Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

AudioFile Best Voices - Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Audio Theater, 2014

A blazingly inventive near-future thriller from the best-selling, Hugo Award-winning John Scalzi.

Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever, and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.

A quarter of a century later, in a world shaped by what's now known as "Haden's syndrome", rookie FBI agent Chris Shane is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann. The two of them are assigned what appears to be a Haden-related murder at the Watergate Hotel, with a suspect who is an "integrator" - someone who can let the locked in borrow their bodies for a time. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden client, then naming the suspect for the murder becomes that much more complicated.

But "complicated" doesn't begin to describe it. As Shane and Vann began to unravel the threads of the murder, it becomes clear that the real mystery - and the real crime - is bigger than anyone could have imagined.

BONUS AUDIO: Audible's audio edition of Lock In contains the bonus novella, Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome, written by John Scalzi and narrated by a full cast.

"I love working with Audible, in no small part because they’re committed to doing what’s right, both for my books, and the people who listen to those books. There's a really excellent reason for Lock In to have two entirely different versions, so when it came time to make the audiobook, Audible did an ingenious thing: they asked both Wil Wheaton and Amber Benson to record entire versions of the book. As the author, I’m impressed with Audible’s commitment to my narrative - and I’m geeking out that both Wil and Amber are reading my book. This is fantastic." (John Scalzi)

2 editions. 2 narrators. 1 thrilling story. You can enjoy Amber Benson's narration here.

©2014 John Scalzi (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Hugo-winner Scalzi successfully shifts away from space opera with this smart, thoughtful near-future thriller resonant with the themes of freedom, ethics, and corporate greed….This powerful novel will intrigue and entertain both fans and newcomers." ( Publishers Weekly)

"The novel--which contains plenty of action, great character development, vivid and believable worldbuilding and a thought-provoking examination of disability culture and politics--is definitely worth the ride." ( Kirkus)

"Another brilliant novel from a writer who has quickly become one of the genre’s most successful and intriguing practitioners." ( Booklist)

"With narrator Wil Wheaton attacking Scalzi's text with both vigor and nuance, this story tells about a silent minority being given voice, then having that voice threatened.... Thanks to Wheaton's skillful efforts, this production is an enjoyable melding of narrator and material." ( AudioFile)

Fun! Things you might want to know:

1. The story is a crime solving procedural in a sci-fi setting, and both sides of that are very well done! If you don’t care for either of those genres this probably isn’t for you. If you like one more than the other and the plot sounds interesting then I’d say give it a go. Just don't go in expecting a dystopia or a panicked medical thriller.

2. Confused about the two narrator options? There’s nothing in one version you might miss by choosing the other, so listen to the samples and go with your favorite. They really are two readings of the same book! Yes, there’s something a bit clever behind having different narrator options, but I'll let you discover what it is on your own. Both narrators do a fantastic job, so really you can’t go wrong.

3. There’s an attached novella at the end, a faux nonfiction-style account of the beginnings of Haden’s Syndrome. It originally came out as an optional prequel so you can choose to read it first or last. If you want to jump to it first, it’s 2 h 15 min into the second download on the Wil Wheaton version, 2:58:30 on the second download of Amber Benson’s. The novella’s many narrators were a great touch but overall I found the novella too scattered to add much. I had no problem jumping into the main story without reading it first, and I'm glad I didn't bother.

As for my personal impressions? Fun book! Not too dark, not too fluffy, good pacing, likeable characters and interesting concepts -- I can see a lot of people enjoying this one. I don’t normally seek out procedurals, but the quick pace and sci-fi quirkiness kept things fresh. The Scalzi fans are going to be happy! I’m beginning to recognize Scalzi’s humorous touches and short and sweet closes. When I got to the end I wanted to talk to someone about the story, so I guess I’m going to have to start recommending this so I can! (I’d also love to know who catches the extra little bit of social commentary without being told first…. Yet another reason I need to go push this book on people!) There’s room in the world building for more stories in this setting. I don’t really expect one, but if there ever is a sequel I’d definitely buy it!

I said, She said, Dad said............

This book has a very interesting story and concept but god did the author read a single page of his own book. You do not make it more than 20 seconds straight throughout the whole book without hearing I said, dad said, van said, she said and so on. It is so irritating. Never has a book bothered me this much by pounding the same line over and over again (I said lol) I had to stop listening multiple times. I only write a bad review if the author gets lazy or just writes a bad book but like I said the story is rather interesting but the level the author writes at, knocks this book down on the overall score.

Did I listen to the same book as everyone else!?

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I was SO bored!!! When I read the summary I could not wait for this book to come out .I was so excited. After listening...I was serisouly let down. The story was mostly backstory. There was a tiny amount of action, an even smaller amount of mystery and little character development. It was just a basic cop book, in a fascinating setting. I think the main reason I disliked this book was because there was SO MUCH potential to be an amazing book. I cared nothing for any of the characters, and that is rare for me.

What was most disappointing about John Scalzi’s story?

The book was mostly boring backstory, and little ittle character development.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I really enjoyed the narrator, he was one of the best I have listened to. Also, the book was set in a very amazing world

I NEVER SAY IMPOSSIBLE

SHE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO DIE A NORMAL DEATH
One reviewer said this was not Science Fiction/Fantasy. I can mention one item that makes this an unbelievable fantasy. In the story, the Jets are in the Super Bowl. That would not happen in real life. For me this had a slow start, as the introduction was nothing, but an info dump. Wheaton reads it like it is a disclaimer. It was so boring that I did not remember any of it. the story picked up big time in the third chapter and stayed strong till the end. I am not a huge police procedural type of guy and that is a big part of the story. On the other hand, a group of people who live in virtual worlds and/or live in robots, makes for an interesting story for me. Few could do it better then Scalzi, although I wanted to hear more about how they handled sex. It is a big part of most people lives, so it needed to be dealt with more then what JS did. l liked the characters and there was good character development.

YOU'RE A TRON FAN
The last two hours and 15 minutes is a related novella called Unlocked. It was two hours of interviews, which is not my favorite way to listen to a story. It started slow, but I found myself loving it by the end. I believe instead of it being a separate story, he should have used an interview between each chapter or each part as an interlude.

Narrator
I waited a long time to get this with Wil Wheaton, the other narrator got put on sale twice before Wheaton did. Wheaton is the best at snarky, smart mouth, funny books. This did not have so much of that. He was good, but not great.

couldn't make it 30 minutes...

Wil's reading was fine, and i couldn't make it far enough to comment on the story... but i had to stop twenty minutes into the book.

The conversational dialogue is just unbearable. Expect to hear "He/she/(name) said" every 3-8 seconds. I mean that very literally. There is no variety in designating the speaker, and very little reliance on conversational context.

Perhaps it gets better later on... but, for me, it was too much. I can't bring myself to struggle through that jarring annoyance for the remaining 9.5 hours when i have so many other books to listen though.

Consistent Greatness Locked In With Scalzi-Wheaton

Some things fade with time. Not John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton. Not thus far. Lock In is their fifth audiobook collaboration, all of which I've listened to, and it is at least as good as any that have come before, possibly even the best of the bunch (close call with Android's Dream and Redshirts).

The difference this time is that unlike its predecessors, Lock In is not meant to be humorous. True, neither Scalzi nor Wheaton can help themselves, so the main character, Chris Shane, and Shane's co-investigators do get typically smarmy and sarcastic as they discuss matters among themselves and especially when interrogating people. That tone, modulated expertly to suit specific situations, only elevates the overall experience.

But this one is meant to be serious. In the near future, a flu-like virus has killed off hundreds of millions of people, left millions more physically paralyzed (though still mentally cognitive), and spawned huge new industries in giving lock-Ins (as the paralyzed are called) the ability to interface with the world, including an android-like mechanism allowing them to circulate in the world (called a threep due to its resemblance to the Star Wars android C3P0).

Chris Shane is a lock-in with a state of the art threep who has just joined the FBI in a unit that specializes in investigating crimes involving lock-ins. He is immediately thrown into a murder case that has wide-ranging ramifications. He and his partner (who is not a lock-in) and his roommate (who is also a lock-in and a technological genius) slowly peel away the layers and expose everything that is going on, all in classic Scalzi style.

The disease and its consequences -- social, political, economic -- give Scalzi a lot of leeway to comment on contemporary issues, with metaphors aplenty at the ready. But these are no more than glancing blows that just add depth to the novel. They do not, indeed cannot, ever overtake the story, which moves forward at breakneck pace, fueled by the momentum Wil Wheaton never fails to deliver as my favorite all-time narrator.

Intriguing premise wasted on average cop story

As with past works by Mr Scalzi, Lock In is a light and entertaining story that doesn't quite do justice to its compelling underpinnings. In this case, Mr Scalzi has fashioned a world in which 1% of the population are physically paralyzed and escape their bodies by directing their awareness and cognitive function into alternate frameworks. Some choose a non-spatial internet; some choose synthetic android bodies; a few choose bodies of "Integrators"—healthy humans who lease-out their bodies on an hourly basis. Unfortunately Mr Scalzi treats the first category merely as a MacGuffin and thereby severely limits the novel's potential as a work of true speculative fiction. Instead the reader is treated to a standard-issue cop story with a pleasant veneer. Lock In is told competently but without the liveliness that elevated some of his past novels. Mr Scalzi proved to be deft at writing dialogue for lawyers in Fuzzy Nation and fast-talking agents in Agent to the Stars, but his ear for dialogue has failed him here: the cop-talk is stale and predictable. A more adventurous book could have survived such weaknesses, but Lock In is timid in its scope and never quite recovers from its failings.

The narrator's sex is never known, so the option of listening to a male or female performer makes some sense. I alternated between Ms Benson's and Mr Wheaton's performances, and for whatever reason, the narrator became female in my mind, so perhaps Ms Benson's voice was the more significant for me. Mr Wheaton, on the other hand, is the brisker of the two and thereby imparts some extra energy into the story. All things being equal, I would recommend his performance.

Irritating

When a writer can't be more imaginative than "...,he said." and "...,she said." over and over again it is highly irritating. I returned the book.

I said, he said

What did you like best about Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)? What did you like least?

Fun story

Would you recommend Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton) to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend they read it as it would be easier to ignore all of the I said, he said, she said...
Wil Wheaton did a great job with the narration though.

Was Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton) worth the listening time?

yes

Well, it was different! But I enjoyed it.

I love Wil Wheaton. "Ready Player One" is my all-time favorite novel to listen to. That's how I happened upon this book.

I found it pretty complicated at first, maybe because I don't normally do science fiction. First you have to understand the basics of the "Lock In" condition, and all its associated terminology and implications, which I found far-fetched but intriguing. After that, you realize the book is a detective mystery intertwined with this condition. So make sure you have that first chapter down pat before you proceed!

I think the author could write many more novels based on the Lock In premise.

For what it's worth, I also downloaded John Scalzi's "Android's Dream" and found it so offensive and ridiculous that I gave up. It's hard to believe "Android's Dream" and "Lock In" were written by the same person.

Engaging - not what I expected

I chose this book based on the generally consistent positive reviews about the author.
I was not disappointed. Not sure it was entirely what I was expecting, but I definitely enjoyed it.

I have long been fascinated (and slightly terrified) by the concept of locked-in syndrome. The story painted here is not so fantastically impossible - which is probably why it didn't seem like heavy science-fiction to me. Very easy listening indeed.

Clever plot, well-designed, and with a very satisfying documentary-style epilogue tacked on the end which gave the whole thing so much more colour.

Narration is good.

Couldn't listen past the 1st chapter.

I was very disappointed in this book. Not only did I not understand what was going on, the amount of times "He said" was said really annoyed me. I felt as though the narrator was rushing those two words each time as it was written so much!

Another great Scalzi book

It should have been longer, and the conclusion was a little too neatly wrapped up, but that's not to detract from another good Scalzi story. Excellent narration from Wil Wheaton, and the inclusion of the novella "Unlocked" (benefitting from an ensemble cast of narrators) rounds out the story.

Brilliant but wish it was longer

The book itself is relatively short but there is a bonus to make it even more worth buying. I really enjoyed the story and it poses a lot of interesting questions.
I got this as a result of listening to Ready Player One and while I didn't enjoy it quite as much it was a brilliant follow on. I particularly liked the authors break of the 4th wall.

Future Shock - a very potential future

A science fiction of the close future and a very believable story. It wouldn't take much imagination to see this happening, it might already be happening now! I would encourage you to read and reflect on our current environment AIDS, H1N1, Ebola ... We will have a pandemic and this is one possible explanation

Fantastic world - Great story

I have loved all the books Will Wheaton has narrated and this was no exception.
A slightly different tone for this books and more emphasis on the story rather than pulling out the individual voices of the characters, which I did find quite odd as the book is so dialogue heavy. In the beginning I did struggle to differentiate each character but once I got used to it you can hear the slight difference in each Character.

John Scalzi has created an amazing world for this story. He also doesn't treat you like a baby and lay the complexite of the world on a plate for you, your often left figuring things out your self or having to wait patiently till its explained. Some great twists and turns and I was left with my mouth open a few times. Although it didn't climax to what I expected it to, everything was throughly well wrapped up though.

Thougherly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all, and the small novel at the end of the book added such detail to the world.

Impossible to listen to...

What would have made Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton) better?

If he didn't say 'said' every 5th word

What could John Scalzi have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Considered his use of language. Not read the book (had hoped to listen to it), but does every other line really have to be punctuated with the words 'he said' , 'she said' ? It's just awful to try and listen to.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I couldn't get past the first three chapters.

Any additional comments?

Save your money.

Shorter than advertised

Plot is basic but entertaining enough and Wil Wheaton does a great job of bringing the characters to life.

I was rather enjoying it until with 2 hours to go the book finished with the last 2 hours being some appendix being read by random people. Ultimately left me feeling rather short changed for the length of book vs cost.

Not what I was expecting...

...but it was great! I went in blind and was treated to a sci-fi buddy cop movie. Look forward to the next book.

Starts well…

Interesting and original concept. It starts off well enough, but from about a third of the way in, it begins to deteriorate, after which it's pretty much all down hill to an extraordinarily boring last 50 or so minutes.