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Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Series: Lock In Series, Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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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.
2 editions. 2 narrators. 1 thrilling story. You can enjoy Amber Benson's narration here.
Critic Reviews
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What listeners say about Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Alexis
- 08-29-14
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!
365 people found this helpful
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- Rick
- 08-07-18
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.
66 people found this helpful
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- Doug Ryner
- 10-17-14
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
78 people found this helpful
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- Jim "The Impatient"
- 08-27-15
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.
103 people found this helpful
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- Kory McKiou
- 07-10-15
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.
63 people found this helpful
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- Dubi
- 07-28-19
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.
5 people found this helpful
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- H James Lucas
- 09-02-14
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.
35 people found this helpful
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- Laura
- 03-01-18
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.
25 people found this helpful
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- CJC
- 11-05-14
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
41 people found this helpful
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- Diane-in-Colorado
- 04-12-17
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.
11 people found this helpful
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- Robyn
- 12-14-17
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.
28 people found this helpful
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- Jasmine
- 04-10-18
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!
9 people found this helpful
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- Andrew
- 06-20-16
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.
8 people found this helpful
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- James
- 05-06-15
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.
6 people found this helpful
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- spencerhudson
- 12-22-15
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
12 people found this helpful
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- Barnaby McArthur
- 01-19-16
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.
9 people found this helpful
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- Redditch Mark
- 12-01-16
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.
25 people found this helpful
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- DL
- 12-13-16
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.
29 people found this helpful
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- ALP
- 04-21-17
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.
7 people found this helpful
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- EGR
- 05-09-17
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.
9 people found this helpful
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- Nienke Lucas
- 03-06-15
What a brilliantly thought out work.
Awesome. Amazing. Loved it! Wil Wheaton is excellent and this is the first John Scalzi work I have come across, but I will definitely be looking for more. So well thought out and executed. A pleasure. Really!
5 people found this helpful
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- David Gilbertson
- 11-05-16
Great plot, average writing
I said, he said, she said, he asked, I exclaimed, she said, I said. There were so many saids. Also, I felt there were too many characters. There must have been a hundred names in this book. And characters sometimes referred to by their first name, sometimes by their last.
Worth finishing for the interesting story, but it wasn't easy.
4 people found this helpful
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- Keith
- 10-27-17
Shorter than advertised
This novel is advertised as 10 hours long. That includes the 2+ hour "novella" that is really just a rather dry reading of Scalzi's research notes.
The less than 8-hour story is okay - but it doesn't have the depth of a 10 hour story, and shouldn't be marketed as such.
Residual disappointment at the deception leaves me marking this book at 3/5.
3 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 05-13-17
..."Said"... is infuriating.
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Sadly Scalzi botched this one...
What could John Scalzi have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
I just couldn't listen to a story finishing every other line with "... said X"
What does Wil Wheaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Wil does a great Job as always
Was Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton) worth the listening time?
couldn't make it through this one...
Any additional comments?
A great duo of narrator and writer.... but the format is just incompatible with an audiobook.
3 people found this helpful
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- Greg
- 12-09-14
A good story
A good story, well read but let down (a little) by the dialogue.
For god's sake some one buy this author a thesaurus - and shame on the editor who let every line of dialogue end with said.
Story, setting and plot were all great and I look forward to reading / listening to more of his work.
10 people found this helpful
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- Andy
- 06-08-17
He said, She said
Didn't get through first hour. every line ended with "i said," she said" etc. frustrating.
5 people found this helpful
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- Soraya
- 11-24-16
Such a different and cool story
It's so original and nothing like I've ever read.
The characters are so colourful and the history of their world almost seems real.
Great narrator also that perfectly captures the characters emotions and conveys them expertly.
1 person found this helpful
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- Chris Burgess
- 08-01-15
Loved the book, it drew me in from the the start
I thought that this is a well executed story.
After reading the introduction, I wasn't able to put it down.
The only thing that bugged me was the over use of 'he said', 'she said', etc. Although it didn't detract from a great story
1 person found this helpful
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- Onyajay
- 04-10-21
Great premise but lacking
As usual Wil Wheaton is amazing and is the reason I was able to listen to this book. I’d tried earlier with the alternate lady reader - couldn’t do it
As everyone else SAID, too much use of the word - said. Wil made it less obvious.
I found the characters too confusing - I’m guessing g not enough physical description so a listener has difficulty picturing the person - as usual s also has a full theatre of characters.
I’ve listened to The Last Emperox trilogy. Wonderful books. I keep trying others but none come up to them.
Can’t recommend this - it’s a great idea , but a slog to listen to.
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- Aussielee
- 12-22-19
Absolute 5 out of 5
I love sci fi and really don’t read the genre as much as I should. I picked up Lock In via Audible on a whim, knowing only a little about the plot but probably tempted by the fact Wil Wheaton was its narrator. I’m so happy I did, I loved this book.
In the near future a virus (eventually called Haden’s Syndrome after America’s First Lady who becomes the most famous victim of the virus) sweeps across the world, killing many with flu like symptoms and causing many others to be ‘locked in’ their bodies. Being locked in means your mind still functions but you cannot move your body. Science’s answer to this becomes the invention of a network which is implanted into the brains of Hadens. With this network, victims can communicate and leave their inert bodies. The two popular choices to become mobile are sharing the body of selected humans (called Integrators) or, more commonly, utilising robot bodies called Threeps.
Our hero, Chris Shane, is a sufferer of Haden’s and, apart from the First Lady, the most well known sufferer. The son of a famous basketball player, Chris became the poster child for the successful introduction of Threeps into society and showing everyone that it was possible for Hadens to live a full and worthwhile life. His celebrity status is kind of fascinating, especially when, in reality, no one but his parents are probably familiar with what he truly looks like.
Now an adult, Chris joins the FBI and, partnered with a tough female agent, Leslie Vann, is assigned to a unit specialising in solving crimes involving Hadens. Vann and Chris have great chemistry. Their wit, especially during interrogations, is great fun. Although Chris cannot really convey facial expressions and Vann is a walking cliche of police procedural leading ladies, both show a surprising amount of depth and both shine during their more poignant scenes. Shane especially with the family members of one of the book’s victims and Vann when she reveals her sad backstory. They're definitely likeable leads.
If you’re not a fan of scifi, I think you could still enjoy the book. It reads more like a mystery/thriller. The major crime plot involves Hadens and Integrators committing crimes, including terrorist acts. As the story progresses there are lots of social and political themes that gets the reader thinking.
I will admit I was kind of confused with the technical babble in the first part of the book but, pretty quickly, you get the idea of what is going on.
If you do think the scifi aspect will get the better of you though, I’d recommend you read Lock In like me, via audible. Wil Wheaton’s narration was excellent. He does nothing here that will harm his iconic status. I’ve immediately started listening to the prequel novella and the sequel (Head On) will be next on my list.
5 out of 5