The Speed of Dark

By: Elizabeth Moon

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal.

Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use "please" and "thank you" and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself.But then his quiet life comes under attack.

It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music - with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world - shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a "normal"?

There are intense pressures coming from the world around him - including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou...

©2002 Elizabeth Moon (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

Nebula Award, Best Novel, 2003

• Favorite Audiobooks of 2010 (Fantasy Literature)

first time review

Would you listen to The Speed of Dark again? Why?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Speed of Dark?

as soon as I heard the narrators voice. In comparison to other voices I have had to endure, especially in the Pall. series of E. Moon

Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

not as yet but I will be searching for more of his work. tone, tempo, character interpretation - Magnificent

Best book I've read in maybe 40 years

Would you listen to The Speed of Dark again? Why?

Yes. This book takes you inside the mind of an autistic man in the not-to-distant future. The character, science and situations place you in a constant state of "what's happening next?", "how is he going to react?", "What's really going on?" - while at the same time drawing you into the "autistic state", making you look internally to your foibles, thinking and inclinations. Awesome job for a single book!

What did you like best about this story?

The solid first-person way of thinking, analyzing and reacting. The performance by Jay Snyder was exceptional. This is the first book in a long time that created a character so realistic that the only way I can imagine this being successful is in book form - no movie, just in-depth characterization.

Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I will...

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

definitely, but did not have the opportunity.

Any additional comments?

I don't know how Elizabeth Moon could even "think" the way this character comes across. Makes me want to do research into autism and neurology, Fantastic job!

Wow

I don't have the words to express how incredible this book was. From start to finish, this is a story you want to read.

Incredible

The inside story of an autistic person. All the details and little quirks explained, it was amazing to listen to.

Wonder

I have been reading Elizabeth Moon for many years and have loved her ability to tell a tale, develop characters and stimulate interesting questions that we face today. This book did not disappoint! The exploration in this story is both satisfying and provocative, opening many questions about possibilities and the complexities of the issues surrounding autism and in many ways the entire notion of "disability" and the way our culture views it.

It was worth every moment!

Wonderful book, odd choice for narrator.

It was throwing me off having a narrator who sounds like he’s in his 50s read the role of a young autistic man. They really should’ve had an autistic person read this book. I just can’t understand why they wouldn’t hire a young man with autism to do the reading.

A lot to like

There was a lot to like about this book. I felt it was original having been written in the 1st person with a protagonist who is autistic. My understanding is that the author has personal experience with a family member who is autistic and we can probably rely on its authenticity. Thinking and speaking from the perspective of one who is autistic was for me sometimes painful. I wanted to give up on the book at times. But I could not, which must say something for the book in itself.

From the aforementioned perspective, the book is quite simple. And this is not meant in any kind of derogatory sense in that respect. If most of us were more simple not only in how we view and feel about the world but also in how we relate about those things to others, there might be fewer misunderstandings among us. I think that the strongest aspect of the book is its ability to really get inside the head of the protagonist and help us to feel what he must have been feeling especially in his frustration with "normal" people. And truly, he was much more normal if not more ideal than many of us who do not carry the label of autistic.

I believe that the book deserved a better plot. The plot seemed almost too trivial given the nature of the subject material. The ending was not what I expected and it seemed too short. Further, I have to think that in the end, I would not have chosen for myself what the protagonist chose for himself. Perhaps the book was deeper than I thought and I might have missed something. But I don't think so.

I'd liked to have given the book a 3.5 stars rating but since I could not, and because for me it was quite original, I gave it 4 overall.

Pleasantly surprised!

I read sci-fi and fantasy almost exclusively. This book is really neither. It is a very in depth look into a fictional world of an autistic man and to a lesser degree his autistic co-workers. And to my astonishment, I loved it!

I am impressed with Moon's ability to convey the complexities and nuances of an autistic point of view. I work in IT for a behavioral health company that has an Autism department, I understood nothing of what Autism was. Now I am still greatly ignorant about Autism, but I have an appreciation for the condition and an idea of what it is that I do not know. The light of knowing is replacing the dark of not knowing, the dark was faster.

The story really engaged me. As others have noted it could have been edited a bit more, but would the autistic veiwpoint have lost some of it's power and focus? I think it would have. My real complaint is that the story ended to quickly. Let me explain that, the beginning and middle were full of rich detail and viewpoints while the end was terribly rushed in comparison. Had the whole story moved at the speed of the ending then the pattern would have been balanced and symetrical, Lou would not have approved of this imbalance to the pattern. I really related to Lou's relationship with Marjorie (or is it Margery?), I could understand his side of it and I also tried to nudge him in the right direction, but of course the story followed its course no matter how much I willed it to alter it's path. Even though I felt the ending lacked the depth and detail of the rest of the story, I felt the story and message were strong enough to get 5 stars (I really wanted to award 4.5 but had to round up for this great story). I'd love to see a set of short stories to fill in some of the of viewpoints and/or to flesh out the ending (and perhaps extend the ending to fill the gap between the end of this book and the epilogue).

I was blown away with the philosophical idea that there was a "speed of dark". You will have to decide for yourself if dark has a speed. I'm not sure, but now I know that I do not know, which is better than not knowing what it is that I do not know. This made me think, is there a speed of silence?

I am different, if even in a small way, for having listened to this wonderful story.

A Tale of Neurodiversity

Want to know what it's like to have Asperger's? Elizabeth Moon shows a real understanding of the world from the eyes of the Neurodiverse. The story's solid, but not a nail-biter/page turner. While described as a science fiction, the story is about people, not tech. As someone who's worked with many individuals "on the spectrum," I believe this is a must read!

Tedious

Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The reader was competent, keeping my interest in what would have otherwise been a tiresome read.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

If nothing else, this brings home the varied tastes of audible listeners. I thought the characters were two dimensional, without any depth or warmth. The protagonist's life, far from being a glimpse into a different type of mind, was tedious. I found myself not caring what happened to him. Generally, the motivation for character behavior was unclear and the storyline (especially that pertaining to forced medical treatment of employees) unbelievable. I like the idea but believe a short story might have been a better vehicle.

I can generally muddle through any production but I kept wanting to quit this one. But for the reader, I would have.