The Terminal Experiment

By: Robert J. Sawyer

Narrated by: Paul Hecht

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

An experiment has gone terribly wrong. Dr. Peter Hobson has created three electronic simulations of his own personality. One will test life after death; another, immortality. The third one is the control unit. But now all three have escaped from Hobson's computer into the worldwide electronic matrix. And one of them is a killer.

Robert Sawyer has won many awards for his science fiction, which is praised for its blend of high-tech mystery and suspenseful pacing.

©1995 Robert J. Sawyer (P)2003 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1995

A SciFi Dectective Story

It's hard to believe a story of only software programming, when on TV you can enjoy stories of the posi-tronic brain inside DATA on Star Trek-TNG, or holligrams of special rooms allowing whatever your imagination can think of, so you could create stories a person can go into and be a part of that particular story created. All the laws of Issac Asimov are in place so nothing can go wrong? But, in the end something happen and it still does!

So where in time are the pioneers of AI in software RD (Research and Development) to make the future happen as in Star Trek or other SciFi similar to a perfect so called future? It's ironic even in the future these well made products can still (by accident?) can kill you!

To me, this is the story of the pioneers. The people who meant well, but did not think of the little things in life that are dismissed. In the end the mistakes created only caused greater destruction. In the end, it's those mistakes that cause learning to occur. But, this time the price of the mistakes learned - were too high?

As in any SciFi plot it's the mistakes we the reader wish to hear or read about and even though death did occurred it was not enough to create a judge and jury. Nobody goes to prison and the book seems to end too soon? Since I'm not a vilent kind of person, I'm extremely satisfied that the book ended this way so I could let my mind fill in the gaps.

It's a pretty good book for me. So enjoy your healthy lives and "KAPULACH"! It's always a good day to DIE!

Are your moral choices bound?

Part (not inconceivably far in the future) sci-fi, part murder mystery.. with a sprinkling of morality (and what ifs...)

Most summaries you will come across talk about the character's striving to "capture/reproduce" a soul - and the choices (or rather inevitable paths) that distinguishes life and the afterlife.

I see this as a study of morals... what would you do if you were "you" but immortal or incorporeal. How would this change your relationship with others.. the world.. your morals and self beliefs?

Peter Hobson (main character) wants to study life after death so creates copies of his own personality (captured with advanced sensor and stored on a computer):
- one is a control,
- one simulates immortality and
- one simulates incorporeality

Unfortunately, they "escape" and one of these "souls" starts to murder people in Peter's life. All clues start to point to Peter..

We follow Peter's quest to track down the killer and are introduced to what we may wish to do, but are bound by our imposed morals, ties to our corporeal self and fear of mortality .

Would you actually kill someone if you could not be caught.. if you were immortal.. had no physical body..

I have to recommend this - it was one the books that brought me back to sci-fi and I originally bought to read. I could not put it down and finished it in a weekend - am excited that it is back as an audible book.

It is one of the few books I am happy to come back to again and again - and the other is Ends Game (by Orson Scott Card)

NOTE: this was originally a serial in ANALOG magazine under the title "Hobson's Choice".

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Please see review from David, from Glenview, IL; he's said it very well. Only thing to add: I hesitated about this listen because, judging from some of the publisher's comments, etc, I feared the religious overtones might be strong, obnoxious, and pro "intelligent design." I was very wrong! This book is full of ideas, debates about ideas, and great fun. If you like great sci-fi (as opposed to fantasy -- when will they stop being lumped together on the shelves!) I believe you'll enjoy this read.

Interesting set of story angles

This book covers many disparate topics from religion (existence of a soul) to determination of when someone is actually dead - for organ donation purposes. The technology discussed moves between things long gone (technologically speaking) to things that have not been done. The concept that one could record one's self and store in on the internet, turn it on and have a discussion with your self is kind of interesting. The fact that there are limitations to that recording vs the physical experience is not surprising.

The story carries well although a little weak on the ending. The reading is good and captured my attention. Overall a great performance.

Cool sci-fi

Really interesting concept. A little out there, but still easy to listen to and hold my attention.

Fast pace and really worth a listen!!!

Fast pace worth buying, January 23, 2010
By Barbara Lane "Audio Books only" (Sydney Australia)

Dr. Peter Hobson, scientist discovers that there is a current in the brain that escapes at the moment of death he chooses to interpret it as the soul. Of course, this discovery opens all kinds of discussion from the most scientific to the most extreme religious groups.

When he and an old Muslim schoolmate and friend decide to create simulations of his brain to test their theories on the soul. They put it on the computer and find that cannot be eliminated despite all their high tech knowledge. With three simulations loose on the Internet they do Peter's deep thoughts, things become frightening and desperate.

Add to all this Peter's dilemma over his wife's infidelity and you have a futuristic mystery with drama, stress and ethics problems thrown in. This is a thoroughly entertaining story. A fast pace story, it is also thought-provoking and intelligent.

It's a great story. Run and buy it!!!!!

Wonderful questions, facile answers

Great exploration of what a mind is, but unlike most great sci-fi, he provides his own answers. Some of those answers, such as the existence of a soul, have no logic and close off discussion.
The worst reader/narrator in 50+ audiobooks I've listened to: monotone, no emotion, and lots of sounds provided by dry mouth sticking to itself.

Kept me reading to the end, where it let me down.

Good characters and a high-tension plot, very cohesive story. The end, however, was a bit anticlimactic, much like other Sawyer works. Still, it's not like I want that part of my life back or anything. Meh.

Good

Sawyer is one of my favorite authors. This was a good story, not his best but still liked listening to it.

Really not worth it...

Although this book had a couple of interesting ideas, it was really not worth it. The characterization was weak, the story predictable, the philosophy sophomoric, the situations contrived, and the clich?s countless. This was a murder mystery without any mystery (and without a compelling sleuth). The pre-telling of later events give the whole plot away early in the book (for the clever reader), making plodding on to the predictable conclusion quite tedious.