Head on: A Novel of the Near Future

by John Scalzi

Hilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent's head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are "threeps," robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden's Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real and the crowds love it.Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field.Is it an accident or murder? FBI Agents and Haden-related crime investigators, Chris Shane and Leslie Vann, are called in to uncover the truth--and in doing so travel to the darker side of the fast-growing sport of Hilketa, where fortunes are made or lost, and where players and owners do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field.

• ISBN10: 076538891X
• ISBN13: 9780765388919
• Publish Date: 17 April 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 19 October 2021
• Imprint: Tor Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[adamfortuna]

"Head on" is the 2nd book in Scalzi's Lock In series. The series features a world where about 1% of the population have Hadens syndrome, a disease which "locks people in" to their body, although their minds still work. People with Haydens have a oasis/mmorpg-style world to interest with others virtually, or can take control of a robot, called threeps, where they can interact in the real world.

This second book in the series builds on the world in a fun way. Similar to the first book, it plays more like a detective novel in a science fiction world. I mentioned it reminds me of Asimov's "Caves of Steel", which is true for this one as well.

The story follows the investigation into a death during a football-like game played by threeps (the robots). I'd put Head on fully in the "fun" category of books. It was immensely entertaining, great at world building and overall just a great ride. As a bonus, the audiobook is read by Wil Wheaton!

[Melanie]

Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.

4.5 stars

This is the second book in John Scalzi’s Lock In series. In this futuristic world, many people contracted a plague that left about one percent of the population with Haden’s Syndrome. Anyone who has Haden’s Syndrome, their minds are fully functional, but their bodies are pretty much useless, though they have to be cared for, like fed through a feeding tube and kept clean. In this world, scientist have created a neural net, which is implanted in their brains to allow them to exist outside of their bodies. The Agora is a virtual space where Haden’s sufferers can interact together or have their own personal space. They also have robots, known as threeps, named for C3PO.

Chris Shane, our main character, has had Haden’s Syndrome since they were a child. I use plural pronouns, because we don’t know Chris’s actual sex. The book is written, and narrated by two narrators, so you can choose the sex of Chris (something I didn’t realize when I listened to the first book). Chris is the child of a wealthy former NBA star. Chris is also a former child celebrity, because he had Haden’s so young and had a child size threep. There is even a famous picture of Chris giving a flower to the pope. Now, Chris is an FBI agent who works mostly on Haden’s related cases with his partner, Leslie Vann. Vann is actually a former Integrator. Basically, that means she has the neural net in her brain. She used to allow (for a fee, of course) Haden’s sufferers, to use her body for things they can’t do with threeps or in the Agora.

In Head On, we are introduced to a game that is professionally played by Haden’s sufferers. They have specially designed threeps which they beat the crap out of and try to rip the head off one of the players and get it through the goalposts. That is until someone dies in the middle of a preseason game with a lot of potential investors (including Chris’s wealthy parents). As Chris and Vann investigate, things get even more complicated.

I really enjoyed this combination of cop drama and science fiction. The characters are very well written. I’ve very invested in even the minor secondary characters, like Chris’s flatmates. I think the partnership between Vann and Chris is great. I’m also a big fan of all the sci-fi elements of this story. It really appeals to my geeky side, without being so techy, that I’m lost.

Narration:
The first book in the series, I listened to Wil Wheaton narrate the male version of the book. This time, I tried Amber Benson’s narration for the female POV. It was interesting listening to this with the different narrator. I’ve never listened to Amber Benson before. I think she did a really good job, though I thought Vann’s voice was a little too masculine for me (though, I think she did this on purpose. She is a very masculine woman).

Even though I was listening to Chris as a woman, I still continued to think of Chris more of a man. I think that is because that was the first time I was introduced to them. I still thought Amber Benson did a great job with her narration. I would listen to her in future, but will probably go back to Wil Wheaton for this series, just because Chris seems to want to be a man in my mind.

**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Five reasons to grab Head On

• You loved getting your geek on, but want the technology delivered in layman's terms. Scalzi is masterful with world-building and has created a fascinating dystopian world that feels realistic and believable. The reader quickly comprehends the Hayden virus and new technological advancements make the leap to this world seem grounded.


• If you love procedural crime novels, you will love tagging along with FBI Agents Chris Shane and his partner, Leslie Vann. The two are investigating the death of a Hilketa player who dies during the game. Clues lead them to scandal and corporate greed all while providing near-death experiences, witness tampering and Shane losing one-two-many Threeps (machines that Hadens' move around with).


• You appreciate witty humor, brilliant detective work, and strong characters. I like Agent Shane; he is direct and to the point. Scalzi lets the reader be a part of Chris's thought process as he works the case but also gives us moments with his family, friends and the daily trials of living with Haden. Secondary characters from suspects to associates added depth and further fleshed out the plot.


• The case was riveting with plenty of twists, turns, and false leads. During the investigation, it showcased how the corporate world uses laws not specifically intended for them to pad their bottom line. It was a relevant topic and added believability to the case.


• Wil Wheaton narrated, and he is perfect for this series and characters. His wide range of voices both male and female, pacing and tone enhanced an already brilliant story.  His narration took the story to the next level. If you'd prefer you can listen to the story narrated by Amber Benson who does a stunning job.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer