a world much like ours. There’s a pandemic that infects billions of people, and a small percentage of these people experience “lock in,” a condition where the person is no longer able to control their voluntary nervous system, and they’re basically stuck in their own body. This leads to new technology being invented, such as robot bodies for the people who are locked in to connect to, and use as their own body, more or less. There’s murder, there’s intrigue, there’s a revolution, you get the picture! Now that you know the gist, let’s talk about it.
I don’t often read science fiction. And it’s probably even less likely that I read mystery. Surely, combining the two was a great idea for someone like me.
Actually, turns out it was a great idea. To keep it short, Lock In was an inventive, genre-bending, exciting, unique story that kept me turning the page.
I never think I’m a fan of mystery until it’s done well, and then I remember that I do in fact really enjoy a good mystery. Not because I like trying to figure things out. I don’t like figuring out puzzles or putting things together myself. I like the reveal, the surprise, the moment of comprehension when it is finally all laid out before you.
I enjoy being surprised, so I don’t typically try too hard to figure things out when it comes to mysteries. That being said, I don’t think I could have figured out what the heck was going on in Lock In even if I wanted to. At no point did I know what was going to happen next, or how it was going to turn out. I didn’t find it predictable, though as someone who doesn’t read that many mysteries maybe it’s just a lack of recognizing formulas. I will say, however, that once Chris, our protagonist, was sure that Hubbard was behind it all, I was also (mostly) sure of it. But the real question was how? How did he do it? And the answer was truly fascinating.
I really loved the world building of Lock In. The technology of this near-future pandemic-ridden world was not only interesting, but also believable. The idea that the government would stop funding a project so critical and important to millions of disabled people is extremely (and unfortunately) realistic. And the idea of companies profiting off these marginalized groups is even more so.
I liked the idea that some Hadens (the people who are locked in) prefer using threeps (the robot bodies), while some like to use an Integrator (a real human body for them to pilot like a fleshy mecha). The idea that some people want to feel real human experiences, like eating, while some prefer to abandon the necessary functions that come with a human body, like going to the bathroom, is a realistic portrayal of the diversity of people. Even going so far as to include people who don’t want another body at all, and prefer to live completely digitally with no presence in the physical world other than their biological body holding their brain.
Continuing with the world building, I thought the details of the Haden community were well done. There are things that are considered rude or impolite when interacting with other Hadens, Hadens have a specific word for non-Hadens, Hadens have preferred terms for non-Hadens to call them, it’s all very interesting stuff that really adds to the immersion and realism of this world.
I found the Integrators to be the most interesting aspect of the world, and liked that they’re so few and far between that multiple Hadens have to use the same handful of them, even going into the realm of long-term contracts. I liked the idea that some people, like Chris’s partner and ex-Integrator, Vann, simply do not want other people inside their head or body at all. It’s completely valid for someone who could be an Integrator to not want to be one.
Moving on, I found the pace of Lock In to be pretty good. As I mentioned earlier, it was a real page-turner, and not hard at all to get through. There weren’t really any parts that stuck out to me as particularly slow, perhaps some lapses in action but I think that’s necessary. Despite all the exposition, I never felt like there was too much of an info dump at one time, or that the dialogue was being used poorly to disguise the exposition.
That being said, I did think that there were a lot of names to keep straight in this story. There’s a lot of players on the field, and I’m not the best with names. It’s not a huge issue or anything, I mean a mystery will always have a lot of moving parts and characters to remember, but I did struggle a bit if we’re being honest.
I liked that the story took place over the course of a few days. I think containing a story to a short frame of time is a great way to go about it, especially when it involves a time-sensitive FBI case.
One thing you may or may not know about Lock In (or more specifically the main character), is that Chris is never gendered throughout the entirety of the novel. This leaves readers to decide, whether consciously or subconsciously, what gender Chris is. For me, Chris is a boy. For my mom, Chris is a girl. It really is a fifty-fifty chance which is true, I suppose. But the more I read the more I realized it didn’t matter.
I think having robot bodies, or using opposite-gender Integrators, would vastly alter the way that we as a society view gender entirely. I wonder about things like threep customizations to have specific “gendered features” like curves or muscles or breasts. The exploration of gender and the external presentation of one’s identity is certainly an interesting aspect of this world to consider. I enjoyed Chris not being gendered, it was unique, especially for the time it was written (2014).
The thing I liked most of all, though, was the reveal that Johnny Sani, the murder victim that started the whole FBI case and entire plot of the book, actually committed suicide. He died by his own hand. A sacrifice made so the bad guys would get caught. In fact, the only reason the bad guys got caught was because of Johnny’s incredible bravery and sacrifice. Way to go, Johnny. You did good, kid.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Lock In. I thought it was a well-written, wildly creative, fun, thought-provoking, and thrilling mystery sci-fi that worked amazingly.
I am so happy I liked it! Part of me was afraid I wouldn’t. Not that I ever doubted my father, of course.
Have you read Lock In? What were your thoughts? Which book should I read next? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/02/06/scalzi-reads-scalzi-lock-in/
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