The Bush League Critic

Every now and then, I like to take a break from the zombies, thrillers, action and epic-fantasy to read something a little more introspective and subtle. Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark fit that bill quite nicely.

Corporate life in early 21st-century America is even more ruthless than it was at the turn of the millennium. Lou Arrendale, well compensated for his remarkable pattern-recognition skills, enjoys his job and expects never to lose it. But he has a new boss, a man who thinks Lou and the others in his building are a liability. Lou and his coworkers are autistic. And the new boss is going to fire Lou and all his coworkers--unless they agree to undergo an experimental new procedure to "cure" them.

In this near-future drama, medical technology has advanced to the point where autism is becoming a thing of the past. Techniques and procedures have been developed that can "cure" autism in utero or shortly after birth. Lou Arrington and his co-workers were born too late to take advantage of this new technology. They're able to live somewhat "normal" lives due to advances made in treating very young autists, but they still require special support structures to function in social environments.

This story is told primarily from the viewpoint of Lou Arrington and does a marvelous job of portraying how the world might be perceived by someone with autism. There's several outstandingly written supporting characters who interact with Lou as he deals with anger, betrayal, love, friendship and change.

He grows as a character (and a human) as he struggles with the decision to accept or decline the highly experimental treatment that has the potential to "cure" him. The company he works for owns the research program and may have ulterior motives for "encouraging" him and his co-workers to sign up as test subjects.

Ultimately, the reader is forced to examine their views on "what is normal", as well as exploring the seemingly simple concepts of: choice, free will and change.

It's not an easy read, but a very worthy one.