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From: Titus G <noone@nowhere.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Mickey7. Edward Ashton.
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:57:03 +1300
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
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Mickey7. Edward Ashton.
I don't remember where this caught my attention or who recommended it
but it was three stars from me.
Mickey7 is the sole expendable. (a social leper), in a dome on an
expectedly frozen snow bound planet being colonised by about 200 from a
recently arrived single destination colony ship. At great expense, his
mind has been uploaded to storage and every cell in his body analysed
and catalogued to be reprinted to produce a replica on his death when he
is expended in the field. I don't recall if he began as Mickey or
Mickey1 but several deaths are explained and why they were necessary. A
fascinating approach. If a part needed replacing in the antimatter drive
where there was insufficient space for a suit to be worn and a drone's
electronics couldn't be shielded for a second, the expendable could
operate long enough after receiving a fatal radiation dosage. As well as
Mickey's history and interesting job, there is also the question of
diplomacy or genocide depending on whether the locals are sentient or
not, aggressive or peaceful. An interesting plot with twists.
Perhaps a pot boiler but for me the bottom of the barrel "immortal"
expendable was a new concept and it was an enjoyable read. The hard
science was probably mainly pseudo and it did not intrude. Recommended.